An Arizona boy was tragically killed days before Christmas after he was accidentally shot while playing near a target practice area Monday.
Bradley John Shockley was shot in the chest by a high-powered air rifle while riding on the back of a quad bike with his friend.
The boys were driving in an area used for target practice when the 22-caliber pellet struck him. He succumbed to his injury at a local hospital less than an hour after the incident.
“It was a complete accident and he tragically got shot,” Bradley’s grieving mom said.
The mother said Bradley was excited to open his Christmas presents.
“He kept going over and looking at his presents. He’s not allowed to touch them because if he shakes them he’ll guess what they are. He is so smart,” she said.
“So he’d sit there and look at them and try to guess what they were. We got him a big box of books because he liked to read and he knew exactly what that present was without even having to touch it.”
The devastated mom said the family has no “hard feelings” against the people practicing targets in the area.
“We have to be strong and it’s hard but we’re trying,” she said.
