Reno Co. teen accidentally shot expected to recover, sheriff’s office says

A 15-year-old boy accidentally shot Monday night by another teen in Reno County is in fair condition and is expected to make a full recovery, authorities said in an e-mail Tuesday afternoon.

Reno County Sheriff’s Capt. Steve Lutz said the boy’s parents told detectives that he is expected to undergo another surgery this week but will likely be OK. He remained in the intensive care unit at a Wichita hospital on Tuesday, he said.

The boy was shot in the left upper chest and left arm with a shotgun that was being handled by another 15-year-old at around 8 p.m. on a property on the west side of Hutchinson. The pair had been out shooting shotguns earlier in the day, the sheriff’s office said.

Lutz, in the e-mail, said investigators were continuing to look at “all aspects of the case to get a clear idea of what happened.”

“Once the investigation is complete, all reports will be forwarded to the Reno County District Attorney’s Office for review and determination on whether criminal charges are warranted,” he said.

This story was originally published January 3, 2017 at 4:29 PM with the headline "Reno Co. teen accidentally shot expected to recover, sheriff’s office says."