Today's award goes to a careless firearm owner in Missouri.
Customers at a University City grocery stopped in their tracks Sunday when they heard gunfire among the food aisles.
It turns out, a man carrying a loaded gun in his waistband while in the Schnucks supermarket accidentally shot his own leg in the middle of the store.
. . .
The man told officers he was attempting to prevent the loaded firearm — which was not in a holster — from falling to the ground from his waistband, but in the process accidentally discharged a single round.
The bullet struck the floor, ricocheted and became lodged in the ceiling, according to University City police.
Police said a second person standing nearby was struck by unknown debris, but the bystander declined medical treatment.
There's more at the link.
He's extremely fortunate that the bullet didn't strike anyone else, or cause any serious injury. He would have been civilly and criminally liable if it had. It's the same principle that applies in many jurisdictions: if anyone is killed in an armed robbery, even one of the perpetrators, the other perpetrators are charged with murder, because it was a death during a felony offense. Since this discharge of a firearm resulted in a criminal charge against its owner, the same principle would have applied.
Let this be a reminder. When we carry a firearm, it should be in a holster that will safeguard it from being dropped or mishandled. The holster should fit the gun properly, so that the firearm can't easily be dislodged, and should also cover the trigger, to prevent discharges such as this one.
Peter
9 comments:
*facepalm* This is why the Most High gave us holsters! Sheesh.
LittleRed1
Darwin lost this one.
Lucky he didn't shoot 'important' bits off... sigh
MIWB... Mexican Inside Waist Band carry. Lucky he didn't hit Mr. Femoral Artery....
Two lessons here: 1) always use a holster (even for pocket or purse carry)
2) NEVER try to catch a firearm that is falling! most modern guns are at least very close to 'drop safe' (P320 notwithstanding, heh) and you run the high risk, as illustrated by doofus # 976, of catching it by the trigger and having bad things happen.
Good advice. Keeping a firearm tucked in waistband sans holster is an accident waiting to happen. The gentleman is lucky no one was seriously injured.
I've looked at the Barranti Hip Pocket Holster and to me, seems to be a practical way for open carry. I'm seriously thinking of ordering one myself.
Meanwhile in a part of Missouri where guns are widely owned and usually taught by parents at earliest opportunity.
I was in the grocery store Thursday afternoon and an older gentleman was OCing while going thru the self-checkout and no-one (not even the cashier running the self-checkout help desk 5 ft away) even batted an eye. I'm not a huge fan of nylon belt holsters, even the heavy one he was using, but, not my call. He wasn't mucking about with it and it was secured
We just don't worry about them unless someone is being stupid. In which case I'm betting I wasn't the only other person in the store carrying, just in that general area. Which is why I get by "concealing" with a t-shirt that fits rather than looking like an oversized feed sack. No-one not even the local PD and SO much care. I had a good 5 minute convo on just 1911's with one of the local PD when I got pulled over one night for my license plate lights being out.
I'm familiar with the St. Louis area, having lived there most of my life. I looked up that grocery store on the map. It's in an interesting location. To the NorthEast a few blocks is ghetto. To the NorthWest is Asian immigrants. To the South is hipsterville and Washington University, and to the SouthEast along Forest Park is mansionland.
No telling what the clientele of that store is like, but it's probably very mixed. It's common for grocery stores in the city to have full-time armed security, something I haven't seen down here in Texas.
When fumbled like this, a striker-fired pistol with trigger safety is more susceptible to negligent discharge than (uncocked) DA revolvers or pistols with long, heavy DAO triggers. If you carry a 1911 there are other considerations.
And even a moderately priced holster will enhance security, concealment and presentation.
=BCE56=
Post a Comment