A Mississippi teenager accidentally shot himself in the arm in an attempt to kill a snake, all while taking care of his two-year-old niece, according to a report.
High School student, Tripp Pender, was out riding a four-wheeler when he came across a snake. Instead of leaving it alone, Pender ran back to his truck to get a gun, according to ABC13.
As he tried to shoot and kill the snake, Pender lost control of the gun, which then discharged and shot him in the arm. Luckily, the toddler, who was next to him, remained unharmed.
"I was riding a four-wheeler, and I saw a snake, so I rode back to the truck and grabbed my gun out of it, and I dropped it, and it went off. It hit me in my arm, and I had my niece there, so I had to make sure she was alright," Pender told the Jackson, Mississippi news outlet.
Pender, who has first-aid training, used a makeshift tourniquet to prevent himself from bleeding out, according to the outlet.
Soon after, he was rushed to Choctaw Regional Medical Center, where doctors discovered internal bleeding. The severity of Pender's injury resulted in him being airlifted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center to receive treatment.
In total, Pender had 12 bullet fragments lodged in his arm. Doctors were able to save his limb using a vein from his leg to restore blood flow.
Five weeks later, Pender made it back to school where he is the team captain of the football team at Ethel High School.
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