Recklessness and alcohol were involved in a shooting over the weekend, but detectives aren’t ready to say the shooting was accidental, an official said Wednesday.

Madison Police Capt. John Stringer said 21-year-old William Alexander Eckstein was “drinking heavily” with acquaintances at a home on Mattie Court in Madison, just inside Limestone County. In the early morning hours of June 22, Eckstein was handling a pistol and fired it, hitting the victim in the torso, Stringer said.

“There’s no indication that we’re aware of that there was an argument,” Stringer said. “Based on what I’m hearing from my detectives, it appears alcohol was involved and there was irresponsibility with a firearm.”

However, he said, detectives are not ready to say the shooting was accidental. Because of the recklessness involved, Eckstein has been charged with first-degree assault.

“It’s too soon to say it was intentional or accident,” Stringer said. “When you start adding alcohol with firearms, there’s certainly an element of recklessness that comes into play, and that’s where the assault charge comes from.”

Eckstein was arrested shortly after the shooting occurred and taken to the Limestone County Jail. Jail records show he has since been released.