Man charged with robbery after victim shoots himself

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - A man told police that he pulled out a gun and accidentally shot himself in the hand when a man attempted to rob him.

Hattiesburg police spokesman Ryan Moore says witnesses told police that a man was approaching people and asking for money in a Walmart parking lot on Sunday.

The victim told police that he pulled out a gun and accidentally shot himself in the hand just after the man tried to rob him. Moore says the victim drove himself to a hospital, where he was treated and released.

News outlets report that a suspect, identified as 35-year-old Justin Niehoff was charged with robbery and was booked into the Forrest County Jail. It’s unclear if he has a lawyer.