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Photo from scene on June 22, 2016

Photo from scene on June 22, 2016

Photo from scene on June 22, 2016

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Indianapolis police investigate what appears to be an accidental shooting on the east side.

The shooting occurred just after 10:50 a.m. in the 3300 block of Wallace Avenue near East 34th Street and Emerson Avenue.

The 16-year-old victim’s family says the boy was playing with a handgun before shooting himself in the head.

“He shot himself directly in the forehead,” said the victim’s brother Christian Turner.

Christian explained to police that his younger brother had been messing around with a gun along with another brother when it went off.

“He was in there playing with a gun and I guess he pointed it at himself and thought it wouldn’t go off without pulling the trigger and it went off,” said Turner.

“We have to vet the credibility of those stories,” said IMPD Sgt. Kendale Adams.

Investigators say although the family is cooperating, police can’t yet confirm if the stories of an accidental or self-inflicted shooting are accurate.

“You know obviously stories can change, but physical evidence doesn’t so that will tell us what happened here,” said Adams.

Police and the victim’s family agree that whatever happened inside the home is once again a reminder about the dangers of having loaded firearms around children.

“We have to take gun safety seriously. If we have guns in the home, we have to make sure they are secured and properly stored,” said Adams.

“It’s not a play toy. It’s not something to flaunt or show off. It’s nothing to play with. It’s for protection. That’s it and you need to be a grown individual with a gun permit to be walking around with a gun,” said Turner.

Christian says his younger brother didn’t live in the home, but had been staying there for the summer.

The victim had just graduated middle school, now his family is left to cope of the senseless shooting.

“A lot of stuff can be prevented if you don’t put yourself in that situation. My brother put himself in that situation and we have to deal with it. I just ask everyone to pray for my family,” said Turner.

Police say 4 people were inside the home when the shot went off.

Detectives did talk to those witnesses, but so far no arrests have been made in the case.