Teen Accidentally Shot Self In Bergen County Home, Lied About It, Prosecutors Say

ELMWOOD PARK, NJ — A 15-year-old boy has been charged after accidentally shooting himself in a Bergen County home on Saturday, then giving false information to law enforcement officers, prosecutors said Friday.

The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office said that just after 5 p.m. Saturday, the Elmwood Park Police Department responded to a shooting on Donor Avenue.

A 15-year-old victim was found shot in the hand and leg, prosecutors said, and was taken via ambulance to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson.

He received treatment and was subsequently released, prosecutors said.

"Preliminary information provided to detectives was that a drive-by shooting occurred on Donor Avenue," prosecutors said. "However, the investigation revealed that a drive-by shooting did not occur."

Detectives eventually determined that the 15-year-old victim had a firearm inside a home on that street and shot himself, prosecutors said.

On Wednesday, prosecutors and police found the teen and placed him in protective custody, prosecutors said.

He charged with juvenile delinquency, prosecutors said, specifically: second-degree providing false report to law enforcement authorities, fourth-degree possession of a firearm, and fourth-degree obstructing the administration of law.

He was released to the custody of a parent or guardian to await further action by Bergen County Superior Court Family Law Division, prosecutors said.