Weslaco police arrested two teens accused of critically injuring their friend in what they’re calling an accidental shooting, according to a news release. 

Officers with the Weslaco Police Department responded to the South Texas Health Systems Emergency Room on Thursday, May 4 in reference to an 18-year-old man being treated for a gunshot wound.

The teen, Gilberto Villalobos, was a passenger in a vehicle occupied by several of his friends while traveling around the 100 Block of East Interstate 2 in Weslaco when a gun that was being handled “unsafely” 

The bullet struck Villalobos’ back.

During the investigation, 17-year-old Joseph Antonio Baltazar — an occupant in the vehicle — confessed to being the one who accidentally discharged the firearm, a news release stated.  

Baltazar was arrested on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The gun was later located near a canal bank in the city of Alamo.

A second teen — 18-year-old Manuel Chavez Rodriguez — was also arrested and charged with tampering with evidence.

Police continue to investigate the shooting.