HAYWARD — A local resident was charged with shooting another man in the armpit during a parking lot altercation, court records show.

The 23-year-old Hayward man was charged in July with a felony count of assault with a firearm, for allegedly shooting a man in the armpit on June 30. The victim survived, police said.

The shooting occurred during an argument in a shared parking lot on the 22600 block of 2nd Street, near where both men lived, authorities said. The suspect reportedly confessed to the shooting but claimed all he did was fire in the air to scare away the victim, because he was afraid for the safety of himself and his two children.

The defendant has been released from jail while the case is pending, court records show.