Texas teen shoots twin brother while trying to shoot snake, deputies say

LIBERTY COUNTY, Texas -- Investigators say a 14-year-old Texas boy accidentally shot his twin brother while attempting to shoot a snake Monday.

The Liberty County Sheriff's Office says the teens found a snake in a ditch of water, and they went inside the house to retrieve two .22-caliber rifles. Just as one of the brothers aimed at the snake, authorities say his twin suddenly knelt down in between the snake and his brother and was shot above the right ear.

The Sheriff's Office received a call reporting the shooting at about 3:45 p.m.

When Deputy John Tucker arrived on the scene, he said the one brother quickly admitted to the shooting.

Life Flight was called to the scene, and the non-responsive teen was rushed to Memorial Hermann Hospital. His present medical condition is unknown.

Their names are not being released by the Sheriff's Office due to their ages.

Captain Ken DeFoor said the incident can serve as a tragic lesson for parents and kids everywhere.

"These guns that are left unsupervised in the home," he said. "There should definitely be training on how do you properly use these weapons. These boys were 14 years old. They were certainly old enough to be taught the proper handling of firearms, what they should and should not do. Never ever put yourself in the front of one like was done today. It was a thoughtless act that resulted in a tragic accident."