Hoffman Estates shooting an accident, police say

It appears a shooting at a Hoffman Estates home on Christmas Eve was accidental, based on early results from an ongoing investigation, police said Thursday.

"Although the investigation is not complete, it appears to indicate that this was a case of improper handling of a firearm," Sgt. Mark Mueller said.

The injured person, who was initially in critical condition, is continuing to improve in the hospital, Mueller said.

Paramedics and police officers received a call for an ambulance at 11:33 p.m. Dec. 24 at a house on the 500 block of Avondale Lane.

When they arrived, they learned a person had been shot but already was being driven to a hospital.

From the beginning of the investigation, police described the shooting as an isolated case and said all the involved parties knew each other.

Police are still not releasing any details of the investigation, including the age and gender of the injured person.