WALDORF, Md. — A 41-year-old man was taken to a trauma center Thursday night after accidentally shooting himself in the hand while cleaning a gun in Waldorf.
The incident was reported around 8:18 p.m. on June 18, 2026, in the 4600 block of Clayton Road.
Emergency crews were dispatched for a shooting with serious injuries. Initial dispatch information indicated the man was cleaning a gun when it discharged, striking him in the left hand.
EMS evaluated the man at the scene for blood loss before transporting him by ground to UM Capital Region Medical Center.
The man was transported with serious, non-life-threatening injuries.
Police are investigating the incident.
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How do you clean a loaded gun?
Gee, he apparently only broke 3 out of 4 rules for safe gun handling.
1. Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
2. Never point a gun at anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target and you are ready to shoot.
4. Be certain of your target and what lies beyond it.
Who cleans a loaded gun?? Duh!
Answers to Anonymous and JimA,
He wasn’t cleaning it. That’s his cover story.