PHILLIPSBURG (AP) — Authorities say a 12-year-old boy has accidentally shot himself in northwest Kansas.

The Phillips County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post that the boy called 911 around 9:50 a.m. Tuesday, saying he had shot himself and needed help.

The post says the child was taken to Phillips County Hospital and then transferred in an ambulance to the larger hospital in Kearney, Nebraska, in critical condition. Air crews couldn’t respond because of storms in the area.

The post urged parents to secure firearms as schools let out for summer break.