A 16-year-old Muskogee girl shot in the back allegedly by a 17-year-old boy was hospitalized Saturday night and released Sunday.

What witnesses say was an accidental shooting occurred at 10:25 p.m. Saturday, Muskogee County Sheriff’s Department Investigator Faye Banks said.

Her office got a 911 call from someone reporting hearing a gunshot and a female screaming. The caller saw a car in the parking lot of Bootsie’s, a convenience store and restaurant in Summit on Old U.S. 69.

The caller said a white car was leaving. A deputy stopped the vehicle near U.S. 64 and Pepsi Plant Road, Banks said.

The driver was confused and said she thought she was driving her friend to the hospital, Banks said.

EMS was called and took the injured girl to Muskogee Regional Medical Center.

The bullet was recovered, and the girl was held overnight for observation and was released Sunday, Banks said.

Four juveniles were in the vehicle, three females and the male who admitted shooting the gun, Banks said.

An investigation report will be taken to Muskogee County District Attorney Larry Moore today, Banks said Sunday night.

The girl was shot in the back while sitting in the front passenger seat, Banks said. The bullet went through the seat before it hit her, which slowed the bullet down, Banks said.

The 17-year-old said he obtained the gun from his parents’ residence and that they didn’t know that he had it, Banks said.

He also told Banks it was the first time he had taken the gun, she said.

“He had shown the gun to the girls while sitting at Bootsie’s,” Banks said.

“He said he fired it once. It scared them and they got back into the car. He said he took the magazine out of the gun and thought it was empty — and it wasn’t.”

He said he was clicking it when the bullet went through the car seat and into the girl’s back, Banks said.

There has to be an investigative report on any kind of shooting. The report has to be submitted to the district attorney, she said.

Possible charges could be reckless handling of a firearm, Banks said. That will be the DA’s call, she said.

Reach Donna Hales at 684-2920 or dhales@mus-kogeephoenix.com.