Police say friends were playing with gun belonging to father of one of the boys when firearm went off.
By JPOST.COM STAFFhandgun pistol glock 248 88(photo credit: AP)
A 12-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed his friend on Tuesday while playing with his father's firearm in Reut-Maccabim.
According to police, the boy was hosting three friends at his home in the morning, and at a certain point drew out a handgun his father kept in a drawer.
While he was cocking it, the gun discharged a bullet, striking 12-year-old Oren Mizrahi in the head.
The teenagers fled the scene, hiding in nearby apartments. Emergency response teams were called to the address and rushed the mortally wounded boy to Tel Hashomer hospital, where he died of his injuries.
Police rounded up the three teenagers and arrested the boy who held the gun, along with his father.
The father is suspected of causing death by negligence. Both are expected to be released on bail by the Ramle District Court on Tuesday evening. On Tuesday afternoon, police accompanied the boy to his home, where he reenacted the accident.
Pupils at the Maccabim-Reut high school were shell-shocked by the news of their friend's death and received professional guidance from the school's staff.
The town's mayor, Haim Bibas, described the incident as a "tragedy for both families," adding that it should "set off red lights at the Interior Ministry regarding all procedures on safeguarding firearms and keeping them far away from the reach of children."
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