An Orwigsburg man charged with shooting and seriously wounding his 8-year-old son in January was sentenced to five years on probation.

Nevin P. Ebener, 31, now of Pottsville, pleaded guilty to simple assault with a deadly weapon.

Additional charges of endangering welfare of children, recklessly endangering another person, possession of a small amount of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia were dropped.

Schuylkill County Judge John E. Domalakes also ordered Ebener to obtain a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow-up treatment, and to attend parenting classes.

Police say Ebener at 12:20 p.m. on Jan. 2 shot his son in the arm and torso inside his apartment on the 200 block of East Market Street.

The shots broke the child’s arm and pelvis, and inflicted serious internal injuries.

Ebener took the boy to a Pottsville hospital, where he was then airlifted to Lehigh Valley Hospital — Cedar Crest with life-threatening injuries, police said.

Ebener told police he had taken his .45-caliber handgun from a kitchen cabinet and placed it on a countertop. The gun “just went off” when he went to pick it up off the counter, he told police, hitting the boy at close range.

It was not clear in whose custody the boy is currently.