Lake County man accidentally shoots self in leg, police say

A Barrington-area man accidentally shot himself in the leg Saturday while handling a handgun his wife recently purchased, police said.

The 66-year-old man was wounded about 11:20 a.m. in his house on the 27000 block of West Highland Road, Lake County sheriff's Sgt. Sara Balmes said.

Police called to the scene discovered the man had shot himself with a .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol.

"He was looking for the safety and shot himself above his kneecap when his finger slipped," Balmes said.

The man's wife was standing nearby when he wounded himself, police said. A daughter also was in the home.

The man was taken to Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital near Barrington and was expected to survive.

No charges were filed.

Sheriff Mark Curran reminded people to always treat guns as if they're loaded and to never never point a gun at anything you don't intend to shoot.

"And keep your finger off the trigger until you plan to shoot," Curran said.