MANCHESTER — A Manchester man has been arrested after police say he accidentally shot his cousin in the leg.
Police say the victim, 31-year-old Emily Acelin, arrived at a local hospital around 10 p.m. Saturday with a gunshot wound to her thigh. Acelin told police she was at a house party on Cooper Street when the host accidentally shot her.
But a police investigation revealed that Acelin was visiting her cousin, Stephen McCann, 31, at his home when the shooting occurred.
According to police, when Acelin and another cousin arrived at McCann’s home on Spencer Street, he answered the door pointing a 9mm Beretta handgun since he didn’t know who was knocking. When he saw it was his cousins he put the gun in his waistband, but when he went to put it away and pulled it from his waistband he accidentally had his finger on the trigger and it accidentally discharged, shooting Acelin in the thigh.
McCann is charged with illegal discharge of a firearm, assault in the second degree, reckless endangerment in the second degree and breach of peace in the second degree. He appeared in court on Monday.
Acelin also faces charges for interfering with police by not being truthful about the nature of her injury. She was released on $5,000 bond and is due in court July 21.
Additional reporting by the Associated Press
