Sleeping Boy, 9, is Shot in the Knee When Upstairs Neighbor Shoots Through the Floor, Cops Say

A Northern California boy got a rude awakening early Wednesday morning when a bullet penetrated his bedroom ceiling from above and struck him while he slept.

Thankfully, the nine-year-old was struck in the knee and not fatally injured. However, he had to be rushed to a San Jose hospital for treatment, the Mercury-News reports.

Read: Cops: 6-Year-Old Boy Finds Dad's Gun, Shoots Dead His 3-Year-Old Brother

Police say the brush with disaster occurred when the boy's upstairs neighbor shot himself in the foot with a high-powered rifle, causing the bullet to go through the floor and into the apartment below.

According to a release provided to INSIDE EDITION by the San Jose police, the man was also taken to a hospital for treatment.

Police identified the man they say fired the round as 40-year-old Eric Smith.

Read: Parents Weep After 4-Year-Old Daughter Was Shot Dead as She Sat in Their Truck

Smith has apparently had legal troubles in the past. He was arrested at the hospital and charged with, in addition to negligent discharge of a weapon, felon in possession of a firearm and felon in possession of ammunition. All three charges are felonies.

The boy's condition was listed as serious but non-fatal.

It was not immediately clear why Smith allegedly discharged his weapon toward the ground.

Read Below: NYPD Officer Dies After Being Shot in the Head During Gunfight