Man shoots self in foot with shotgun in Newark

NEWARK - A man injured his foot Monday night after accidentally shooting himself with a shotgun.

According to a Newark police report, officers were called to the 400 block of Eddy Street around 9 p.m. Monday on a report of a person with a gunshot injury.

Sgt. Scott Snow said the man originally told police he had been shot near the intersection of Hoover and Buckingham streets. However, further investigation revealed the man had shot himself in the foot with a shotgun on the first block of North Street.

Snow said officers were able to locate the shotgun, which had shotgun shells with it, discarded on Log Pond Run. He said it was lucky police found the firearm before any children did.

"It was a recipe for disaster," he said.

The man was taken to Licking Memorial Hospital and then transported to a Columbus area hospital for treatment of his injury.

The man could face charges for providing false information to police. Detectives also are investigating whether the man legally was allowed to possess a firearm, Snow said.

No other injuries were reported.