



COPLAY LAKE, Wash. -- A mother accidentally shot her 9-year-old son near Coplay Lake Sunday when she and her boyfriend were trying to get away from a pack of coyotes, according to The News Tribune.



The newspaper reports that the Wilkeson family was barbecuing near Coplay Lake around 7:30 p.m. when they heard coyotes that sounded like they were close.



The mother and her boyfriend decided to leave the area, loading her sons into their car seats and then packing up the rest of their belongings.



Pierce County Sheriff's Office spokesman Ed Troyer told the Tribune that the mother grabbed a rifle and threw it into the rear storage area of a Nissan Pathfinder. That's when she heard the rifle discharge and her son screaming.



The 9-year-old was shot in the back and was taken to a nearby fire station to meet paramedics.



The child is in serious condition but expected to live. It's unclear whether the mother will face charges. Deputies said they could smell alcohol on the mother's breath.



Read the full story here.