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Deputies Say Ellenton Teen Shot Himself In The Foot

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TBO Staff

Published: March 1, 2009

Updated: 03/01/2009 06:58 pm

A 15-year-old Ellenton boy wanted to prove to a friend today that the loaded pistol he held in his hands was safe, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office said.

The friend told the 15-year-old that the gun was dangerous and to put it away, deputies say.
The teen instead pointed the 9mm Ruger handgun at his foot and pulled the trigger, deputies say. The gun went off and the bullet went straight through the teen's foot, the sheriff's office said.

Deputies have ruled the 12:40 p.m. shooting an accident. Richard Brennen, 18, the older brother of the victim's friend, was driving the teen to the hospital when he saw a deputy at a traffic crash on U.S. 301, the sheriff's office said.

Paramedics responded to the scene and took the victim to Manatee Memorial Hospital, where he was treated for injuries that were not life-threatening.

The teen, whose name was not released by authorities, told deputies that he was shot when someone tried to rob him, the sheriff's office said. As deputies investigated, the teen then said that the wound was self-inflicted.

Deputies continue to investigate the case, and they are working to identify the owner of the gun.

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