UPDATE (11:36 a.m., Feb. 7, 2013): The case of the missing “Goodwill gun” has been solved.

Bryan Kendall, the River Falls man who told authorities he believed he accidentally donated a loaded pistol to either the Woodbury or Hudson Goodwill store late last month said his friend found the weapon in a hunting case.

“It was a relief,” he told Patch. “You go from one extreme — pure panic — to another.”

Kendall said his friend found the .22-calliber Smith & Wesson late Wednesday night. The two went deer hunting together last fall.

“He probably forgot that he had it,” Kendall said.

Kendall said his friend had looked for the gun when it was initially reported missing, but it wasn’t found until Wednesday.

After getting a text message from his friend about the gun, Kendall left messages with law enforcement officials in Woodbury and Wisconsin, and he also told Goodwill the weapon had been located.

“I’ve got nothing but good things to say about all these organizations,” Kendall said.

In the end, Kendall said he was glad he came forward about the missing firearm.

“You can’t just be quiet about it,” he said.

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UPDATE (11:47 a.m., Feb. 1, 2013): Bryan Kendall, the man who told police he may have accidentally left a gun in with donations to Goodwill, said it was “probably the most irresponsible thing I’ve ever done.”

“Pure panic,” he said.

Kendall, of River Falls, said he had the pistol tucked away in a closet with some items he planned to donate to Goodwill. He didn’t notice the .22-calliber Smith & Wesson was missing until later, when he went to collect his weapons for safe storage before a trip.

He contacted police about the missing handgun, and was worried he might be in trouble with the law, and was also concerned for the safety of the Goodwill employee who came across it.

“Just a terrible feeling,” Kendall said. 

Goodwill officials earlier this week told Patch they had not found the gun. Woodbury officials were notified of the possibility that a gun had been donated to Goodwill from their counterparts in Wisconsin.

Kendall said he had a number of donations to make, and he and his wife dropped off items at the Woodbury and Hudson locations to distribute the goods.

He said he was planning to follow up with Goodwill and law enforcement officials.

“Unfortunately, it’s now missing,” Kendall said. “To think that a few extra seconds could have made a difference.”

He said people should always double check the belongings they plan to donate.

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ORIGINAL POST (5:06 p.m., Jan. 30, 2013): Goodwill officials say they have not come across a gun a River Falls* man believes he accidentally donated to the organization a few days ago. 

The man told authorities he made donations to both the Woodbury and Hudson locations on Saturday, Jan. 26, but forgot to remove a loaded .22-calliber Smith & Wesson pistol that was placed between two pairs of Dockers pants, according to a report from the Hudson Police Department.

He told police the handgun would have been in bags from Dick's Fresh Market, Mills Fleet Farm or Target, and he was planning to file a report for the missing weapon.

Lisa Ritter, director of marketing for Goodwill, told Patch on Wednesday that she hadn’t heard of a gun being found with donations at either location.

The Woodbury Police Department was notified of the possibility that a pistol had been donated to the Woodbury Goodwill, said Michelle Okada, police spokeswoman.

Hudson Patch Editor Micheal Foley contributed to this report.

* An earlier version of this post identified the man as a Prescott resident.

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