"A few minutes later screams were heard in the orchard."

Children playing with firearms, always a recipe for disaster, led to tragedy on Long Island 110 years ago, as this article from the January 2, 1901 issue of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle demonstrates. An excerpt:

“Northport, L.I.–The second accidental shooting within a week at Fort Saratoga occurred about noon yesterday, and though little Carlo Bertelsen, the victim, is yet alive at noon to-day with a .32-caliber bullet in his body, little hope is entertained of his recovery.

Peter Mortensen, the 10-year-old son of Andrew Mortensen, an oysterman, took a .32 caliber pistol belonging to his grandfather from a bureau drawer, and in company with his cousin, Willi Kasso, and his playmate, Carlo, the son of a farmer, 8 years of age, he went into an orchard near their home to practice shooting at a mark.

A few minutes later screams were heard in the orchard, and Bertelsen’s parents found their child lying upon the ground with a bullet wound in his stomach. The Mortensen child in the excitement had dropped the pistol and ran away.

Dr. George H. Donahue at Northport was called and he found that the bullet had entered the child’s body just below the lung, but he was unable to locate it.

Young Mortensen, who held the pistol, had a part of one finger taken off by the same bullet that wounded his playmate.

Coroner H.H. Davidson, last night took the ante-mortem statement of the injured child, who said they had already shot the pistol off once at a mark, and were getting ready to shoot the second time when Peter Mortensen could not move the trigger, so they all took a hand in trying and the pistol suddenly went off.

Dr. Walter Lindsay, who was called in consultation last night, does not think the boy can live. This accident occurred within one half mile of where Henry Webber was accidentally shot by his brother on Friday last and which resulted in his death.”