HOLLIS, Maine – A father is accused of shooting his two sons with a BB gun after they failed to complete their chores.
Police arrested 46-year-old James Pelletier of Hollis after the Department of Health and Human Services reported that two boys, ages 9 and 11, were shot with a BB gun.
State police say the 9-year-old was shot in the upper thigh, and the 11-year-old was shot in the right forearm.
According to police, the boys say their father shot them because they didn’t do their chores.
Pelletier told police he shot them as a rite of passage, to show them what it feels like to get shot by a BB gun, so that they won’t hurt other people.
He’s facing multiple charges, including child endangerment.