Just this week, an off-duty police officer was adjusting his concealed firearm in a Cincinnati parking garage elevator. He accidentally discharged the weapon, narrowly missing his wife who was standing nearby. The bullet ricocheted off the wall and hit the man in his stomach, causing non-lethal injuries.
The man was holding his concealed weapon with his finger on the trigger while attempting to adjust the gun under his overcoat. A security camera recording of the event shows just how quickly a regular elevator ride can turn to chaos when a concealed weapon is improperly handled.
Check out the video below to see the frightening incident.
Another similar incident has shocked gun carriers. An Idaho woman shopping at Wal-Mart was killed last month when her two–year-old son found her concealed handgun in her purse and accidentally discharged the weapon. The gun was in the special compartment of her purse made for concealed carry where her son found it. She was the carrier of a concealed weapons permit. Despite these safety measures, the unsecured weapon was accessed by the small child and a tragedy occurred.
The officer who injured himself in the elevator was a 25-year veteran of the police force. The woman accidentally killed by her 2-year-old son possessed a concealed carry permit and lived with a family that was very familiar with guns. In both stories, people close to the victims reported that the accidents were shocking and unusual events. These tragic accidents provide realistic examples of what happens when those who carry concealed neglect serious safety issues.
There are several lessons that should be taken from these frightening events. Taking time to reexamine our own safety precautions is one of the best ways to honor those who are injured or die in shooting accidents.
The two recent accidental shooting deaths highlight the danger of carrying a concealed weapon with a round in the chamber. A live round in the chamber of a handgun makes the gun an immediate danger to anyone who is holding it. A weapon that does not have a round in the chamber needs to be first accessed by the carrier, have a round chambered manually, and the safety be moved off. Only after all of this should a carrier put a finger on the trigger. A chambered round and a finger on the trigger should only mean that something is about to be destroyed.
Too often, people carry concealed without truly understanding the meaning of the word “concealed”. A concealed weapon should never been seen by anyone unless a threat or emergency requires that the gun be used. A comfortable and reliable holster will hold the concealed gun in place and should not need to be adjusted often. No one should know that a person is carrying concealed or be able to access the firearm without the carrier’s permission.
The fact that the victims of these two accidents were familiar with handguns and permitted to carry concealed highlights the fact that we all should take the time to practice and review safety precautions. The recent accidental shootings remind us all that safety, certification, and training are the best ways to keep our loved ones and ourselves safe.
