Yesterday morning, a 68-year-old Cleveland County man accidentally shot himself in the arm after tripping his own booby trap.
At about 11:30am yesterday morning, Edwin Smith “opened his back door to feed the squirrels outside, and that’s when the booby trap went off,” WBTV reported. The booby trap included a loaded shotgun, which discharged directly into his arm, which had to have a tourniquet applied to stop the bleeding once deputies arrived.
“I’ve never seen anything quite like this,” said Capt. Jon Wright with the Sheriff’s Office.
Once first responders arrived, they were cautioned by deputies to walk carefully through the property to avoid any other potential booby traps.
The man’s property where the booby-trapped shed was located is littered with ‘no-trespassing’ signs including a large one that reads “crackheads, drug dealers and illegal aliens” to stay off the property.
“Snared By His Own Trap”
The man who posted an abrasive warning sign at his Cleveland County home is shot in the arm by a trap he set hurt intruders. 68 year old Edwin Smith called for help on Blevins Drive when a gun he rigged shot him in his yard. He’s recovering at a hospital. pic.twitter.com/eEpHA1ksrr— Ken (@kenlemonWSOC9) October 15, 2018
The man was taken to Atrium Health in Shelby, no charges have yet been filed.