Ooops!!!! Didnt know it was loaded.

[hockeybc69]

STILLWATER, Minn. -- The instructor of a state-sponsored firearms safety class accidentally discharged a weapon in front of his students at a Minnesota church.

No one was hurt, and the bullet lodged in the wall of the cafeteria at Salem Lutheran Church School.

The incident, on April 11, was revealed when a 14-year-old student in the class told his father about it on the way home. The boy's father then called his brother, who is a county sheriff in Minnesota.

Stillwater police met the 76-year-old volunteer instructor at the school the following day. The man was "very apologetic ... for the foolish mistake" he had made, according to police reports.

"You gentlemen can't imagine the embarrassment I feel towards myself for what took place," he told police.

The Department of Natural Resources, which sponsors the course, is investigating the incident, said Mike Hammer, education programs coordinator for the department's enforcement division.

The accidental discharge apparently happened before the start of the 6:30 p.m. class. The instructor was showing another instructor how the safeties on a .45-caliber Colt 1911 worked. The other instructor told police that the man "used good muzzle control" at all times and "at no time was the barrel of the gun ever pointed towards anyone."

About eight other people were in the room at the time of the incident, police said.

The firearms safety class is required for people born

after Dec. 31, 1979, before they can get a Minnesota hunting license; students must be at least 11 years old, Hammer said.

Whether the instructor, who has taught firearms safety since 2002, will continue to teach has not yet been determined, Hammer said.

"We will do an investigation of what took place, meet with him and make a determination at that time as to whether he continues to be a volunteer instructor with us," Hammer said. "He has not been formally suspended, (but) he has not come back to the classroom. He's pretty embarrassed."

Hammer said the magazine of the gun had been removed, but one round remained in the chamber. "If he had checked, it would have been a great demonstration," Hammer said. "He violated a safety rule and found out what happens when you do. There should be no live ammunition in the classroom. Period. Anytime you pick up a firearm, you check to make sure it's unloaded, and he did not, and it went off."

Bob Hutton, the father of the boy in the class, said he was concerned that parents of students in the class had not been informed of the incident.

There should have been a letter or a phone call to the parents in regards to this incident at least," Hutton said. "I certainly hope this guy does not teach another class."

[mainbutter]

My grandfather gave away his firearms in his 70s, the same day he gave up driving.

Forgetfulness can be deadly. Be careful out there everyone.

One lesson to take away from this is the redundancy of some rules regarding firearms. Good muzzle control can prevent an injury in case you accidentally leave a round chambered!

[Alagnak]

Yeah 76 years old who knows exactly how the memory is. Just like pilots- sometimes lots of mistakes late in life. "I've done this thousands of times!"

[Tom7227]

This one is just about as good from Friday's Pioneer Press -

Dealer accidentally fires gun at show

A gun dealer accidentally discharged a .40-caliber handgun at a firearms show at the National Guard Armory in Hastings on Saturday. No one was hurt.

While the vendor was taking apart the gun for a customer, he pointed it at the ground and pulled the trigger — not knowing a round was in the chamber, Police Chief Paul Schnell said.

An off-duty Hastings officer working the show heard the shot ring out and took a report. Charges are not expected, Schnell said.

“He didn’t have any intent,” Schnell said of the gun dealer. “ If somebody had been injured, it could have been a different ballgame.”

[jentz]

An Instructer!!! But he practiced good muzzel control!!!! HAHA Rule #1make sure the firearm is unloaded when handleing.

Everyone makes a accident now and then.With firearms accidents can be deadly!FOOL!

[RebelSS]

One of the first things you teach is NEVER EVER put that finger on a trigger unless you intend to shoot with it. The index finger lays alongside and outside the trigger guard at all times. Period.

[hockeybc69]

My first two thoughts when I heard this...

1. finger not in the inside the trigger gaurd when handling the gun

2. check the chamber(with your finger still outside the trigger gaurd)

[Gordie]

I have seen a video with a police officer on gun safety shoot himself in the foot.

Its sad that these things happen, but it proves that a gun should always be treated as if it were loaded NO MATTER what.

[B-man715]

An Instructer!!! But he practiced good muzzel control!!!! HAHA Rule #1make sure the firearm is unloaded when handleing.

Everyone makes a accident now and then.With firearms accidents can be deadly!FOOL!

Thats like rule number 8 or 10 ..... rule number one, always keep a firearm pointed in a safe direction

At least he got that one right!

But we all should take it easy on the guy. He's human and accidents happen. Fortunately nobody was hurt.

I always, and I mean ALWAYS, unload my guns before putting them in the safe........

Except this one time...... I was doing my 6 month oil down on all of my guns. After finishing my rifles and shotguns I moved onto the pistols. Boy was I suprised to find an "unloaded" pistol ready to rock........full magazine, one in the chamber, and the safety off.

This was after I carried it up a flight of stairs and had it sitting on the table next to me for a half hour.

It literally sent chills down my spine....... not because it was loaded......but because I "knew" it was unloaded.

Complacency can be a very dangerous thing.

Hence the rule, treat every gun as if it were loaded

[huntnfish]

Except this one time...... I was doing my 6 month oil down on all of my guns. After finishing my rifles and shotguns I moved onto the pistols. Boy was I suprised to find an "unloaded" pistol ready to rock........full magazine, one in the chamber, and the safety off.

This was after I carried it up a flight of stairs and had it sitting on the table next to me for a half hour.

It literally sent chills down my spine....... not because it was loaded......but because I "knew" it was unloaded.

Complacency can be a very dangerous thing.

Hence the rule, treat every gun as if it were loaded

I had a similar thing happen to me. I let my brother take my Ruger .22 pistol out shooting. He brought it back and I put it away. A couple weeks later I was going through and cleaning guns and was going to take the pressure of the firing pin spring. Right before I pulled the trigger the voice went off in my head and I checked the chamber and there was one in there. Scared the heck out of me!

[TylerS]

Aside from the obvious, this does bring up a good point: VOLUNTEER FOR FIREARM SAFETY!!!

Many of the volunteers out there have been doing it for decades and, guess what, they're getting old. There's a pretty severe shortage in North Dakota, and I'm sure other states are experiencing the same thing. I started volunteering my freshman year of college. It's not hard, and doesn't take a lot of time. Plus, you get a lot of satisfaction knowing you're sending young adults out hunting with (probably) better knowledge than the old timers they hang out with.

You'd be amazed how many stories I hear from past students who, at 13 years old, reminded their grandpa how to properly stow a shotgun in a car, or how to cross a fence.