TONOPAH, Ariz. Authorities say a 9-year-old Tonopah boy has died after being wounded by what was described as a ricochet bullet as a group of family and friends were shooting in the desert. <br /> <br />Maricopa County Sheriff's spokesperson Chris Hegstrom says the boy died Thursday at a Phoenix hospital. He was shot Wednesday morning near 363rd Avenue and Lower Buckeye, a remote area of the county. <br /> <br />"They're all together, someone fires a gun, and the bullet ricochets and hits the boy. They immediately call 911, pick up the boy, and put him in the car," said Maricopa County Sheriff's Deputy Joaquin Enriquez. <br /> <br />According to Enriquez, the group included two adults, a girl who was a sister of the boy and two other children. <br /> <br />They drove the boy about two miles to a home where they were able to call 911. When deputies arrived at the scene, they ordered a medical helicopter to airlift the child to Phoenix Children's Hospital. <br /> <br />"All the stories to this point right now seem to match up. However, MCSO is taking this very serious, we do have a child in very critical condition, so we're treating this a legitimate investigation. We have several crime scenes that we're dealing with, and several people to interview," said Deputy Enriquez. <br /> <br />On Thursday morning, Officer Christopher Hegstrom with MCSO stated, "The 9-year old victim in Wednesday’s shooting incident was pronounced dead this morning at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. At this time, no charges have been filed pending the outcome of the investigation." <br /> <br />Hegstrom says the boy's identity was withheld because of the continuing investigation. No one has been taken into custody.
