Wichita man accidentally shoots himself in the chest

Wichita police say 34-year-old man accidentally shot himself in the chest as he was handling a .38-caliber handgun Tuesday night.

He was at a home in the 1500 block of North Harvard, near 13th and Hillside, when the gun discharged shortly after 11 p.m., according to police records. Police spokeswoman Sgt. Nikki Woodrow said she didn’t know what the man was doing with the gun at the time.

He was taken to a Wichita hospital by ambulance for treatment of the wound, records show. Woodrow described the man’s condition as stable and not life-threatening when he was transported.

Wichita police have investigated at least eight other accidental shootings at homes and businesses so far this year, including one at Range 54 last week. In that shooting, a man in his 20s was practicing switching a handgun from his dominant hand to his weak hand when it discharged.

This story was originally published May 10, 2017 at 1:04 PM with the headline "Wichita man accidentally shoots himself in the chest."