Houston police shot and wounded a man firing a rifle near the city's downtown Occupy Wall Street camp, but the incident doesn't appear to be related to the ongoing protest. Witnesses say the man had never been seen near camp before and despite firing several shots in the vicinity, he did not appear to be targeting (and perhaps wasn't even aware of) the demonstration.

The 21-year-old man arrived in Tranquility Park, where protestors are camped out, wearing a suit and brandishing a rifle around rush hour on Monday evening. He fired several shots into the air and pointed the rifle at people in the park, but apparently walked right by the main encampment without hurting anyone.

It appears the man was simply hoping to be shot by police. Witnesses said he pointed the gun at his own head at one point, and when confronted by officers, reportedly shouted "kill me."  Police officers shot him twice, but the man was taken to a local hospital and his injuries were not life-threatening. No other bystanders were injured.

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Dashiell Bennett