Instructor accidentally fires gun during class

Josey1

June 13, 2002
Instructor accidentally fires gun during safety class

DALLAS - Police say no charges will be filed against an instructor who accidentally fired a handgun during a hunting safety class for children in Dallas.

Robert Barnes was teaching the course to four adults and 20 children on Tuesday when he fired one round from a 45-caliber semiautomatic pistol. The bullet smashed through a double-paned window and into the ceiling tiles at the Dallas Aquatic Center.

No one was injured.

Police say Barnes, a hunting safety instructor for several years, had removed an empty magazine from the gun. He disengaged one safety feature and pulled the trigger to demonstrate how the rear safety functions when a weapon is fired. The gun went off.

Lieutenant Tom Simpson says Barnes has a reputation as a strong advocate for firearm safety. He says the accident should be a lesson on how easily hunting accidents can happen.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

http://www.katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=47402

"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878

gunpaq

There is no such thing as an unloaded gun.

Pack slow, fall stable, pull high, hit dead center.

4GodandCountry

I agree gunpaq, the only time a weapon is unloaded is when it is disassembled being cleaned...

When Clinton left office they gave him a 21 gun salute. Its a damn shame they all missed....

gunpaq

Mrs. Gunpaq's grandsons were over for the weekend the other month and were playing cops, army, etc., with their toy guns. They were quickly replaced with sticks. A stick is a more versatile play weapon than a toy gun as it can be any type of weapon you want it to be and when pointed at a person no harm will come. My rule, was my Dad's too, is never point a gun at anyone, real or toy, as it may be loaded.

Pack slow, fall stable, pull high, hit dead center.

booger

At least he did have it pointed in safe direction when he goofed. I've experienced two accidental discharges (by others) while hunting but at least in both cases the guns where pointed in a safe direction. (I guess that's why I'm still here).

Them ducks is wary.

jastr

I recently went shooting with a friend of mine who brought his two sons along with him... this was okay by me since they listened well enough . but It turned out too be more of a babysitting session than an enjoyable shooting trip...Relation too this topic( is just the stress that was put on safley handling a fire arm, and that no gun should be treated as unloaded.

lets all be responsible! shoot a criminal! Remember 0% of firearms pull there own trigger!

Theguncounterkid

Working behind a gun counter for 3 years now, i can understand how these things happen. After awhile you tend to become numb to small safty details. I handle close to 15-20 used guns a day as they come in, and it shocks me to see how many people know its unload, swear by it, and freak out when i rack a shell out of the action. Luckly no one has been hurt by stupidity, but a few co-works have been smacked for not always checking. The one time you forget is the time you kill someone or yourself.
-Kid

SNIPER1048

I AM AN NRA CERT. PISTOL INSTRUCTOR. WHEN I TEACH MY CLASSES, WE DO NOT ALLOW LIVE AMMO IN THE CLASSROOM. I ALSO TEACH MY STUDENTS THAT ( THE ONLY MECHNICAL SAFETY THAT WORKS IS THE ONE BETWEEN YOUR EARS!)

"START THE BALL ROLLING THERE, TECTOR"

Evil ATF

REMIND ME TO WEAR HEARING PROTECTION WHEN SNIPER1048 POSTS!

Stand And Be Counted

Alpine

Oh he just needs to find that little "caps" button.
Seriously though, all "caps" is considered in "internet arena" to be shouting.

"If you ain't got pictures, I wasn't there."

Wild Turkey

I interviewed for a technician's job at a gun maker. They told me about the only time they had an accidental discharge in the plant. Seems they would finish the rifles, then send them to the proofing room where they were loaded and fired, then set outside WITH THE ACTION COCKED AND LOCKED.

The next step was for someone to walk up to rack, press trigger and if hammer clicked it had been fired.

Yep, one time a live round was left in weapon that had been fired.

Hole in roof, heads rolled, new policy.

I shook head, couldn't believe they would do that.

Wild Turkey"if your only tool is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail"

SUBMARINER

JEEZ ANOTHER GOOD TOPIC TARNISHED BY THE CONTINUED WHINING ABOUT ALL CAPS.SOME OF US JUST AINT GOOD ENOUGH TYPISTS TO TRY TO ADD CAPS WHEN NEEDED SO WE USE ALL CAPS

SUBMARINE SAILOR,TRUCK DRIVER,NE'ER DO WELL, INSTIGATOR,AND RUSTY WALLACE FAN

sfetty

I shoot 2000-3000 rounds per month (IDPA) and have for the last 4 years. Last year I came home from the range and put my Glock 17 up with the intention of cleaning it the next day. 2 days past before I got around to cleaning the pistol. I took it out of the range bag and noticed it was cocked. Knowing I had emptied it when I had finished shooting 2 nights before, I proceeded to pull the trigger so I could disassemble it for cleaning. Luckily I had it pointed in the best possible direction so as to minimize the effect of the 1150 fps 147gr fmj bullet that exited the "empty" chamber. I was standing in my basement next to my reloading bench with the 20 pounds of smokeless powder and 12000 sp primers in their respective compartments, not to mention the 5000 loaded rounds of 9mm and .45ACP ammo on the bench. The bullet entered a box containing one of my wife's favorite comforters. She yelled downstairs from the livingroom to see if I was still alive. I couldn't hear her for the ringing in my ears. I will never forget the fear on her face as she came down the steps to see what had happened. She lost her first husband in a work related accident and thought she had lost her second one from a self inflicted gun shot. The only thing hurt other than her blanket was my pride. I thank God everyday for having one of His Angels there to watch over me and protect me from my own stupidity.

Please fellow shooters, ALWAYS treat a gun as being loaded. If you pick it up and put it down a hundred times, check it each and every time before putting it away. I am a safe gun handler, but we are ALL capable of being brain dead at any given time. I am just thankful that I only had to replace a blanket and my wife didn't have to bury a second husband.