NATCHEZ — Natchez Police are investigating what has been characterized as an accidental weekend shooting of a teenager by his 15-year-old cousin.

Natchez Police Department Detective Jerry Ford said the 16-year-old victim had gone to a residence in the 200 block of Choctaw Street to pick up a cell phone charger from his friend at 7:50 p.m. Friday.

When he arrived at the residence, his friend and the victim’s 15-year-old cousin were sitting in a Nissan Pathfinder outside the residence, and the victim’s friend told him the charger was in the vehicle, Ford said.

“(The cousin) was sitting in the truck playing with a handgun, and he told the guy, ‘Don’t open the door,’ and when (the victim) did, (the shooter) had the gun pointed toward him,” Ford said. “(The shooter) said he thought the trigger safety was on, but when he pulled the trigger he ended up shooting him in the mouth.”

The shooter took the victim to Natchez Regional Medical Center, and the victim was then transported to a Jackson-area hospital, where he remains in stable condition, ford said.

The teen shooter was not charged at the time.

“It is still under investigation, but it is kind of looking like an accident,” Ford said.