Shotgun Proves a Deadly Present

A 13-year-old boy was fatally shot Christmas Day in Chalmette, La., by a playmate who received a shotgun as a gift, authorities said. John Hanley apparently stepped in front of his 12-year-old companion as the gun went off and was shot in the head, said Maj. Richard Baumy of the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office. He said the incident was being treated as an accidental shooting and no charges had been filed. The two boys had been taking target practice in a wooded area in Poydras, about 15 miles southeast of New Orleans, Baumy said.