Mishandling of a gun is believed to have led to the shooting death of a 15-year-old boy in Birmingham early Sunday.

The investigation is still ongoing, but police officials do not believe the fatal shooting was intentional.

Authorities initially said the victim was 14 years old but updated his age Sunday night to 15.

A 14-year-old boy is being held in juvenile detention while the probe continues.

“What we have uncovered in the investigation leads us to believe we’re not dealing with a murder,’’ said Officer Truman Fitzgerald. “It’s more along the lines of juveniles out early in the morning and someone mishandled a firearm and now we’ve lost a 15-year-old young man because of that.”

Just before 7 a.m. Sunday, South Precinct officers were dispatched to a report of a person who showed up at UAB Hospital with a gunshot wound.

Once at the hospital, they learned that a minivan arrived at the emergency room with the 15-year-old victim inside. The boy was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Officer Truman Fitzgerald said police learned the shooting possibly took place in the area of Roebuck or Huffman.

East Precinct officers began to coordinate with South Precinct officers – who had responded to the hospital – and found a scene in in the 9200 block of Parkway East.

More specifically, the scene appeared to be between Walmart and Wells Fargo, near a small strip of businesses.

It was at that location that investigators recovered a handgun from bushes. There was also blood on the ground.

Four other males were with the victim at the hospital and remained there after taking him for help. The age range was 14 to 18.

They were all taken to police headquarters for questioning.

Police learned all of the males – from the city’s west side - were in the van together riding around east Birmingham.

“Somewhere between the 9200 block of Parkway East and a different location, the 14-year-old male had a handgun in his hand and due to unknown circumstances, he fired the gun and he hit the 15-year-old victim and killed him,’’ Fitzgerald said.

All of the juveniles involved were questioned in the presence of their parent or guardian.

Fitzgerald said detectives consulted with the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, and at their direction transported the 14-year-old to the youth detention facility.

“This is a sad and tragic case,’’ Fitzgerald said. “These kids all knew one another. It’s another incident where a gun was in the wrong hands.’’

The possibility of criminal charges - which in juvenile court is a petition – is still under review. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office also still has to rule the manner of death – such as homicide, accidental. Not all homicides are criminal.

“Nothing we gathered leads us to believe this 14-year-old intentionally shot this 15-year-old in cold blood,’’ Fitzgerald said. “The theme in this case is juveniles who have firearms in their hand, mishandled them, and we lost a 15=year-old because of that.”

“These types of deaths are preventable,’’ he said.

Anyone with additional information is asked to call detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.