Illinois Man Shoots Himself in Arm to Get Attention, Police Are Not Amused

An Illinois man was charged Wednesday for allegedly shooting himself in the arm and then lying to the police about it.

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After investigating his claim that he was the victim of a drive-by shooting, police charged Colin Henderson, 18, with three felony offenses including aggravated unlawful use of a firearm, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Henderson, who allegedly shot himself on Nov. 25, was also charged with filing a false police report and possession of a firearm without the required ID.

“(O)fficers responded to Henderson’s residence on the 300 block of Park Avenue Monday morning in reference to a call about shots fired,” the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Henderson, who was shot in his left triceps, reportedly told police that “he had been shot in his arm by an unknown subject who had driven away in a 1990s blue Ford Taurus-style vehicle.”

The Illinois man was then transported to a nearby hospital and had his non-life threatening wound treated.

Police said that when they interviewed Henderson at the hospital, he gave conflicting reports regarding his injury.

“After Henderson was released from the hospital,” reports state, “he provided a post-Miranda statement in which he admitted to shooting a .22 Jennings pistol outside his apartment and then going into his bedroom and shooting himself in the left triceps to get attention. Henderson did not shoot himself in an effort to end his life.”

Police found a .22 Jennings pistol and ammunition in Henderson’s apartment. The Illinois man later appeared in court and was ordered held on a $25,000 bond. He will appear in court again on Dec. 3.

Police Chief Craig Somerville put it plainly: “Henderson went to great lengths to minimize his injuries and fabricate an elaborate story to tell police. “

“We tried everything to prove the case, but all the evidence was leaning toward this did not happen the way it was being reported,” Somerville said. ”Confronted with the evidence, Henderson confessed to the lie, and said he did it as a way to convince family members that someone was trying to kill him so they would feel sorry for him and continue to support him.”

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