Racine Man Charged After Taking Loaded Guns to Froedtert

A Racine man is facing charges after he forgot he had two loaded handguns in his laptop case and took them along Thursday to Froedert Memorial Hospital.

Froedtert, along with most hospitals, has had a posted weapons ban in place since Wisconsin's concealed carry law went into effect Nov. 1.

Patrick M. Hagen, 31, was charged Saturday in Milwaukee County Circuit Court with two counts of carrying a concealed weapon. If convicted, he could face up to 18 months in prison and $20,000 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint:

Milwaukee County sheriff’s deputies were called to the hospital Thursday after personnel there found a bag with two loaded handguns inside a room and determined they belonged to Hagen. A deputy examined the bag and saw a loaded Ruger .357 Magnum and a Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol inside.

Hagen admitted the guns were his and said he forgot he had them in the case. He told deputies he carries the guns because he goes to a lot of bad neighborhoods.

The complaint did not say why Hagen had gone to the hospital. He was to make his initial appearance in court Tuesday.