FARMINGTON – A 21-year-old Farmington man apparently escaped serious injury after a bullet accidentally grazed his scalp Thursday afternoon, according to Farmington Police Chief Richard Caton III.

The victim, Harley Witherell, 21, of Farmington was at a house on Quebec Street next to St. Joseph Parish Hall in Farmington, and several young males were visiting at about 2:45 p.m. when the shooting occurred, Caton said.

The chief said a juvenile had picked up a handgun and it went off, with a .22-caliber bullet grazing Witherell’s scalp.

When police arrived, Witherell was sitting outside the house. He was taken by ambulance to Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington and was to be transported Thursday night to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston so a specialist could remove some fragments, the chief said.

It appears Witherell will be OK, Caton said.

A nursing supervisor at CMMC said Thursday night she could neither confirm nor deny that Witherell was a patient at the hospital. Typically, that means the patient’s family has requested that no information be released about condition.

The police chief said the case remains under investigation.

“We’re still looking into it,” he said Thursday night.

While no charges have been filed related to the shooting, a 17-year-old Farmington boy believed to be involved was located and arrested on two warrants, Caton said.

The warrants were for violation of condition of release based on a theft by receiving charge and probation violation related to a criminal mischief charge, Caton said.

Most of the young males visiting the home had fled the scene by the time police arrived, he said. A woman and her two grandchildren live there, he said.

Farmington police, state police and Franklin County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene and helped search for those who had fled the scene.

Tracking dogs were brought in an effort to find the handgun, which was ocated at the residence, the chief said.

The handgun appeared to be in the possession of the juvenile, Caton said, but that, too, is still under investigation, adding the incident clearly involved mishandling.

The incident clearly involved mishandling of a firearm, he added.

Even with an accidental shooting, Caton said, authorities have to still take into account whether negligence was involved under the law.

The teenager was taken to Franklin County jail and was to be transferred to a juvenile detention center.