Layton man accidentally shoots himself in the chest while cleaning gun, police say

LAYTON — Officials say a Layton man who was cleaning out his gun Sunday night is lucky to be alive after he accidentally shot himself in the chest.

The 56-year-old man was cleaning the loaded gun in his garage near 1000 East and Cherry Lane about 9:30 p.m. when police say he was careless and shot himself. The bullet went through muscle tissue instead of the chest cavity, and the man was transported to a nearby hospital with non life-threatening injuries," Layton Police Sgt. Jason Hinojosa said.

"It's not uncommon to have accidental shootings, whether they hit themselves or put a bullet in the wall," Hinojosa said. "There are enough people with guns around here. The guns are supposed to be completely unloaded when you're cleaning them, though."

— Lana Groves