GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Oct. 13 (UPI) -- The shooting of a 14-year-old boy in Solon Township, Mich., may have been the result of a prank gone horribly wrong, police say.
Kent County Sheriff's Department Lt. Jerry Miedema said the teenager received non-life-threatening injuries this weekend while allegedly toilet-papering the home of an area resident, The Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press said Monday.
The homeowner, whose identity was not released, allegedly thought the teen and four of his friends were burglars and shot at them with a shotgun. Police said shotgun pellets struck the unidentified 14-year-old, who is now recovering from his wounds.
One of the homeowner's neighbors appeared to defend the shooting suspect's actions Sunday morning, but offered her sympathies for the injured teen.
"When you live out in the country, it's scary and you want to defend yourself," Roxanne Maxim said. "That's why we have dogs. And it's hunting season, so rifles are always loaded. It's a sad situation for everybody. I hope (the teen) gets better."
The Press said the case is being investigated by a Kent County prosecutor. No charges have yet been filed.
