Southwest Side Alderman Accidentally Shoots Self While Cleaning Gun

CHICAGO — An alderman who represents Chicago’s Southwest Side is in good condition after undergoing minor surgery for injuries he sustained when he accidentally shot himself on Monday, the local politician confirmed on Wednesday.

Ald. Derrick Curtis (18th Ward) was helping a neighbor clean a gun when he accidentally shot himself, the Alderman confirmed in a statement on Wednesday, two days after the incident. The Sun-Times was the first to report the accidental shooting.

In the statement, Curtis said he was putting the gun back together when it fired. He said that his neighbor said the gun had been "malfunctioning" at the gun range.

"A 54-year-old male victim was cleaning a firearm when the weapon discharged, striking him in the left wrist," police said in an incident report, adding that the 54-year-old, who has a valid FOID card, was taken to Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn in fair condition. No other injuries or damage were reported.

Curtis, who did not immediately respond to Patch's email seeking comment on the incident on Tuesday, was working on the gun in the 8200 block of South Christiana Avenue when the weapon automatically went off, the statement said.

Police said that Curtis is a concealed carry license instructor.

Curtis, who was elected to his current role serving the 18th Ward, is a former ward superintendent for the Department of Streets and Sanitation and former Democratic committeeman.