

UPDATE: Toms River kids may have been 'pretend shooting' when one was shot in head with real rifle

TOMS RIVER — A 6-year-old boy remains in serious condition this morning after being shot in the head by a 4-year-old last night, according to authorities.

The 6-year-old was shot in the head with a .22-caliber rifle from 15 yards away, authorities said during a morning press conference at the Toms River Police Department headquarters.

The child remains at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, they added.

While many kids in the McCormick Drive neighborhood were outside playing, the 4-year-old went inside his house and brought the rifle out into his yard, said Police Chief Michael Mastronardy and Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato.

Toms River boy, 6, shot in head by 4-year-old friend 7 Gallery: Toms River boy, 6, shot in head by 4-year-old friend

The shot was fired from 15 yards, and struck the 6-year-old in the head, the authorities said. The police responded to a 9-1-1 call at 6:43 p.m., they said.

Parents were nearby and in the yard, they added. But they wouldn’t specify further.

Who the owner is, whether they were allowed to own the rifle, and where it had been stored in the house are still unanswered questions, the authorities added.

The school in Toms River where the 6-year-old shooting victim attends will offer counseling to its students today, according to a report on TomsRiver.Patch.com.

Staff Writer Seth Augenstein contributed to this report.

RELATED COVERAGE:

6-year-old boy shot in head in apparently accidental shooting