Boy, 12, shot in back in east Las Vegas

A 12-year-old boy was shot in the back late Wednesday in the eastern valley, Las Vegas police said.

The boy was a passenger inside a Honda Civic in a neighborhood near Charleston Boulevard and Sloan Lane about 11:50 p.m. when “a whole bunch of shots” were fired near Whispering Pines Avenue and Angel Falls Street, Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Peter Kisfalvi said.

Police had initially said the boy may have shot himself, but as of Thursday afternoon, Metro said the bullets may have come from a nearby car. Detectives are still investigating.

After the shooting, the driver of the Civic brought the boy to his parent’s house on the 2600 block of Amber Crest Drive, near Sahara Avenue and Tree Line Drive. The driver and other passengers in the car are not cooperating with detectives, police said.

The boy was hospitalized at University Medical Center’s trauma unit with a graze wound to his lower back. He was expected to live.

The shooting was not gang-related, Kisfalvi said.

Contact Mike Shoro at mshoro@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mike_shoro on Twitter.