FITCHBURG — A city teenager was arrested in late February in connection with what a police spokesman said was an “accidental” shooting that left another teenager with a minor gunshot wound on Wednesday, Feb. 17.

Carlos Lago, 18, of 76 Leighton St., was charged on Feb. 26 with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling and carrying a firearm without an FID card as a result of the shooting that occurred on Beech Street, said police Capt. Steven Giannini.

He said Lago accidentally shot the victim, a 16-year-old boy, at 31 Beech St. at about 1:30 p.m. with a rifle that was recovered by police.

The teenager, said Giannini, was released from a local hospital after being treated for the minor wound.

“They were just hanging out and handling the weapon” when it went off, said Giannini, who added that police believe the age and condition of the rifle may have contributed to it going off.

In addition to Lago being arrested, Rodolfo Mercado, 22, who lives at 31 Beech St., was cited for the felonious misleading of a police investigation.

Giannini said Mercado was not arrested but has been summonsed to court to hear the single charge.

Lago’s bail information was not immediately available.