National Guardsman accidentally shot self at SFO Wednesday, January 2, 2002 =A92002 Associated Press URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi- bin/article.cgi?f=3D/news/archive/2002/01/02/state2123EST0135.DTL (01-02) 19:02 PST SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A National Guardsman accidentally shot himself at San Francisco=20 International Airport while trying to remove his gun from his holster. Louis E. Alvarez, a National Guard Specialist, was going off duty at=20 about 11:00 p.m. Friday when the accident happened, according to Sgt.=20 1st Class Tom Jacobs. He was going through a procedure to make sure his M-9 pistol was clear=20= of ammunition when he had trouble removing the gun from its holster and=20= it went off. The shot went through his hip and exited at his buttocks. Alvarez was taken to San Francisco General Hospital and released=20 Saturday afternoon. "He's a good soldier who had an accident," Lt. Robert Paoletti told=20 KRON-TV. The shooting happened at a courtyard in the international terminal away=20= from passengers. Jacobs said the National Guard had opened a formal investigation. He=20 said he couldn't discuss whether Alvarez should have had a round in the=20= chamber because of security concerns. Commanders were instructed to go over weapons safety again with=20 individual soldiers. San Francisco police also investigated. =A92002 Associated Press