Gunshot kills 3-year-old boy

RONAN — The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a 3-year-old boy died of a gunshot wound suffered at a residence east of Ninepipe Reservoir between Ronan and St. Ignatius.

Undersheriff Dan Yonkin said the boy was shot in the torso Wednesday night. He was taken by private vehicle to St. Luke Community Healthcare in Ronan, where he later died.

The Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call at 8:22 p.m. Wednesday that the boy was being brought to the hospital with a gunshot wound. 

Yonkin said the boy was shot with a small-caliber gun. His body was taken to the state crime lab in Missoula for an autopsy.

Officers have detained a man for questioning and are interviewing witnesses. No arrests had been made by Thursday afternoon.

Lake County Public Information Officer Karen Sargeant confirmed that it was the boy’s family members who brought him to the hospital. She said the shooting occurred  at a residence on Eagle Pass Trail, which is north and east of Ninepipe Reservoir. 

She couldn’t say whether the man detained for questioning was a family member. For now, the shooting is being considered as an accident unless investigators prove otherwise. 

“Until we put all the pieces together of what actually happened ... that’s what we’re saying,” Sargeant said. “One can only hope that’s what it was, but we don’t know for sure. 

“Charges have not been filed. It may end up that there’s no charges filed. It just depends on how the story comes out,” she said.