16-Year-Old Accidentally Shoots Himself in the Dark of Night During Drunken Target Practice, Says Sheriff

Pinal County Sheriff’s deputies and Maricopa police responded to a shooting incident on the Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway on the morning of November 20, 2024. A teenage boy was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to his foot, believed to have been inflicted accidentally, according to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO).

Initial reports indicate that the boy was at a party where alcohol was being consumed and target shooting was taking place in the Hidden Valley area. PCSO spokesperson Lauren Reimer stated that the teenager was “extremely intoxicated” and did not recall specific details regarding the incident.

Given the nature of the injury, with both entry and exit wounds to the foot, authorities suspect he shot himself. “Due to the angle of the exit and entrance wound, it is likely that the male shot his own foot,” Reimer noted.

The unidentified boy was quickly transported to Exceptional Community Hospital on John Wayne Parkway. Officers from the Maricopa Police Department arrived at the scene around 3 a.m. and subsequently handed over the investigation to the PCSO.

As the investigation remains ongoing, Reimer declined to comment on the possibility of criminal charges. Certainly, it is illegal for minors to consume alcohol, and while Arizona law allows those aged 14 to 17 to handle firearms for target practice, they cannot do so while under the influence.