Police: False Report in Veterans Park Shooting

A man who claimed he was the victim of a shooting at Veterans Park last month allegedly shot himself, according to Prince William County Police.

Steven Sanchez, 23, of the 1400 block of Harrison Street, was charged Thursday with reckless handling of a firearm and filing a false report. 

Officers responded to the park Nov. 23 regarding a shooting. Sanchez was found with non-life threatening injuries and flown to an area hospital.

Sanchez told police he had been jogging through the park and that he was shot by an unknown suspect during a botched robbery, according to police spokesman Jonathan Perok.

"Detectives from the Robbery Unit conducted an investigation and discovered inconsistencies in the initial reporting of the incident by the victim," Perok said. "Detectives eventually learned that the victim was not robbed and that he had shot himself in the park."