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Police: Boy accidentally shoots brother with rifle

A 15-year-old boy was accidentally shot in the abdomen by his brother Tuesday, officials said.

Police responded to the 9700 block of Wright Road, in an unincorporated area near Harvard, around 11 a.m., according to a news release from the McHenry County sheriff's office.

The two boys were staying with other adults while their parents were out of town and discovered an "unsecured" .22-caliber rifle and started playing with it, believing it was unloaded, according to the news release. While they were playing with the gun, one of the brothers pulled the trigger and shot his brother in the abdomen, the sheriff's office said.

The victim was taken to Rockford Memorial Hospital, where he is undergoing surgery and reported to be in stable condition, the release said.

No criminal charges have been filed, and the boys' parents were notified.

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