An 11-year-old boy died at an Atlanta hospital Friday night after an accidental shooting at an adult-child hunting event in Dawson County, officials said.

John Wayne Corcoran was hunting with his grandfather in the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management area shortly before 6 p.m. Friday when the boy’s deer rifle went off accidentally, shooting him in the head, Dawson County Coroner Ted Bearden said.

The season for hunting deer with firearms doesn’t officially begin until Oct. 16, but the state Department of Natural Resources is holding an adult-child hunt this weekend in Dawson Forest, Dawson County Sheriff’s Sgt. Johnny Holtzclaw said. The specialty hunt, one of dozens across the state held at wildlife management areas throughout the year, was scheduled for Friday and Saturday.

The boy’s grandfather was within sight of the boy when the shot was fired, Bearden said. He called 911 at 5:58 p.m. and first responders were at the scene within
minutes, Bearden said.

The boy was airlifted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite. He died about three hours after the accident, Bearden said.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Dawson County Sheriff’s Office are investigating. Indications are the gun discharged accidentally "for whatever reason," Bearden said.

Holtzclaw said, "everything from our preliminary investigation indicates it’s an accidental shooting."