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10-Year-Old Boy Accidentally Shoots, Kills 11-Year-Old Brother

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Kevin Harness Contributor
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A 10-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed his 11-year-old brother Tuesday while visiting family in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

The shooting reportedly took place in the family’s basement where the boys and their parents were visiting relatives. Among those relatives was the boys’ 24-year-old cousin, who owned the two 9mm guns, which were out of their lockbox at the time of the incident, according to WFMZ-TV. (RELATED: Deputy Accidentally Kills Best Friend After ‘Jokingly’ Firing Gun He Thought Was Empty: Police)

The cousin had the guns out so he could clean them, but as soon as he heard family was visiting, he hid them, knowing the boys might want to play video games in the basement, the outlet reported.

While the adults were talking, they heard a gunshot coming from the basement and found the 11-year-old boy severely injured, according FOX 29 Philadelphia.

The family called the Allentown Police Department (APD), and first responders arrived at the home around 7:25 p.m. The boy was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest, where he succumbed to his injury just before 8:30 pm, the outlet reported.

Neither the victim’s cousin nor the victim’s brother will be facing charges for the accident.

“While a case can be made that the guns should have been placed into a lock box which was available, the investigation has disclosed that the owner did not want the boys to even see the guns and he made a good faith effort to hurriedly hide them. Unfortunately, they were discovered; and this tragic event occurred,” Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said, according to FOX 29 Philadelphia.