A 9-year-old Wayne County boy accidentally shot by his brother died of a small-caliber gunshot wound to the upper chest, the county coroner said.

Malcolm Pennycuff, 9, was pronounced dead at Wayne County Hospital in Monticello about 6:40 p.m. Wednesday, according to a release from the Wayne County coroner's office.

Police said he was shot by his 11-year-old brother, whose name was not released. Kentucky State Police released more details Thursday.

The boys' father got home about 5 p.m. Wednesday, and "sometime after that, the 11-year-old came to him and said he had shot the 9-year-old," said state police spokesman Trooper First Class Don Trosper.

The father called 911.

Trosper said he didn't know where in the house the shooting happened.

He also didn't know whether other adults were in the house at the time of the shooting.

"Somehow these children got a hold of a rifle and somehow the rifle discharged," Trosper said. The shooting was considered accidental after the preliminary investigation.

The house, on Old Bethel Church Road, is about 4 miles west of Monticello, near the Zula community off Ky. 1009.

Malcolm was a third-grade student at Bell Elementary School. Principal Donna Rice said Malcolm was well-liked at the school, which has 590 students.

No results were available from an autopsy scheduled for Thursday.