An 18-year-old Colorado Springs man told investigators he was wounded in his leg Thursday in a downtown drive-by shooting, but police believe he accidentally shot himself.
Phillip Terry has been charged with prohibited use of weapons and false reporting.
Colorado Springs police say they were called to Penrose Hospital at about 2:30 p.m. Thursday to investigate a shooting. Terry had a gunshot wound to his leg, investigators say, and told officers he had been shot while walking near downtown as a dark sedan drove past.
“Upon viewing the victim’s injury and the trajectory of the bullet,” Colorado Springs police said in a news release, “it appeared highly unlikely that the victim was shot as he described. Through further follow up, officers discovered that the victim was playing with a handgun when it accidentally fired, striking him in the leg.”
