DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police say a Des Moines man accidentally shot off the tip of his finger while cleaning his gun, and the blown piece hit his mother.

Steven Johnson says he inserted a magazine into the gun Sunday night and racked the slide. The 22-year-old says he did not realize the gun was loaded when he pulled the trigger to make sure it worked.

A police report says the tip of Johnson’s left index finger flew across the room and hit his mother. She later drove him to a hospital and the pair was questioned.

Police say they were not able to recover the tip of Johnson’s finger.

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