GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — The Kent County Prosecutor is speaking to 13 ON YOUR SIDE after filing charges of Careless Discharge of a Firearm Causing Injury against the 17-year-old who mistakenly shot his brother while hunting in Solon Township on Monday.
"Based on the facts presented to us, it was careless," said Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker.
"It was something that was done in a situation where a reasonable person wouldn't have fired off a round. So it met the definition. We felt given there was an injury, it was something that should've been taken seriously and so we decided to file charges."
The teenager, who is not being identified because he is a minor, was hunting on a tree stand when deputies say his 12-year-old brother came into the woods to call him inside for dinner.
Deputies say the older brother thought he saw a deer but shot his younger brother. As of Thursday, the boy remains in stable condition.
As for the older brother, Becker says its unlikely he will face any jail time.
"You can face all kinds of juvenile detention but generally they're looking at rehabilitation, probation, community service, if there's any training or any mental health counseling or in a situation like this, there could be firearms training," Becker said.
This is the eighth careless discharge charge this year and the first involving a minor, according to Becker.
"Accidents happen and with firearms they can be deadly or cause serious injuries," Becker said. "With firearms, you have to be careful with how you're handling them and where you're shooting them," he said.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources also assisted with the investigation.
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