DECATUR, Ill. (WAND)- A 14-year-old boy remains in the hospital after accidentally shooting himself in the arm, according to police.
Decatur Police confirm the boy is currently listed in stable condition at HSHS St. Johns Hospital in Springfield.
On Monday, July 24, at about 5:47 p.m. Decatur Police responded to the 900 block of East Harrison Avenue, for reports of a victim with a gunshot wound.
The 911 caller told police they were taking the victim to the hospital and additional officers were sent to Decatur Memorial Hospital.
DMH then told police a gunshot victim had arrived at the hospital with a life threatening wound to the left upper arm.
Upon further investigation and talking with the victim, police learned the 14-year-old boy had been handling a firearm when he accidentally shot himself.
Medical professionals told police the boy was suffering from a massive life-threatening wound that shattered his bone, causing his aorta to bleed.
Medical staff had to preform life saving measures using a tourniquet to help stop the bleeding.
Police said the 14-year-old was eventually air-lifted to St. Johns Hospital in Springfield for further care and treatment.
Sergent Brandon Rolfs told WAND News, "If it weren't for the medical staff at DMH, this could have been a tragic fatality. Most don't realize how deadly a shot to the arm can be. This is what happens when guns end up in the wrong hands."
Officers on the scene conducted a search of the residence in the 900 block of E. Harrison Avenue where they located and seized a firearm.
The investigation is ongoing as authorities report the firearm used during the incident is still unaccounted for.
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