Manchester Man Charged After Accidentally Shooting Cousin

MANCHESTER, CT - An accidental shooting left a Manchester man with serious criminal charges over the weekend, police said.

And the victim is being chastised criminally for lying, police said.

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The scene unraveled on Saturday at about 10 p.m., when a woman came into the Manchester Memorial Hospital Emergency room asking for help for her sister, who had been shot in the leg and who was outside in a car, police said.

Officers were already at the hospital handling another incident and they accompanied hospital staffers, who brought the victim inside the hospital to be treated for her injuries, according to a police report.

The victim initially stated that she had been at a house party "somewhere near Cooper Street," when she had been "accidentally shot" by the party’s host, according to a police report.

She identified the host as "someone named Pete," according to a police report.

When Officers began to investigate the incident, it became apparent that the victim "was not being truthful with regards to details about the location and person involved in the shooting," according to a police report.

It was later determined that the incident had actually occurred at 162 Spencer Street, and involved her cousin - 31-year-old Stephen McCann, according to a police report.

A police reported indicated that at about 10 p.m., the victim and another cousin had gone to visit McCann and knocked on his door.

Not knowing who was at the door, McCann grabbed a 9mm Beretta handgun he owns and answered the door, according to a police report. When he saw it was his cousins, he placed the handgun in his waistband and the cousins sat a kitchen table to talk, according to a police report.

Stephen then stood up to put his handgun away, but when he pulled it out of his waistband, his finger was on the trigger, according to a police report.

"It appears the gun accidentally discharged one round, which struck the victim in the thigh," police said in a report.

She was then transported by car to Manchester Memorial Hospital, police said.

Her injury was relatively minor, police said.

McCann was charged with:

• Illegal discharge of a firearm
• Second-degree assault
• Second-degree reckless endangerment
• Breach of peace, second-degree

He was held on a $50,000 bond until being transported to court on Monday, police said.

Police identified the victim as Emily Acelin, 31 of 44 Channing Drive, Manchester. She was charged with interfering with police and released on $5,000 non-surety bond, police records indicate.

She was given a court date of July 21, police said.

Photo Credit: McCann's booking mug shot furnished by Manchester police.