A 17-year-old New Mexico boy shot his 8-year-old sister in the head early Tuesday morning, then disassembled the gun and threw it in a dumpster.

Police in Clayton said they were called to a home for a shooting at about 7:30 a.m., New Mexico State Police said. Investigators say the boy, identified as Gio Blan, pointed a handgun he believed was not loaded at his sister and pulled the trigger.

New Mexico State Police said the girl was taken to a local hospital and then airlifted to another facility in Texas, where she remained in critical condition Wednesday afternoon.

State police said they recovered the weapon from the dumpster where the teenager threw it, and that the gun didn’t belong to anyone at the home.

The teen was booked into the San Juan County Juvenile Detention Center and charged of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, negligent use of a deadly weapon, and tampering with evidence.

Investigators did not say why Blan pointed the gun at his sister. They said the children were at the home getting ready for school.

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