Boy shoots 8-year-old brother in head after mother falls asleep next to loaded guns

An 8-year-old boy in Shippensburg, PA was shot in the head by his 6-year-old brother after the boys' mother fell asleep with a loaded rifle and pistol lying out in the open.

According to WHTM Channel 27, the older boy is in very critical condition and the younger boy in custody of child protective services after police and paramedics found them in a home environment strewn with garbage, piles of dirt, abandoned vehicles and open food containers as well as the two weapons.

The children were visiting their mother, who police said appeared drugged and lethargic when they spoke to her. She told officers that she did not hear the shooting take place, but was awakened by her 6-year-old son after the gun went off.

She consented to drug testing by police. No charges have been filed.

The injured boy was flown to Penn State Hershey Medical Center for treatment. His brother is being held by Cumberland County Children and Youth Services while the incident is under investigation.

[image of gun on table with handprint via Shutterstock.com]