"Gun" shoots man at PA gunshow

[jsalcedo]

Man Accidentally Shot at Pa. Gun Show

By Associated Press

May 16, 2005, 11:26 AM EDT


MONROEVILLE, Pa. -- A visitor to a gun show was shot in the shin by a gun that was supposed to be unloaded, authorities said.

"It appears as though one customer at a vendor's table was looking at a 9 mm pistol, and it fired," said Monroeville police Sgt. Larry Lyons.

Walter Gladkowski, 65, of Monroeville, was treated for a flesh wound at Mercy Hospital after the shooting Saturday and released.

The shooting appears to be an accident, Lyons said, but police were investigating whether the gun was loaded before or during the show.

The 64-year-old man handling the gun when it discharged has not been charged.

"Sometimes in the course of a day, you may have dozens of people handle a gun. It may have been unloaded when it was brought into the show and put on display," Lyons said. "It's hard to say. Obviously, it was loaded when the customer was handling it."

The gun was displayed by Hannah's Gun Shop of Tipton, Blair County, police said. A phone number for the shop could not be located.

Richard Vensel, president of the Pennsylvania Gun Collectors Association, also wants to know why the gun was loaded. Gun show vendors must sign a pledge stating that their guns are unloaded, he said.

"It was an unfortunate incident," Vensel said. "We strive for safety education, to inform the public and those that are less familiar with the use of firearms the safe operation of firearms."

link

 

[dolanp]

I sure hate it when they just up and fire themselves.

 

[Evil_Ed]

That's why the local gun show promoter requires all guns to have zipties impeding the firing apperatus. Vendor eshould have been checking that gun between handlings if it wasn't secured.

 

[dasmi]

"It appears as though one customer at a vendor's table was looking at a 9 mm pistol, and it fired," said Monroeville police Sgt. Larry Lyons.

You did mean "and someone fired it" right?

 

[MechAg94]

I believe there was an incident in Houston where a guy put a round into a pistol on purpose which eventually went off later when someone else was looking at it.

I guess it always pays to remember to check a gun when you pick it up no matter if you "know" it is unloaded or not. I think I have pissed off people a couple times by checking a gun they just handed to me. A good habit IMO.

 

[Beren]

I usually attend this show. It'd held up the road from where I live. These things are physically impossible if basic safety rules are followed. Some idiot did not follow the rules. More than one idiot, possibly.

 

[shermacman]

It has been suggested over at DU that Lefties with FID cards should buy ammo and go to gun stores or gun shows and slip a round into any gun they can.


Helps their "cause".

 

[dasmi]

shermacman, that is a serious charge. Please provide a link.

 

[centac]

Apparently the cops dont have a lock on idiocy after all.

I'd like to see that link, too. A real live corroborated conspiracy'd be a nice change.

 

[gcerbone]

It bears repeating....

Rule #1: ALL guns are ALWAYS loaded.

 

[jsalcedo]

The "salting" of guns to cause mayhem and mishap has been advocated and practiced since at least the early 70's.

I'm not sure if it is the case here but I would not be surprised.

 

[Justin]

"Oh c'mon, don't you know, this gun isn't loaded!"


Famous last words.

 

[Kevinch]

I was at that show, on the day the accident occurred - although I arrived after it happened.

It was, understandably, "the talk of the show".

The good news - no swarming camera teams from the local stations trying to get film for the 11:00 broadcast.

Definetly, the man looking at the gun made a mistake. I don't care if I watch the dealer/employee/wife/etc. open the action & inspect the gun or not. If the gun is handed to me with the action closed, I check it myself. Period & end of story, no exceptions.

If I ever hand a gun to someone, I open the action & inspect. Now, I can understand a dealer not wanting to hand a fine semi-auto over to someone who might just trip the slide release & let the slide slam home without a round in the chamber so he might close the action. But I can't imagine the guy looking at the gun loaded a round & fired it at someone's leg intentionally. This gun had to be loaded when it was handed over, & I would bet that 2 people are guilty of very sloppy gun safety here. :banghead:

Thank goodness the guy didn't hold it out at shoulder level & pull the trigger. I don't know about anyone else - but I know how I feel!

 

[Steve in PA]

Gee, I wonder how pages this non-JBT mishap will generate

And the first rule of firearms safety is what???????

PS. On a side note, it wouldn't surpise me if some anti-gun clowwn snuck a round in there

 

[CAPTAIN MIKE]

I Hate That Part --

Wow -- it actually fired "when a customer was lookinglooking at it". That is MAGIC !! Where I come from we actually have to do it the Old Fashioned Way -- by squeezing the trigger .

 

[Standing Wolf]

Gun shows are a total pain in the ankle.

 

[shermacman]

It has been suggested over at DU that Lefties with FID cards should buy ammo and go to gun stores or gun shows and slip a round into any gun they can.
Helps their "cause".

I read this as a quote at DU. Now, they won't let you search without being a 'donor'. That ain't gunna happen. So, if some of our DU prowlers would like to search, please help me out. And if some of you who are proud of your membership at DU and are proud of what they believe, dig in!

There is a local gun store here on Boston's South Shore, the owner ALWAYS checks the action when he hands over a gun and when he takes it back. I asked him about it, he replied that some one had popped in a round once and the gun had sat, loaded, for a couple of days. He checked the action for a client and there it was...For whatever it is worth, I believe him.

 

[dustind]

I had a few threads on DU bookmarked, but after they updated their software they are all gone. They started over at zero posts.

 

[Beren]

The first thing I do when someone hands me a firearm is point it in a safe direction and clear it. I do this even if I just watched the person in front of me clear it before handing it to me. Really irritates some dealers, but I bet noone gives me looks about it at the July show!

I always return the firearm with the action open, locked open if possible. Again, that sometimes gets me looks....

Anyway, I was out of line to call unknown people idiots. An idiotic act, absolutely, but we all make mistakes, I've had an accidental discharge before into the roof of an indoor shooting club. Don't tell P95, he won't let me come to the Portage shoot.

I'm glad noone was seriously hurt.

 

[lwsimon]

I trolled DU once up on a time. I assure you that quote about them putting live rounds into guns at shows is 100% accurate, I saw it on two seperate occasions. Unfortunately, I can't search either, so I can't provide a link, only collaborate.