Sun-News report

LAS CRUCES - A 24-year-old hunter from Hatch is in an El Paso hospital after authorities said he accidentally shot himself in the abdomen while sitting in a vehicle about 1 p.m. Sunday.

No charges are expected to be filed, according to Do a Ana County sheriff's Lt. Michael Kinney.

At the time of the incident the man was hunting small game with a 27-year-old friend in the desert near Hatch, Kinney said in a news release.

While in the vehicle the victim accidentally shot himself with a small-caliber handgun. He was taken to a Hatch gas station by the friend where they called 911, Kinney said. The victim was conscious and talking to law enforcement and first responders on the scene.

He was airlifted to University Medical Center in El Paso for treatment.


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