An alarm clock goes off. A Burton man ‘jumps’ And shoots himself with a pillow pistol

A Burton man startled by his alarm clock accidentally shot himself Wednesday morning with a pistol he kept under his pillow for protection, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office report.

The Pinewood Subdivision resident told deputies he sleeps with his 9mm Glock under his pillow and shot himself in the arm when his alarm clock caused him to “jump,” according to the report. He had a gunshot wound in his left upper arm and was alert when deputies arrived.

The man’s fiance said she knew he slept with the gun but wasn’t in the room when she heard the gunshot shortly after 7 a.m., according to the report. A neighbor came over to help and called 911. The woman told deputies she would be taking her fiance to the hospital for treatment.

This story was originally published November 15, 2017 at 3:06 PM with the headline "An alarm clock goes off. A Burton man ‘jumps’ And shoots himself with a pillow pistol."