An Alabama child was in stable condition over the weekend after accidentally being shot by an old rifle.

Friday morning around 9 a.m., the Covington County Sheriff’s Department responded to the Loango community.

Two juveniles were playing in their relative’s home and discovered a firearm. The firearm was put away in a closet out of reach of children. The boys not knowing what they were doing started playing with the gun.

According to the investigation, the gun was cycled four times. On the fourth cycle, the gun fired, striking a young male in the lower torso. The child was quickly taken to the hospital and later flown to Gainesville, Fla., hospital. The child is in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery.

“According to investigators and an inspection of the firearm, the gun was very old and loaded with 7 soft point rounds and 1 rat shot,” Sheriff Blake Turman said. “The hammer struck three of the rounds and they did not detonate. The fourth was the rat shot. This round went off striking the child.”

“In this case, the owner of the firearm had taken the necessary precaution, however, curious children were looking and playing where they should not have been,” Turman said. “As a firearm owner myself, it is imperative that your home protection weapons be secured but most importantly, educating your family on the dangers of a firearm is paramount. Treat all firearms as if they are loaded. Secure the firearms and know that they are out of reach of our youngsters. This is a terrible accident and the family needs our prayers.”