A 14-year-old boy shot his 6-year-old sister while trying to protect her and another sibling after they heard a loud banging and somebody yelling at the front door.

It happened around 7:45 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 17,  at a home in the 300 block of East Carlton Avenue, according to a news release from the Elkhart Police Department.

The teenage boy got his mother’s gun. His sister then grabbed him around the waist which startled him and caused the gun to go off, according to the news release. The bullet grazed the 14 year old in the leg and struck his sister in the upper leg.

‘Police say neither injury appeared to be life threatening, the news release stated.

Elkhart Police sent the following news release about the shooting:

At this point in the investigation it appears three children a fourteen (14) year old male, a nine (9) year old male and six (6) year old female were at home when there was loud banging and somebody yelling at the front door. This frightened the kids and the 14 year old male got a handgun from inside the residence to protect his brother, sister and himself. The 14 year old male was handling the handgun when his 6 year old sister grabbed him around the waist which startled him. When he was startled he accidentally fired the handgun. When the handgun went off the bullet grazed the 14 year old male in the leg and struck his 6 year old sister in the upper leg. The juveniles ran to a neighbor’s house to call for help.

The 14 year old male and the 6 year old female were both transported by ambulance to Elkhart General Hospital for treatment. At this time neither gunshot injury appear to be life threatening.

The handgun, which belonged to the children’s mother, was recovered at the scene.

The case remains under investigation.