NAPLES — A 9-year-old boy was shot in the head with a pellet gun Thursday and his uncle was arrested.

Police said a pellet lodged in the front of Gavin Gilmore’s brain after the shooting at 409 Lambs Mill Road.

Gavin was taken to Bridgton Hospital with life-threatening injuries. He was later moved to Maine Medical Center in Portland where his condition was still unknown early Friday, according to police.

Daniel McGill, 26, of Naples, was arrested on charges of aggravated assault, reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon and assaulting a police officer.

Deputies from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office went to Lambs Mill Road at about 5:30 p.m. for what was reported as a shooting.

Police said the boy had been shot with a .177-caliber pellet gun. As a deputy tried to retrieve the weapon, police said, he was shoved by McGill, leading to a physical confrontation that left Sgt. Josh Potvin with a cut on his hand.

In a press release, investigators said McGill appeared extremely intoxicated and that he made statements indicating he had shot his nephew while attempting to shoot at squirrels in the backyard.

Police said Gavin’s mother, 34-year-old Bevin Greer, was inside the home at the time and did not witness the shooting.

Later Thursday night, police remained at the home, examining the scene of the shooting as the investigation continued.

McGill, who suffered minor facial injuries in the scuffle with police, was treated by a paramedic and taken to Cumberland County Jail, where he was being booked Thursday night.

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