Negligent discharge

CLP · Jun 28, 2016

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...om&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

Unfortunate circumstance really. Ball player apparently had two firearms in a duffel and one discharged when he picked up the bag. The article doesn't say, but one has to assume either the firearm wasn't holstered (if a handgun) or if a rifle/shotgun then a round chambered and safety off (or knocked off) and some piece of shuffling equipment/clothing pulled the trigger. Thinking if I was in the same situation, I wouldn't carry a rifle/SG loaded in such a manner. I've never stuffed a firearm in a duffel bag, but if I did I'd either unload it or ensure it was sheathed in a holster with a strap or retaining latch. It's a shame.

dust_101 · Jun 28, 2016

It's been many years since I owned an AR15, just last week took my new one to the range and was astonished at how easy it is to flip the safety off. I can see that happening in a ball duffle or something. Not so easy with one of my 1911s, but still.

gspn · Jun 28, 2016

dust_101 said:
It's been many years since I owned an AR15, just last week took my new one to the range and was astonished at how easy it is to flip the safety off. I can see that happening in a ball duffle or something. Not so easy with one of my 1911s, but still.

It was one of the handguns that discharged, a semi-auto .45. I hate it for the guy. So easy to avoid. There are a few more details in this story:

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nfl/colts/2016/06/28/ex-colts-rb-zurlon-tipton-dies-accidental-gunshot/86483476/

berettaprofessor · Jun 29, 2016

Perhaps chambered and cocked and loose in a bag is not the way to safely transport weapons.

Old Guy · Jun 29, 2016

Loaded firearms, in a soft bag? Is not bright. In transporting 10 S&W revolvers, for 20 plus years, plus 2 Glock 17s and 1 Glock 19, to and from ranges, in purpose built locked cases, unloaded, and packed in foam!

No A/Ds ever.

These cases built by a Gent who made cases for musicians, he did not even own a firearm.

Seems like a no brainer to me, transport off body, unloaded, in holster, on belt loaded.

Fast Frank · Jun 29, 2016

There are a thousand sad stories every day.

My responsibility is to avoid being one.

SSN Vet · Jun 29, 2016

I'm sorry if this sounds unkind, but stupid is as stupid does and this was a totally preventable incident, had the guy not been extremely negligent.

Based on the second article about him being nailed last year for running around in a jeep with a loaded AR, after a report of shots fired in a residential area densely packed with houses, I have to say that negligent, stupid and illegal behavior appears to be par for the course with this guy.

As my old commanding officer would frequently say, "the stupid shall be punished, so don't be stupid"

Jim Watson · Jun 29, 2016

It sounds like he grabbed a loaded gun by the butt with finger on trigger. Glock or similar without manual safety.

And that is the GOOD interpretation. Many such ADs are falsified to cover up even dumber behavior. Were there witnesses?

GBExpat · Jun 29, 2016

Well, one good aspect of this tragedy is that the author of the ND was the immediate victim and not some innocent bystander.

IMO, having a loaded gun so stored/carried reflects a fundamental lack of respect for firearms.

crashdummy · Jun 29, 2016

Stupid ...........
Most unintentional discharges are performed by law enforcement personnel.

TRX · Jun 29, 2016

> Loaded firearms, in a soft bag?

I do. But all of my pistols are DAO or have thumb safeties.

A couple of my holsters have thick leather or Kydex covering the trigger and safety. Some of the older holsters don't. None of them have a hammer blocking retention strap, which seems to be rare nowadays. Some of them are nylon, and are basically "soft bags" I strap to my body.

What happened was unfortunate, but "you pays your money and you takes your chances."

Mannlicher · Jun 29, 2016

another sad example of a previously well behaved gun going rogue, and killing it's owner.

Without warning, it shot it's owner. We need a law to prevent this sort of attack.

azrocks · Jun 29, 2016

GBExpat said:
IMO, having a loaded gun so stored/carried reflects a fundamental lack of respect for firearms.

Agreed.

Warp · Jun 29, 2016

TRX said:
> Loaded firearms, in a soft bag?

I do. But all of my pistols are DAO or have thumb safeties....

That seems unwise

Old Dog · Jun 29, 2016

This was a young man, probably not terribly experienced with firearms, who probably never had a more savvy person to mentor him.

Calling him stupid is pointless now, as is making jokes about his demise.

Now this?

Most unintentional discharges are performed by law enforcement personnel.

Now if one is going to be so silly as to post such as this, kindly document; all cites and statistics are welcome.

ATLDave · Jun 29, 2016

A loaded firearm outside of your positive control is a formal, engraved invitation to Murphy himself.

Old Shooter · Jun 29, 2016

Loaded chamber in a duffle bag, What could possibly go wrong?

gwpercle · Jun 29, 2016

There is something left out of this report ....simply picking up a bag containg a gun doesn't cause one to discharge....what's the rest of the story !

Warp · Jun 29, 2016

gwpercle said:
There is something left out of this report ....simply picking up a bag containg a gun doesn't cause one to discharge....what's the rest of the story !

Well, if the gun is loose in the bag, along with other items, and something gets into the trigger guard, picking the bag up may very well cause it to discharge.

ATLDave · Jun 29, 2016

^ Indeed. Some people have been mislead by certain manufacturers' marketing and/or the training dogma that all AD/NDs can be blamed on poor trigger discipline to imagine that guns can magically discern when some object other than a finger is applying pressure to the trigger. They cannot. A gun cannot tell if it is the tip of a key, a drawstring, the prong of a phone charger, etc., from a finger. If fits in the trigger guard and applies pressure to the trigger, it can cause a discharge.

CLP · Jun 29, 2016

gwpercle said:
There is something left out of this report ....simply picking up a bag containg a gun doesn't cause one to discharge....what's the rest of the story !

Never had the top of a bottle of shampoo get knocked open in a duffel bag? I did. Once. Back when I had hair. Things in duffel bags aren't contained tightly, they move around, and a terrible mistake like that can occur. I don't think there's anything else to this story. Just a lesson to be learned- or reinforced.

Panzerschwein · Jul 4, 2016

Not long back one of the swanky makers of single shots rolling block rifles had one of his own guns, loaded, in his truck. He pulled it forward towards himself to remove it and the trigger snagged, blowing a massive hole in his body and killing him.

It happens to even some of the best and brightest gunnies and shootists.

Don't let it happen. Or try like all of hades.

Jim Watson · Jul 4, 2016

That was Dave Higginbotham of Lone Star Rifles.
Reportedly, he was pulling a loaded AR out of the truck by the barrel when the trigger snagged, shooting him.
I think he was out of his comfort zone dealing with a rifle with concealed hammer and manual safety. He would not likely have put up a Rolling Block loaded and cocked, it is too easy to see its state of readiness.

ljnowell · Jul 4, 2016

Old Dog said:
This was a young man, probably not terribly experienced with firearms, who probably never had a more savvy person to mentor him.

Calling him stupid is pointless now, as is making jokes about his demise.

Now this?

Now if one is going to be so silly as to post such as this, kindly document; all cites and statistics are welcome.

It may be safe to say the majority of REPORTED NDs are from law enforcement. There usually are reports filed if it's anywhere public and if someone gets hurt the media is immediately on the LEOs. I can't believe that the relatively small amount of LEO(compared to the general gun owning public) could be responsible for the majority however.

Negligent discharge

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