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OGDEN CANYON — A man is in the hospital after a riffle went off accidentally, shooting him in the leg, police say.
On Tuesday, shortly after midnight, police received a call about a shooting up Ogden Canyon. A 21-year-old man accidentally shot his 49-year-old father in the leg while cleaning .22 rifle, Weber County Sheriff’s Sgt. Lane Findlay said.
"Earlier in the evening, the son and one of his friends went out shooting," Findlay said. "A couple hours later, the son decided he was going to clean and put the rifle away."
The young man told police he had cleared the gun and emptied the magazine before cleaning it out, Findlay said, but that appears not to have been the case.
"He went to sit down on a chair and there was family in the front room area." Findlay said. "When he sat down, his finger accidentally pulled the trigger and apparently there was still a round in the chamber, so the gun discharged and struck father in the leg."
The bullet shattered the father's femur and lodged in a joint. He was transported to McKay-Dee Hospital with non-life threatening injuries and was taken into surgery early Tuesday morning, Findlay said.
This is a caution when people are handling firearms. Treat every gun like it's loaded. Don't just look but also feel to make sure there's not a round in the chamber.
–Sgt. Lane Findlay
"This is a caution when people are handling firearms," Findlay said. "Treat every gun like it’s loaded. Don't just look but also feel to make sure there’s not a round in the chamber."
The incident occurred near Alaska Inn up Ogden Canyon in a cabin. The father is the caretaker of the cabin and was working on fixing it up to rent out, Findlay said.
"There was the friend of the son who was there who also witnessed what happened and all their stories matched up," Findlay said. "It just appears to be an accident, no foul play and no alcohol involved."
