St. Paul police said on the department’s Facebook page that the 25-year-old St. Catherine University guard was taken into custody late Wednesday after he admitted to investigators that he accidentally shot himself while on duty Tuesday.
Authorities say the guard told investigators he was handling his gun when it fired, striking him in the shoulder. He told police he made up the story because he feared losing his job at the private, Catholic university in St. Paul.
Dozens of law enforcement officers searched for a gunman based on his story. The search was called off early Wednesday.
He’s being held in Ramsey County Jail.