KC man’s pinky victim of overnight shooting

A 31-year-old man is expected to lose his left pinky finger after he was shot in the hand early Thursday, Kansas City police said.

The man told police he bought a lottery ticket at the BP gas station at St. John and Belmont avenues about 4:30 a.m. and was walking back to his friend’s house when a stranger approached and asked for a lighter at St. John and Topping Avenue. The victim said he reached for his lighter and saw the other man had pulled a gun from his waistband. The victim told patrol officers he grabbed the muzzle of the gun and the gun went off, injuring his hand.

Later, at a hospital, the victim was vague with a detective about why the man pulled a gun on him. Police could not find a crime scene. Doctors told police the damage to the victim’s pinky would require its removal.

This story was originally published March 13, 2014 at 9:47 AM with the headline "KC man’s pinky victim of overnight shooting."