It wasn't a drive-by shooting after all. 4AM, I wonder if alcohol was involved...

https://www.desmoinesregister....shooting/1077944001/

Des Moines man shoots himself cleaning rifle; lies to police about drive-by shooting

Linh Ta, lta@dmreg.com Published 8:20 a.m. CT Jan. 30, 2018

Des Moines police were initially called to a shooting early Tuesday morning, but later learned the victim actually accidentally shot himself while cleaning his rifle, according to a police report.

Around 4 a.m., Des Moines police were called to a home in the 3000 block of East 25th Street on a report of a shooting.

When officers arrived, they saw the 22-year-old victim laying on a couch with a gunshot wound in his thigh.

The victim said he was recently shot at three times by a silver Honda at a nearby park, according to the report.

Officers noticed the victim was "in good spirits" and there was little blood from the wound.

As officers spoke with the victim his story would change. He was unable to give anymore details about the shooting or how he walked back home, according to the report.

While medics were treating the victim's wounds, officers spoke with family members.

The victim's brother said his brother left the house to go on a walk around 3:40 a.m., which was common. He returned 10 minutes later and told him he had been shot and to get their parents.

After officers spoke with the victim's mom and stepdad, the parents said they would not doubt that the victim made up the whole story and that they only knew what they were told, according to the police report.

When officers searched the victim's room they found blood on his bedsheets and several firearms, including a 20-gauge single barrel shotgun, a BB gun and an AR-style .22 rifle with magazines laying nearby.

After an officer examined the victim's pants, he noticed a barrel hole in the same shape as the rifle.

The victim later admitted to shooting himself while cleaning the gun and no one in his family knew about it, according to the police report.

Officers took the firearms for safekeeping.

quote:

Originally posted by Sigmund:

Officers took the firearms for safekeeping.

Why?

You can't shoot yourself while cleaning your rifle if you unload it first. Then check the bore and make sure it's empty. ugghhhh

I'll ask WTF is this?

quote:

After an officer examined the victim's pants, he noticed a barrel hole in the same shape as the rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by 95flhr:
I'll ask WTF is this?

quote:

After an officer examined the victim's pants, he noticed a barrel hole in the same shape as the rifle.

I'll add this to it...

"The victim said he was recently shot at three times by a silver Honda at a nearby park, according to the report."

quote:

Originally posted by 95flhr:
I'll ask WTF is this?

quote:

After an officer examined the victim's pants, he noticed a barrel hole in the same shape as the rifle.

yeah, I read that about 5 times and am still baffled.

Yea, you know, round.

"Cleaning my gun when it went off"
is code for:
"I was fucking around with my loaded gun when my booger picker pressed against that curvy thing, and I put a hole in .............."

Shot himself while cleaning his gun, yeah right.

More than likely that he shot the trigger while aiming the bullet at his leg.
That definitely would result in a barrel hole in the same shape as the rifle.

I'm still trying to figure out how a silver Honda could fire a rifle.

In reality, I'll go with the "drunk and goofing around" theory. Really goofing around, in order to shoot your own thigh with a rifle! He may have been goofing around with a friend, for whom he is covering.

I think I would have a hard time shooting myself in the thigh with a rifle. It must have been a short barreled one.

Was there a cleaning rod sticking out of his leg?

Darwin