Tonopah teen accidently shoots himself with home-made gun

TONOPAH, Ariz - Maricopa County Sheriff's office dispatched deputies after receiving a call on Sunday regarding a 13-year-old boy had shot himself, but when they arrived at the scene near 299th Avenue and Roosevelt, they learned of something even more disturbing.

It was quickly determined that the boy had constructed a crude home-made shotgun and had attempted to discharge it when he was struck in the lower left rib cage by a portion of the gun.

According to MCSO, as soon as they learned of the gravity of the boy's injury, he was airlifted to Phoenix Children's Hospital.

"We quickly determined that the 13-year-old boy had shot himself.. self-inflicted wound.. he was taken into surgery. I'm being told at this time they're not considered life-threatening, but you never know with these types of injuries," said MCSO's Deputy Joaquin Enriquez.

Deputies were told that the boy was playing with his friends at the time and had learned how to make the gun on the internet.