EVANSVILLE — An Evansville man accidentally shot and injured his 23-year-old roommate Tuesday night while the pair cleaned their firearms, Evansville police officials said Wednesday.
The shooting, which the investigators described as “an accidental discharge,” occurred around 11 p.m. in the 800 block of West Virginia Street, according to an Evansville Police Department media report.
“Officers arrived and located an adult male victim with a single gunshot wound to his abdomen,” Sgt. Anna Gray, an EPD spokesperson, wrote in a news release. “The victim was conscious, alert, and able to speak with officers.”
Paramedics transported the victim to a local hospital for treatment. Gray has not publicly identified the victim or his roommate, who has not been charged.
“The shooter was still on scene and cooperated with the officers,” the EPD release states. “At this time, this shooting appears to be accidental.”
Witnesses reportedly told a detective the two roommates were in the process of “cleaning” and “reassembling” their firearms when one of the weapons accidentally fired.