OSSIPEE - The identity and the medical condition of the man who apparently shot himself with a small handgun on Wednesday morning while he sat in his parked truck outside of town hall has not yet been released.

The shooting incident was reported at 9:42 a.m. outside town hall, 55 Main St., in Center Ossipee. Coincidentally, the town's police chief was at the town hall at the time and was the first to respond to the victim.

On Wednesday afternoon, Police Chief Don Grow described how he was returning to his parked cruiser outside town hall when a man seated alone in a blue pick up truck shot himself in the head. Grow heard the shot and quickly ascertained that it came from the parked truck.

The identity of the man, who Grow said was still alive when he was rushed to the hospital, was not released. Grow said he is in his late 40s or early 50s. Police are withholding the identity of the man until next of kin are notified.

"I still don't know how he is," said Grow of the man's condition. Police are still investigating the shooting, but as of Wednesday, Grow said he did not believe the incident had any connection to town government, personnel or the elections on Tuesday.

"This had nothing to do with the town hall," he said, adding he believed it was a personal issue. No one else was harmed, and there was no threat to employees or visitors at town hall. The town hall is across the street from Ossipee Central School.

Grow said he had seen the man seated in his blue Dodge Dakota truck smoking a cigarette prior to the shooting. As Grow left town hall and opened the door to his cruiser, he heard a gunshot. After advising town hall personnel to stay put, Grow determined the gunshot came from the blue pickup truck and alerted emergency medical personnel.

Grow said the man used a small caliber handgun. Town officials declined to comment on the incident when asked at town hall on Wednesday.