Authorities charge man in accidental Elmhurst shooting

Elmhurst police have charged an 18-year-old Chicago man with weapon offenses following an accidental shooting inside a car at 10 p.m. Sunday on the 200 block of Clinton Avenue.

Police said they were contacted by staff members at Gottlieb Hospital in Melrose Park who said a gunshot victim was in their emergency room for treatment.

The police investigation revealed that Mickiel J. Smith was visiting a friend in Elmhurst when the gun he was holding discharged and a bullet struck him in the thigh.

Police recovered the gun and found that it had been reported stolen during a residential burglary in Hillside.

Smith, of the 1300 block of North Mayfield, was treated and released from the hospital and charged with unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a firearm without a FOID card. He was released on bond.