8-year-old shoots 3-year-old brother in the neck with rifle

Photo by Drab Makyo

​Gun safety advocates can sound like broken records when they constantly harp on gun owners to lock up their unloaded weapons to keep them away from children. That is, until we hear of another case of children getting their hands on loaded guns and injuring each other. Some parents still aren't getting the message.

An 8-year-old boy in Crow Wing County shot his 3-year-old brother in the neck Monday while they were playing in their home. The boys found the loaded .22-caliber rifle leaning against a wall in their parent's bedroom.

The 3-year-old was airlifted to North Memorial Medical Center and is in stable condition. The sheriff's office says no criminal charges have been filed in the case, but the investigation is still open.

And in case you don't know the best practices for owning a firearm in a home with children, check out the American Academy of Pediatrics safety recommendations.