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MADISON, Ala. – Police have revealed that a shooting on Saturday morning in Madison may have been a result of heavy alcohol consumption and gun mishandling.

Madison Police were called to a home on Mattie Court at 4:15 a.m. and found one victim with a gunshot wound. Life-saving measures were performed at the scene and the victim was transferred to Huntsville Hospital in critical condition.

Police say 21-year-old William Alexander Eckstein had three friends visiting the home he shared with his parents Friday night into Saturday morning.

“We suspect alcohol consumption was heavy,” said Capt. John Stringer with the Madison Police Department.

At some point Eckstein was handling his gun, which he legally owned, and a shot was fired around 4:15 a.m.

It’s still unclear exactly how the incident played out. Police say the problem is that everyone involved had consumed so much alcohol, those who were present are having trouble recalling what exactly happened.

“We don’t have any indication at this point that there was an altercation or an argument, but it was irresponsible gun handling,” Stringer said.

Police aren’t yet calling this an accident because there was a conscious decision to drink, a weapon was involved, and there’s a reckless element which resulted in Eckstein’s assault charge.

“It could be upgraded if we find out some new information that indicated that it was intentional,” Stringer said.

Police say it’s still unclear as to why the gun was involved in the first place, but they’re hoping follow-up interviews will assist in the investigation.

“After a traumatic event you want to make sure you give people the ability to sleep. It improves recall, and because we have alcohol involved, that delays it even more,” Stringer said.

Eckstein remains in custody at the Limestone County Jail.

All we know about the victim is that he or she is at least 21 years old. No more information is being released because that person is still in the hospital in critical condition.