Police: Man attempts suicide on beach

A man shot himself on the beach Monday evening near Newport Beach’s Santa Ana River jetty, just south of the Huntington Beach border, police said.

The gunshot caused “major wounds,” but the man was alive when officers responded just before 7 p.m., Newport police spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella said.

Officers arrived within two minutes of the gunshot being reported and began lifesaving measures, according to police.

Medical personnel transported the injured man to Western Medical Center Santa Ana, where he was stabilized but still in critical condition, police said.

Manzella declined to say what kind of firearm the man used or detail the extent of his injuries.

Police also declined to identify the hospitalized man or release his age or city of residence.

Detectives are still looking into the incident, which will probably be classified as an attempted suicide, Manzella said.

— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck