A 40-year-old Connecticut man shot himself Saturday at the Gun For Hire shooting range in Woodland Park in what police are treating as a potential suicide attempt, Woodland Park Mayor Keith Kazmark said Sunday.

Kazmark cautioned that the investigation was ongoing, but the preliminary indication is that the man turned the gun on himself. He said the victim was from Stamford, Connecticut, and arrived at the range with a female companion who was with him at the time of the incident, which occurred around 5 p.m.

The victim was in critical condition and on a ventilator at St. Joseph's University Medical Center in Paterson on Sunday. Although shaken, the woman was not otherwise hurt, Kazmark said.

Saturday's incident is believed to be the the third time that someone has walked into Gun For Hire, rented a firearm and then turned the gun on himself. In July 2016, an Elmwood Park man died after shooting himself in front of his brother. Two months before that, a 30-year-old Garfield man put a gun to his head and killed himself.

Kazmark said he spoke to police at the scene on Saturday and that the angle of the gun led them to believe the incident was a suicide attempt. The mayor said all walk-ins are supposed to be screened before they're allowed to rent firearms, and the Gun For Hire staff is trained in mental health.

"Unfortunately, I believe that if someone wants to take their own life, they are going to find a way to do it," he said. "Tens of thousands of people have walked into Gun For Hire and come out as better and more responsible gun owners."

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Gun For Hire, on McBride Avenue, bills itself as "America's Only 6-Star family Gun Range," and its owner, Anthony Colandro, is an unabashed gun-rights advocate and a member of the NRA board of directors.

Colandro did not respond to a phone call and an email on Sunday seeking comment.

Like other shooting ranges in the state, Gun For Hire routinely rents guns to customers who walk in off the street without a background check. Unlike when applying to purchase a firearm, which requires that the person undergo a criminal background check that can take several weeks, a person can rent a gun at a shooting range simply by showing identification.

"No matter what borough or state you're travelling from you can shoot," says the Gun For Hire website. "We have everything you need! Just show up with your Gov. I.D./Passport."

Gun For Hire, which was closed on Saturday night after the shooting, reopened on Sunday morning.

Melanie Anzidei is the retail reporter for NorthJersey.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news about store openings and closings in North Jersey’s biggest malls, shopping centers and downtowns, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: anzidei@northjersey.com Twitter: @melanieanzidei