A man and a teenager have been charged after a nine-year-old boy died when a firearm was unintentionally discharged.
Emergency services were called to a property on Fernleigh Close at Windellama, in south NSW, at 11.20am on Sunday.
A nine-year-old boy was found with serious neck injuries after the firearm was unintentionally discharged.
Paramedics treated the young boy but he could not be revived and he died at the scene.
A 14-year-old boy and a 33-year-old man were arrested and taken to Goulburn Police Station.
The 14-year-old boy was charged with possess unauthorised firearm and granted conditional bail to appear before a children’s court on Friday.
The 33-year-old man was charged with allow unauthorised person to possess firearm and not keep firearm safely and will face Goulburn Local Court on May 14.
It’s believed the firearm was being held by a family member when it accidentally went off and injured the young boy, a police source told The Daily Telegraph.
A man and teenager have been charged after a nine-year-old boy was fatally shot when a firearm was unintentionally discharged at a farm in south NSW ( pictured, police at the scene)
Police are investigating whether the gun was being prepared to be transported back to Sydney at the time.
The family are originally from Sydney and had bought the property five years ago as a weekender, according to shocked neighbours.
It’s understood the family had just arrived at the farm for the start of the school holidays.
Police spent much of Sunday afternoon at the scene conducting inquiries as livestock wandered around the property.
Shocked neighbours recalled hearing a single shot being fired, which they described as being unusual for the middle of the day.
‘We were outside and heard it, and we reacted to the shot … it was a bit perturbing really,’ Ron Wenban told the publication.
‘That was at 11.20am and then we heard the sirens, I reckon about 11.40am. Then the chopper came over at 12.03pm and that’s when I said: “Someone’s been hurt”.
‘It is school holidays, that’s the tragic part about it. It’s just really tragic.’
The 14-year-old boy and a 33-year-old man were arrested and taken to Goulburn Police Station (pictured, emergency services as the scene)
Goulburn state MP Wendy Tuckerman described the incident as ‘an absolute terrible tragedy’ as she expressed her condolences to the boy’s family.
‘My thanks to those police officers and emergency services who attended the scene,’ the MP said.
A report will be prepared for the Coroner.
