West Virginia teenager killed in accidental shooting

GLASGOW, W.Va. (WOWK) – A teenager has died after an accidental shooting in Kanawha County, West Virginia, authorities say.

According to the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the shooting happened just after midnight Thursday in the 300 block of 4th Avenue in Glasgow. Deputies say when they arrived on scene, they found a teenage male who had been fatally wounded.

Criminal Investigation Section detectives investigated and say two teenage boys had been handling a firearm when one of them “pointed the weapon at himself and pulled the trigger.” According to the KCSO, detectives also said the investigation indicates that the teen “did not believe the firearm was loaded.”

The teenager died at the scene, deputies say.

The KCSO also says that no further details on the victim or the circumstances will be released at this time.

Kanawha County Sheriff Joe Crawford is urging the public to respect the dangers of firearms, remember to educate children and teenagers of the risk of mishandling weapons, and for everyone to treat every firearm as if it were loaded.