A 13-year-old boy is in the hospital after being shot by another 13-year-old on Sunday. The boy who fired the gun is facing serious criminal charges, according to the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office.

“I don’t know how this young man got a hold of this gun that part is still murky,” said Johnson County Prosecutor Lance Hamner. “The investigation is continuing.”

Hamner says that the child facing attempted murder charges may not be convicted, but the charges were filed to ensure the legal process proceeds correctly.

Hamner adds that before becoming Johnson County Prosecutor, he noticed a pattern of kids committing crimes with guns. While this isn’t specifically about the current case, it’s part of a larger issue of youth violence.

“Generally, what I saw with young people, especially males committing crimes, was the absence of a father in the home and a lack of adult male supervision.

As for what happens next in this case, he explained that the person accused would appear before a juvenile court judge to either admit or deny the allegations. In juvenile court cases, it’s not referred to as criminal charges, but as a petition for delinquency.