A farmer who witnessed the tragic shooting of an eight year old boy in Cumbria has spoken out about the horrifying incident. The incident occurred on a hillside near Wheatsheaf Farm, close to Warcop, on Saturday afternoon, reports the Mirror.
Locals in the area believe the shooting may have been accidental. Speaking to The Sun, the nearby farmer said: “I had to witness what happened. It’s deeply upsetting. My mother is in her 80s and ill.”
Another local mum added: “We don’t know fully what happened yet. I have heard that he didn’t go to the school in Warcop. I read earlier that it was an accidental discharge of the weapon. A lot of us have kids of that age. It’s a very tight knit community.”
Join the Daily Record’s WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
A spokesperson for Cumbria Police confirmed: “Police are investigating following the death of an eight-year-old boy. Emergency services were called at around 2.50pm yesterday (28 Sept) to a farm in the Warcop area following a report that a child had been seriously injured by a firearm at the property.”
“Police and NWAS attended. The firearm was secured at the scene by police and an eight year old boy was taken to hospital by air ambulance having suffered serious and life-threatening injuries to his head and face.”
“Sadly, the boy has died overnight.”
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond – Sign up to our daily newsletter here.