BUXTON, Ore. -- A 16-year-old Beaverton boy was shot and killed by his own brother in a shooting accident during target practice late Monday, police said.

Scott Rutherford, 16, was target shooting in the woods with his two older brothers and a friend when he was shot.

"At some point, Kyle Rutherford [the 21-year-old brother] and Scott Rutherford became separated," explained Sgt. Dave Thompson with the Washington County Sheriff's Office. "Kyle thought Scott was in the car. Kyle pulled out an AK-47 assault rifle and shot at what he thought was an inanimate object. Kyle immediately realized that he had shot a person."

Kyle ran to his brother and saw that he had shot him in the abdomen, Thompson said. Then, Scott's two brothers and their friend carried him to their car and raced down the road where they could get cell service.

They called 9-1-1 for help but when paramedics arrived, Scott was already dead, Thompson said.

Thompson said the shooting appears to be accidental and the Rutherford family was devastated.

The shooting happened just off Johnson Road, near Highway 47 North, in a rural area of Washington County.