Teen injured after gun accidentally fires

HOUSTON

The boy who was shot is only 16 years old. He is in critical condition at Ben Taub General Hospital. His friends say they were playing with guns when one accidentally went off.

"It happened in my room," Tolbert McGilbra said.

Eighteen-year-old McGilbra was one of four people in his room when his friend got shot in the head.

"Everything happened so fast," he said. "They were just playing at first, and then the gun just went off."

Police say the teens were playing with two guns, pointing a handgun and an AK-47 at each other.

"He was letting the casing go from the shotgun, and I guess he thought all the casing was out; he pointed it at him. That's when the gun went off and shot him in the head," McGilbra said.

The 16-year-old victim dropped to the floor. His friends called 9-1-1.

The suspected shooter is another 16-year-old and a friend of the victim.

The teen who police identify as the shooter didn't want to do an interview with us. But told me over the phone it was an accident.

"Have you played with guns before like that?" we asked McGilbra.

"Yes ma'am," he replied.

"Would you do it again?"

"No ma'am."

While we were there, his friends got good news that their buddy made it through surgery. Their relief is dim until he's back home.

"I'm feeling better but I'm still praying for him," said another witness, Tim Stockman.

No charges have been filed. Police say the case will be turned over to a grand jury.

Both boys go to North Forest High School. The victim attends High Point Alternative School.