A man was found suffering from a non-lethal gunshot wound Monday in the 2100 block of Georgia Street, and police believe the shooting was self-inflicted.

Carlsbad police were called to the scene at about 12:45 p.m. by a passerby who reported Joe Campos, 25, was picked up by another vehicle, said Sgt. Ernie Mendoza.

Mendoza said the man was on his way to the hospital when police intervened at the corner of Sixth and Church streets.

Police called emergency personnel and Campos was taken to a local hospital by ambulance, and later flown to Lubbock for further treatment.

He was listed in stable condition, Mendoza said.

"Apparently, the subject was walking and the gun discharged," Mendoza said. "It was possibly self-inflicted."

Police said the shooting was likely accidental, and the man is not being charged for any crime tied to the incident.

Similar incident are rare in Carlsbad, Mendoza said, but he warned gun owners to exercise caution when carrying in public.

New Mexico state law allows for non-permitted open carry of firearms, but requires a license for concealed carry.

"It's unknown if he was messing with the gun, what caused it to go off," Mendoza said. "If you're going to carry, it's probably not safe to have one (bullet) in the chamber so you don't have to worry about incidents like this."

Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on Twitter.