A man accidentally shot himself outside a mall in El Cajon late Saturday night, police confirmed.
According to Sgt. Kevin Maxwell of the El Cajon Police Department, the incident happened just after midnight outside the Westfield Parkway Plaza shopping mall on Fletcher Parkway.
Sgt. Maxwell says a man in his early 20s was in a parked car outside the mall’s Bob's Big Boy Restaurant with at least two friends when he began messing with a handgun and accidentally shot himself in the hand and leg.
Sgt. Maxwell says the bullet went through the man’s left hand and then struck his leg, leaving large amounts of blood in the vehicle. The man was in the backseat when police arrived at the scene.
Officials believe the man didn’t realize there was a bullet in the chamber of his weapon.
Sgt. Maxwell says officers recovered the gun, as well as two full magazines inside the car. Alcohol was also found inside the vehicle, though police could not confirm whether alcohol played a role in the accidental shooting.
The man was taken to a local hospital for treatment. His name was not released.
Sgt. Maxwell says the man did not have permits to carry a gun in public. As a result, he could face charges of carrying a concealed weapon, pending the ECPD’s investigation.