Lincoln police on Friday identified the 17-year-old victim of an accidental Thursday shooting in a house just west of Pound Middle School.

Robert Lonn III, who lived in the house at 4711 S. 45th St., died after being shot in the neck, Officer Katherine Finnell said.

Lonn was showing a 12-gauge shotgun to two of his friends. One of the friends, also a 17-year-old boy, was handling the gun when it fired, hitting Lonn, Finnell said. No adults were in the house at the time, she said. Police ruled the shooting accidental and made no arrests.

Authorities will not release the names of the two friends since no one was arrested, she said.

Lonn was fatally shot shortly before 3:30 p.m.,  Police Chief Tom Casady said.

"It appears … that this is a tragic accident," he said.

For some reason, the boys couldn't call 911 from the house, and so they ran to Pound to call for help, Casady said.

The wounded boy was taken by ambulance to BryanLGH Medical Center West, where he died, Casady said.

Thursday's fatal shooting was the second this year to happen near a Lincoln school. Lerodrick Johns died after being shot Sept. 18 outside a duplex near Lincoln High School. That shooting also occurred outside of regular school hours.

Most of the Pound students had left for the day before Thursday's shooting, Principal Chris Deibler said. School officials likely will send a letter today to parents informing them of what happened.  

Reach Leah Thorsen at 473-7246 or lthorsen@journalstar.com.