Police: Man accidentally shoots himself in chest in Elgin

Police determined that a 28-year-old man shot in northwest suburban Elgin on Sunday had accidentally discharged the gun himself.

Bernhard M. McPherson initially told police that he was shot at 6 p.m. Sunday while smoking a cigarette on the porch of a home in the 1100 block of Peach Tree Lane, Elgin police said. People who were with him corroborated that story.

He was treated at Presence Saint Joseph Hospital for injuries not thought to be life threatening.

But an investigation found that McPherson had actually been handling the gun inside of the home when it went off, striking him in the chest, police said on Tuesday.

McPherson was charged with misdemeanor counts of possession of a firearm without a FOID card and obstructing a peace officer, police said. He was released after posting a $150 cash bond.