A 22-year-old man is behind bars for allegedly shooting his friend with what he initially thought was a BB gun.
Police say a 21-year-old man was found shot in the buttocks in a Lothian, Md. home just before 4 a.m. Wednesday. There were three other people at the home at the time, a 17-year-old girl and two other men.
Police initially called the incident random, but now say the man was shot by one of his friends, identified as 22-year-old Patrick Stapleton of Ashland.
The victim was asleep inside the home in the 1300 block of Burton River Road when Stapleton found what he thought was a BB gun and shot his friend as a prank, police said.
The victim's injuries, caused by a .40 caliber handgun, were not serious but did required medical attention.
Stapleton, of Ashland, Va. has been charged with second degree assault and reckless endangerment.
Police said the gun was owned by the homeowner's son, who was not involved in the shooting. The homeowner was not home at the time.