Man likely shot himself accidentally while waiting in car, police say

A shooting reported at a convenience store in east Wichita on Saturday may have been accidental, according to police.

Just before 8 p.m. Saturday night, a 911 call referencing a man who had been shot led police to the QuikTrip at Central and Oliver, said a dispatch supervisor.

In a news release sent Sunday morning, Wichita police said a 19-year-old man was discovered to have a gunshot wound to one of his legs. The man was taken to a local hospital shortly after 8 p.m. Saturday night in critical condition, the release said.

Officers investigating the incident talked to a 34-year-old man who said he went to the QuikTrip store at Pawnee and Hillside in south Wichita with the 19-year-old Saturday night. The man said the 19-year-old waited in a vehicle while he went inside and when he returned, the younger man was bleeding and said that he had been shot.

The 34-year-old man said he then drove the pair to the QuikTrip at Central and Oliver, where a police officer was flagged down for help, according to the release. A firearm was recovered by police from the vehicle that the two men were in.

Police believe the younger man likely shot himself accidentally, though the release said the case is still being investigated.

This story was originally published April 9, 2017 at 9:23 AM with the headline "Man likely shot himself accidentally while waiting in car, police say."