Community Responds to Shooting of 11-Year-Old Boy in Abington, Massachusetts

The victim remains at Boston Children's Hospital in stable condition

"Horrifying, absolutely horrifying," said parent Christine Brown.

The Woodsdale School community in Abington is reeling after an accidental shooting involving two eleven-year-old boys who attend the school.

These images show the aftermath of the tragedy on Lindwood Street that left one of the boys recovering in the hospital after he was shot in the face.

Parent Kelly MacEachern said as she choked back tears, "I just assume that my kids know better than that, he's eleven, I guess we can't assume."

"I've spoken with both my kids and they're going to learn gun safety and what to do, what not to do, how to disarm one, how to make sure it's safe, what to do if they're ever in that situation," said parent Michelle Connolly.

Connolly says her son is friends and teammates with both boys involved, and as a show of support, many of them wore their jerseys to school Thursday.

"Great kids, both athletes, great kids, great families," said Connolly, "They have the whole town behind them, everybody's supporting them."

Jackie Jernegan says one of her twin grandsons is in class with the victim, the other was supposed to be at a party with him Wednesday night.

Jernegan said, "At the party that I dropped them off at that this boy was supposed to be there and when he didn't show up and they found out, I guess the other boys were getting texts on their phones that the accident happened."

Counsellors were on hand to speak with kids throughout the day and the school offered to help parents talk with their children about what happened.

MacEachern said, "It scares me to think because my son is the same age and how quickly that happened, it's just very scary."

The victim remains at Boston Children's Hospital in stable condition.

Investigators say the handgun was legally owned, but how the boys had access to it and whether it was properly secured remains under investigation.

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