Dad charged after son, 5, finds his gun, shoots himself in hand on South Side

CHICAGO -- A Chicago man was arrested on weapons charges after his 5-year-old son found his handgun and shot himself in the hand, police said

Bernard Shields, 36, was asleep early Friday in his South Side home in the 6200-block of South Drexel Avenue when the boy found the gun in his pants pocket, and took it into a bathroom, where it discharged while he was holding it, reported the Chicago Tribune.

The boy was taken to Comer Children's Hospital in good condition.

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Police said that Shields was arrested after he drove from his house to get rid of the weapon. He was arrested on a host of charges, including being an armed habitual criminal and possessing controlled substances. He was also arrested on misdemeanor counts of unlawful use of a weapon, possession of ammunition without a valid firearms owners identification card, violating an order of protection and causing a child to be endangered.

He was taken into custody in the 6100-block of South State Street. The gun was found outside and police said Shields admitted to panicking and running outside to discard the gun.

Shields was taken into custody and a judge was expected to set his bond on Sunday.

ABC7 Chicago contributed to this article.