LEVIS, QUE.—A 75-year-old man has died after accidentally triggering a booby trap he had set up in his home near Quebec City, police say.

Jos Lawrence Potvin had rigged a rifle to a string that ran across the floor of his bedroom in an effort to protect his home from thieves.

Levis Police spokesman Christian Cantin said Friday it appears Potvin was preparing a meal for himself when he set off the trap by mistake.

Cantin said the evidence indicates that Potvin was worried about being the victim of a crime.

“He was an elderly man, and sometimes as you get older, you become more concerned about losing your things,” he said.

Potvin’s body was discovered by police on Thursday morning.

Suicide has been ruled out in the case.

Cantin said the rifle wasn’t properly stored and should not have been loaded.

The Canadian Press