Boy accidentally shot in back by brother

A 6-year-old Washington County boy is hospitalized after he was accidentally shot in the back by his 4-year-old brother, sheriff's deputies said.

The shooting happened about 5 p.m. Saturday near Enterprise. Washington County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Rob Tersigni said the victim was out target shooting with his grandfather.

"Grandpa was helping the 6-year-old unjam a rifle, and I guess the younger brother grabbed a hold of the pistol and shot him in the back," he told the Deseret News.

The boy was shot in the upper back with a .22-caliber handgun. Tersigni said the boy's parents put him in a car to get him medical help. The boy was later flown by helicopter to a Las Vegas hospital. Deputies said he was last reported to be in stable condition.

"They're investigating it as an accidental shooting," Washington County sheriff's detective Nate Abbott said late Saturday night.

— Ben Winslow