A juvenile was wounded during the early morning hours Sunday when a handgun fired, striking the victim in the leg, and leading to multiple charges against the gun owner.

According to Linden Police Chief Robert Alston, police responded to 1751 W. Cahaba Avenue after receiving the initial call of a gun fired at 3:13 a.m. Witnesses at the scene said Michael Blaine Gill, 19, a resident at the property, was reloading the gun when it fired, hitting the juvenile in the lower leg.

“Witnesses said he was reloading the clip of a Sig 9 mm and when he inserted it into the gun it racked a bullet. His finger was on the trigger when it racked, causing the gun to fire. Witnesses, including the victim, said (Gill) did not know she was standing there,” Alston said.

The victim, 15, was transported to Bryan W. Whitfield Memorial Hospital, later transferred, and has since been released.

At the scene, police discovered evidence that led to a number of charges against Gill, including another weapon found that was reported stolen out of Bibb County. He was arrested and charged with reckless endangerment, second degree receiving stolen property, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance, possession of counterfeit money.

Alston said the case remains under investigation.

(This article originally appeared in the Wednesday, August 29 issue of the Demopolis Times.)