A 12-year-old boy is in the hospital after a Monday-afternoon accident where a .22-caliber rifle discharged into his abdomen.

The victim and his 15-year-old brother, whose names were not released, were shooting at birds in the yard of their Swanner Bridge home around 4 p.m.

After finishing, authorities say the older brother thought he fired the last round and cleared the gun, but as he was talking to his younger brother with the muzzle pointed at him, the gun discharged.

Investigators say the older brother called 911, got in the car and met Sheriff’s Deputies and Luverne Rescue units at Hook’s BBQ on the way to the hospital.

“He suffered severe internal injuries after being struck in the abdomen, but the bullet did exit,” said deputy Mason Adcock.

The original plan was to life-flight him to Birmingham, authorities say, but he became unstable and the helicopter stopped in Montgomery to stabilize him.

By last accounts, investigators say he is now in a Birmingham hospital.

“We don’t have any reason to believe this was anything but a tragic accident,” Adcock said.