At 4:21 p.m. Oct. 28, road patrol units responded to the parking lot of K-Mart in California.for a reported motor vehicle collision.  It was determined that no collision occurred, but a man received a gunshot wound to his left hand. The investigation was assumed by Detectives with the Bureau of Criminal Investigations.  

Investigation revealed that four subjects were sighted with black powder guns at a different location, at St. Mary’s River State Park.  The victim, Guiseppe Conigiaro, 20, of Patuxent River, loaded the black powder gun himself, police say. Once Conigiaro fired the weapon the left side of the barrel expanded.  Due to the force, the barrel exploded causing serious injury to Conigiaro’s left hand and thumb. 

Conigiaro’s friends drove him to the parking lot of K-Mart to contact an awaiting ambulance, due to the secluded location of the incident. Conigiaro was flown to a Baltimore Hospital by trooper 7.  Alcohol was not involved in the incident by any of the subjects. 

The Bureau of Criminal Investigations will not be filing any charges for the incident.  The Department of Natural Resources Police was notified since the incident occurred on State Park property.