8-yr-old shot in hunting accident

LAFONTAINE, Ind. (WANE) - An 8-year-old boy who was shot accidently after a shotgun fell from a tree stand while he was hunting with his father Saturday morning in Huntington County has been upgraded to serious condition.

The accident happened around 7:30 a.m. in the woods directly south of 9935 West 900 South 35 in LaFontaine, IN.

Jacob Weaver, 8, of Greentown, IN was sitting in a tree stand with his father, Glen Weaver. Both father and son had a loaded shotgun.

Police said the hunting trip turned tragic when Jacob accidently kicked his gun.

"He had had some problems with some gloves that he was wearing and asked his father to help him. And as he leaned over to have his father help him, his foot bumped his shotgun," said Capt. David McElhaney of the Huntington County Sheriff's Department. "The shotgun slid down from the tree stand where it had been propped and as it slid down, it struck the floor of the tree stand and it discharged."

A single deer slug hit the boy in the left chest. The bullet traveled up his neck and into his head. Weaver was conscious when he was flown to Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne.

Weaver was in critical condition, but as of Sunday night he was upgraded to serious condition.

Since this incident was ruled an accident, police said no charges will be filed.

According to the DNR, during the 2008 hunting season, 24 hunting related accidents were reported to conservation officers statewide. 15 of those accidents resulted in injuries from falling from a tree stand; two resulting in death. Conservation officers say, many of those accidents could have been prevented if people just followed a few safety tips.

Police say, although the Weavers couldn't have foreseen Saturday's accident, it still could have been prevented.

"I think the only thing they could've done differently is keep the gun unloaded prior to using it," said McElhaney.

To read the DNR's hunting safety tips, click on the related stories tab on the left.