Kemaman: A 10-year-old boy was injured after he was struck by a pellet, believed to be fired from a neighbour's air rifle, in an incident at Felda Seberang Tayor. The event transpired as the victim was playing with his older brother in front of their house around 3:45 pm, according to Kemaman district police chief Supt Mohd Razi Rosli.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the victim began to cry upon feeling pain on the left side of his back. Upon inspection by his mother, a reddish mark was found on his back, and a silver-coloured steel pellet was discovered in front of their house. The boy's father, a 36-year-old construction worker, suspected the pellet came from the air rifle of their opposite neighbour.

The boy's father filed a report at the Ayer Putih police station around 5 pm, leading to the arrest of the suspect. The suspect confessed to firing a shot towards the neighbour's house from approximately 40 meters away through his window but claimed he did not anticipate hitting the victim.

Police confiscated two air rifles, measuring 123 cm and 107 cm, along with nine steel pellets. Preliminary inquiries revealed that one air rifle was purchased via Facebook about a year ago, while the other was homemade by the suspect, who used them for shooting birds.

Mohd Razi further disclosed that a urine test of the suspect returned positive for morphine, and the suspect has 10 prior records related to criminal and drug offences. The victim was taken to Kemaman Hospital for treatment. Meanwhile, the suspect is remanded for four days until Sunday to assist investigations under Section 8 of the Arms Act 1960 and Section 324 of the Penal Code.