Eleven-year-old Tyshaun Grant was in stable condition at University of Chicago Comer’s Children’s Hospital following a shooting near West 59th Street and South Stewart Avenue in Chicago at around 4 p.m. yesterday. The incident occurred while he and his friends were looking for snakes around railroad tracks in Chicago. According to MSNBC:

Community activist Andrew Holmes said the boys were looking for snakes near the railroad tracks when two men in bandanas walked up and shot the child.

Kingsnsake.com is working to obtain more information, but a number of people. companies, and organizations in the reptile community are planning to host a fundraiser for the little snake hunter's medical expenses at this weekend's Reptile Law Summit and North American Reptile Breeders Conference in Tinley Park near Chicago.

Spearheaded by NARBC's Brian Potter, donation jars and a silent auction have already been planned for the event, and an online donation system has been set up at Chip In. The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council has already pledged a donation, as have kingsnake.com and others in the community and industry. Items for the auction can be sent to 14416 John Humphrey Dr, Orland Park, Il, 60462, but with the limited time an online donation might be the better option for most.

Stay tuned here at kingsnake.com for more information on Tyshaun Grant's condition and to find out how you can help the little snake hunter.