Boy, 12, Dies After Uncle Accidentally Shoots Him While Hunting For Squirrels

A 12-year-old boy in Minnesota succumbed to his injuries after his uncle accidentally shot him during a hunting trip in Carlton County.

The child was on life support before his parents "decided to pull the plug" around 13 hours after the shooting, the family said.

Jeremy Her, of St. Paul, traveled about 100 miles away from home to Moose Lake Township to hunt for squirrels on public land with his 47-year-old uncle when the incident occurred Monday, the New York Post reported.

The Cass County Sheriff's Office deputies arrived at the scene at around 8:19 a.m. following a call about a hunting accident. They located the boy in a wooded area with a serious life-threatening injury, the sheriff's office said in a statement.

Jeremy was rushed to the hospital in a helicopter, where doctors reportedly placed him on life support.

" ... My little brother was shot right behind his left ear and rushed to the hospital. He was then put on life support because he was pronounced brain-dead upon arrival," the victim's sister, Salina Her, wrote on a GoFundMe page. "The doctor couldn't save his life due to the bullet hitting his spinal cord and causing him to bleed out inside. At 9:50 pm my parents decided to pull the plug on his life support."

Sheriff Tom Burch also confirmed the boy's death in a Tuesday update from the sheriff's office.

Officials did not reveal details about how the boy was shot but believe the incident was the result of a hunting accident, the Kansas City Star reported.

The boy's death is still being investigated.

Jeremy was just a few months away from celebrating his 13th birthday, his sister said.

"He is a happy boy who loved his family and friends and is willing to do anything to make them happy. He's never afraid to try new things and never says no unless he's playing games with his friends. He enjoys fixing bikes and joining my dad in fixing cars in the driveway," Salina wrote on the fundraising page set up for the boy's funeral expenses.

"Now we have to spend the holiday without him and his birthday will be the hardest," she added.