Teen critically injured by ricocheting shotgun blast in East Pierce County

Pellets from a shotgun fired inside a pickup during a backwoods bachelor party in East Pierce County blew out a window, ricocheted off a tree and hit an 18-year-old in the head.

The pellets pierced the teen’s head, cheek, left eye and left arm, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department. He remained in critical condition Wednesday.

The 39-year-old shooter was booked into the Pierce County Jail on suspicion of third-degree assault early Saturday, the day he was to be married at a campsite near Carbonado.

He has not been charged and posted bail Tuesday.

Some of the six men present called the shooting at 8 p.m. Friday a “freak accident” after driving the victim to a hospital in Enumclaw.

The teen was wounded after the group drove down a dirt road near the campsite to go shooting. Three men were in the cab of the pickup, and three were in the bed.

At one point, the driver of the pickup shot out his window with a 12-gauge shotgun, sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said Wednesday.

The groom, who was in the passenger seat, then allegedly shot out the passenger window and the back window.

That’s when the pellets ricocheted off a tree and struck the victim, who was sitting in the bed of the truck on the passenger side.

When deputies arrived at the hospital, the men claimed the driver had accidentally shot the teen. Because the driver had left the hospital, deputies arrested him at his Sumner home.

The investigation later determined the blast that wounded the victim was fired by the soon-to-be groom, who eventually admitted his friend lied to protect him because he was about to get married.

It does not appear the wedding took place.

The victim graduated in June from Governor John R. Rogers High School in Puyallup and planned to enlist in the Army.

This story was originally published July 6, 2016 at 3:31 PM with the headline "Teen critically injured by ricocheting shotgun blast in East Pierce County."