Detectives identify teen victim of accidental shooting

PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Calling it a tragic case, Paulding County authorities identified an Alabama teen Monday who died when he was shot by a friend in an accidental shooting.

Paulding County Sheriff’s detectives identified the dead teen as 15-year-old Matthew Ryan Hubbard of Heflin, Alabama.

According to detectives, Hubbard and a 14-year-old friend were handling a .22 caliber rifle in the bedroom of a home on Legend Creek Way near Douglasville on Friday night. While the 14-year-old was handling the rifle, he accidentally fired it, striking Hubbard in the head. The 15-year-old died immediately at the scene.

The Sheriff’s Office has not filed any charges in their ongoing investigation.

In a news release, Paulding County Sheriff Gary Gulledge said, “This young man was taken from the world way too soon.  Gun safety is everyone’s responsibility.  Please remember to always keep guns and ammunition locked in a safe place and out of the reach of children.  God bless all of the families involved in this tragic case.” 

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab conducted the autopsy on Saturday.