VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A man firing celebratory gunshots on New Year’s Day in Virginia Beach accidentally shot himself, police say.
According to police, the incident began around 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 1 when they got a call from a local hospital telling them that a man was just dropped off at the location and was suffering from a gunshot wound to his left ankle.
The man, identified as 22-year-old Marquise Ryan Billups, initially told police that he was walking to his car near Malibu Palms Drive when he was shot.
After further interviews with Billups, police say he ultimately confessed to firing his firearm multiple times into the air at midnight on New Year’s Day. As he was getting into his vehicle, Billups told police that this was when he accidentally shot himself in the ankle.
Billups was subsequently charged with reckless handling of a firearm. The incident is still under investigation.
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