
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, June 5, 1990                   TAG: 9006050381
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

BOY SHOOTS YOUNGER CHILD WITH BB GUN

A 9-year-old Roanoke youth took a BB gun from a department store shelf, loaded it and shot a 6-year-old in the forehead in the store's toy department, authorities said Monday.

The incident happened about 3 p.m. Saturday at the K mart store at Crossroads Mall, police said.

Authorities declined to identify both youths because of their ages.

The boys apparently did not know each other, and the 6-year-old told police he did nothing to provoke the incident.

The shot struck the boy just above his right eye. Although the BB shot caused some bleeding, the boy apparently was not seriously injured.

No charges have been filed, although the incident still was under investigation.

Mike Puckett, manager of the K mart store, said an employee is usually behind the showcase counter where the guns are displayed.

Customers are not allowed behind the counter, but the 9-year-old apparently took the gun while the salesman was away attending to another customer, Puckett said.

The gun was not loaded. Authorities later found an open packet of BB pellets that the youth had apparently taken to load the gun.

"It scared me to death," said the 6-year-old's grandmother, who was shopping in another part of the store when the shooting happened.

"It's terrible that kids can get their hands on something like that these days."

by CNB