30-year-old accidentally shot himself at Como Park Elementary School, police say

Morgan Reddekopp KSTP

A 30-year-old man accidentally shot himself in the leg while playing basketball Thursday evening at Como Park Elementary School, according to the St. Paul Police Department.

Officers were called to the school around 5:45 p.m. and found the man with a gunshot wound to his leg. He was brought to the hospital.

There was a parent night happening at the school and the man was playing basketball while “carrying the handgun on his body,” police said. Investigators said the gun wasn’t holstered and went off, shooting him in the lower leg.

Nobody else was injured in this incident.

Police say the man had a valid permit to carry a gun. When the investigation is complete, it will be forwarded to the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office, which will then decide whether to charge him.

“We want to remind everyone that firearms are not allowed on any St. Paul Public Schools property. This includes in the parking lot and in the building,” St. Paul Public Schools spokeswoman Erica Wacker said in a statement.

“The district crisis team will be at school on Friday for students and staff that want to talk about what happened, in addition to the school counselor and social worker,” Wacker continued.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article stated that the man did not have a valid permit to carry a firearm. It has since been corrected to say that he does have a permit.