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EAGLE MOUNTAIN — A 17-year-old boy accidentally shot a 19-year-old woman in Eagle Mountain Sunday night when deputies say a jammed gun unexpectedly fired when he moved it.
Deputies received a call around 9:30 p.m. and learned a teen had picked up a gun with a jammed round, and the gun discharged, according to Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon. The bullet traveled 15 to 20 feet down a hallway, went through a door and hit a woman in the back, below her arm. The bullet then exited the woman's chest and went through a window.
The woman was transported to a nearby church, then airlifted to the University of Utah Medical Center. She left in critical condition but arrived at the hospital in serious but stable condition, Cannon said. She was sedated and may need surgery.
The Utah County Sheriff's Office does not anticipate filing charges in this case, Cannon said. Police believe the jammed round may have dislodged and fired when the teen picked up the gun.
The 17-year-old is a friend of the woman's family, and is living with them while he finishes high school. He is part of a hunting family, Cannon said.
This article will be updated if more information becomes available.
