A 13-year-old Taunton boy is facing criminal charges for allegedly shooting a 12-year-old boy with his mother’s rifle.

Police said there was an “ongoing feud’’ between the two boys that escalated to violence Monday afternoon when the suspect took his mother’s .22-caliber rifle and fired at the 12-year-old in a wooded area by 100 Highstone St. in Taunton.

The mother of the suspect, who did not want to be identified, told WBZ-TV that her son had been bullied for some time and “just had enough.’’

“He’s a good kid. They’ve been doing this for two years. He just had enough,’’ she said in an interview with WBZ. “My son had called me and he told me they came in the yard and tried to stab him, and he was scared, so . . . as the kids were like leaving the yard, running away from the yard, he went to go shoot in the air and it shot [the other boy] in the arm.’’

Police responded to the shooting around 12:13 p.m. Monday and found the victim had been shot once in his left arm, Taunton police said in a statement. The bullet went through his left elbow and continued into his lower rib cage. He was taken to a hospital in Rhode Island for treatment.

Police said the suspect lives on Rhode Island Road, “very close to the victim.’’ The suspect went to his home, unlocked a gun safe to get the rifle, and then went back to a wooded area where the victim was and shot him, police said.

The suspect was arrested at his home and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, possession of a loaded firearm without a license, and discharging a weapon within 500 feet of a dwelling.

Police said it was unclear what led to the discord between the boys and whether any alleged threats were made in person or electronically.

“As of last night there was conflicting information on the alleged threats and whether they started as text messages or not,’’ Taunton police Lieutenant Paul Roderick said in an e-mail. “It is my understanding that the defendant’s action [was] out of fear of threat by the victim. Text or in person, I don’t know.’’

J.D. Capelouto can be reached at jd.capelouto@globe.com. Emily Sweeney can be reached atesweeney@globe.com.