Update: Paducah Police have arrested a convicted felon who said he accidentally shot himself in the leg last night in a shopping mall parking lot.
Police say 35-year-old Brent Dixon of Paducah was arrested on a charge of possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.
Police were called to the scene around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to a shooting in the Kentucky Oaks Mall. Officers found Dixon in a car with a gunshot wound to his left leg. He was taken to Lourdes Hospital.
Dixon admitted he had grabbed the gun from another person and accidentally shot himself. He said the other person took the gun and fled.
A computer check revealed Dixon had outstanding warrants for his arrest. After his release from the hospital, Police arrested Dixon on the warrants charging him with failing to appear in court. He was booked into the McCracken County Regional Jail.
Detective Matt Scheer confirmed Dixon had been convicted of felony drug charges. Scheer charged him Wednesday with being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun.
Police say rumors about the shooting in the shopping mall parking lot caused a great deal of concern on social media. They said a majority of the information shared was incorrect. They say their first priority when arriving at a scene is to secure the scene, care for the injured and locate the suspect. As scenes can sometimes be chaotic, it may take time before the police can present an official release of information.
They said individuals outside of the police department were spreading information about an alleged "active shooter" and that officers at the scene were unaware of this. Otherwise, police say, they would have addressed it immediately with store employees and individuals sharing the misinformation. Police urge caution and responsibility when sharing information on social media.
Earlier:
The Paducah Police Department is investigating a shooting in a vehicle on the parking lot of Kentucky Oaks Mall Tuesday night.
Police say mall security has ben notified that there is no active shooter.
Further information will be released as it becomes available.
This story has been updated.
