According to reports in the local press Eric Lambert, the mayor of the village of Malaville, near the city of Angoulême at 7am.
He had apparently targeted his 22 caliber rifle at a cat who was encroaching a little too close to his hen house but his aim was off.
But the bullet missed the feline, ricocheted off an object and then struck the boy who was waiting patiently for a bus.
The boy was rushed to hospital in Bordeaux and was due to undergo an operation. His condition is not believed to be life threatening.
Prosecutors immediately opened an investigation and the mayor of Malaville was placed in custody and questioned over the incident.
It's not the first time in France that someone has accidentally shot a child whilst aiming their gun at an animal.
The Local reported previously how a pensioner accidentally shot his son three times after apparently mistaking him for a black bird that was raiding the family cherry tree.
The latest incident will no doubt raise questions over whether the mayor should have been able to carry a rifle.
France has strict gun control laws but nevertheless gun ownership is widespread in France.
READ ALSO: Five things to know about guns in France
