The 13-year-old boy critically injured in an accidental shooting Wednesday has been identified as Nathaniel Lawrence Fitch, an eighth-grader at Forestview Middle School in Baxter.
The shooting happened about 9 p.m. Wednesday at a duplex on the 1600 block of Oak Street, the Brainerd Police Department reported.
Fitch was shot in the head while he and two friends were allegedly playing with a handgun, police said. Investigators believe Fitch may have accidentally shot himself in the presence of the two friends. Brainerd Police Chief John Bolduc said it is believed the boys knew the gun was loaded but thought it had been rendered safe at the time it went off.
"This was a preventable tragedy," Bolduc said.
Investigators are trying to determine where the boys got the handgun. It did not belong to anyone at the Oak Street duplex, Bolduc said, and it is believed the boys had been in possession of the handgun for some time.
Nathaniel Fitch
"The looming question is how do three 13- and 14-year-olds get a hold of a handgun," Bolduc said. "Too many of us who own guns are not cautious enough about locking them up and making sure it's not possible for young people to gain access to them."
Fitch was visiting friends at the duplex, Bolduc said. Several other people were at the duplex at the time of the shooting, though only the three boys were in the room in which Fitch was shot.
Fitch was transferred to St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd and then airlifted to St. Cloud Hospital, where he was reported in critical condition Thursday afternoon.
Bolduc said there were still a lot of unanswered questions about the shooting Thursday but once the investigation is completed it would be turned over to the Crow Wing County attorney's office for review.
Donna Whalen, Forestview Middle School principal, said she met with her staff and prepared a statement for them to read to students Thursday. She also said counseling would be available throughout the day for any student that needs it.
Brainerd police officers are investigating the accidental shooting of a 13-year-old boy late Wednesday at this Oak Street duplex. The boy was playing with a loaded handgun when he accidentally shot himself in the head in front of two friends, who live at the duplex, police said. The boy was in critical condition Thursday at the St. Cloud Hospital. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls » Purchase reprints of this photo.
Brainerd Superintendent Steve Razidlo said the students most affected by the shooting were a small group of Fitch's friends. He said a couple of youth pastors also were contacted to help.
"We're hoping this boy is going to be better," Razidlo said. "We hope he going to be able to make a full recovery."
Razidlo said district officials may send information home with students so parents can have discussions with their children about the safe handling of guns.
"One of the tasks in our schools always is to try to keep the lines of communication open, to have every opportunity to know what's going on in the lives of our kids to help prevent these types of tragedies," Razidlo said.
MATT ERICKSON may be reached at matt.erickson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5857.
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