Man Accidentally Shoots Self After Laying on Rifle in East Cleveland

A 22-year-old man was hospitalized Tuesday after accidentally shooting himself when he laid on top of his rifle at a residence in East Cleveland, according to FOX 8 News.

Cleveland Division of Police told FOX 8 that officers responded to a home in the 9700 block of Union Avenue around 8 a.m. Tuesday. By the time officers arrived, first responders had already transported the victim to the hospital.

In an interview at the hospital, the young man told officers he had placed his rifle on his bed earlier. When he later laid down on the bed on top of the weapon, it discharged, striking him.

Police have not released the victim’s name or details about his current condition. The incident remains under investigation.

This case adds to several accidental shootings that have occurred in Northeast Ohio in recent years. In 2021, a six-year-old boy accidentally shot himself in the hand after finding a gun under a bed in Cleveland’s Slavic Village neighborhood. The boy’s uncle was arrested for child endangering and failing to secure the weapon, according to police.

Firearm safety experts emphasize the importance of proper gun storage, particularly keeping weapons unloaded when not in use and storing them in secure locations away from bedding and furniture.

The Cleveland Division of Police reminds residents that firearms should always be stored unloaded, with ammunition kept separately, and ideally in locked containers to prevent accidental discharges.