Van Buren County Sheriff Daniel E Abbott reports that early this morning, just after 1am, deputies were dispatched to the 72000 block of 39th Street in Decatur Township for a 9-1-1 hang up call.
While in route to the venue to check on the nature of the initial call, a second call came into dispatch with information regarding a male who was found to have shot himself in the leg.
Once on scene, deputies contacted a male in the driveway suffering from a shotgun wound to his upper right thigh. Deputies immediately rendered medical attention, including the application of a tourniquet.
Van Buren EMS then transported the victim to Bronson Methodist Hospital for further treatment. The victim stated that he had been out walking in the woods of his property, with shotgun in hand, when he tripped and accidentally discharged the weapon.
Deputies were able to locate the shotgun which was located almost a quarter mile back in the woods where the male stated that the accident had occurred. The shotgun was found to have a broken trigger guard and was fully loaded with a combination of buck shot and slugs. The investigation determined that the shooting was accidental in nature, and there is no threat to the public.
