“Our priority is safety.” Accidental gun discharge at Vigo County Public Library

[SecularMotion]

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) – It’s where you go to get away from the noise, but a scary moment broke the silence when a gunshot rang out at the Vigo County Public Library.

On Tuesday police were called to the scene of an accidental discharge. It happened during a small meeting being held in the lower level of the library.

“We did have an incident where proper precautions weren’t taken,” said Kristi Howe, Director of the Vigo County Public Library.

The library offers meeting rooms, which provide an extra sense of comfort and security for community organizations or groups. On Tuesday afternoon “gun hobbyists” reserved a room, and it was during their discussion when a person in attendance had a gun accidentally discharge.

http://wthitv.com/2016/01/11/our-priority-is-safety-accidental-gun-discharge-at-vigo-county-public-library/

[guillaumeb]

1. One wonders if the library has a policy banning weapons?

Perhaps the "gun hobbyists" were expecting an imminent terrorist attack. I like that term, "gun hobbyists". It sounds so much nicer than frightened, insecure citizens who feel the need to carry their "personal protection" around everywhere. Thereby endangering people around them.

[ileus]

2. I bet it was an ND.

[Duckhunter935]

4. agreed

Guns just do not fire by themselves

[cheyanne]

3. What does "accidently discharged" mean?

In some reports of gun shots, there is no explanation of why a gun went off. Someone is reported to have "had" a gun or "was hunting", but nothing else.

How easy is it for a gun to fire without human intervention?

[sarisataka]

5. How easy is it for a gun to fire without human intervention?

Damn near impossible...

[cheyanne]

6. So it would be more accurate to say that so-and-so fired a gun?

A retired East St. Louis police captain died unexpectedly Wednesday afternoon after a small handgun he was carrying inside of a small satchel discharged, striking him in the head. (should read: when he fired a small handgun he was carrying inside of a small stachel)

Bayron E. Cuellar of Kansas City was handling a gun while riding in a vehicle when the gun fired. (should read . . .fired a gun while riding in a vehicle . . .)

When officers arrived, they learned a man getting ready to depart the store was carrying a gun in his waistband. Police say the gun began to fall to the floor and the man tried to grab it, causing it to discharge. (should read: man fired a gun as it fell from his waistband.)

And the times that it's reported that while cleaning, a gun accidently discharged, should read "while cleaning , he fired the gun".

[sarisataka]

7. That would not be unfair

The people in the stories may not have intended to fire the gun, but they did.

Placing the blame on the gun is like a kid saying "We were playing baseball when the ball broke the window" The ball did not propel itself

[DonP]

8. Unless they are talking about a Generation 1 Colt Single Action Army or other antique?

I can't think of any contemporary gun that doesn't have a hammer block safety designed into it to prevent an "accidental" discharge.

Even then you'd still have to drop it so it landed on the hammer spur over a loaded chamber.

[cheyanne]

9. What about firing when cleaning a gun?

How is that possible?

[DonP]

11. Possible with Glocks

I don't own one, but I believe you have to pull the trigger to release the hammer for field stripping and removing the slide to clean them, kind of like you do with a Kahr.

If you don't drop the magazine and clear the chamber several times as a routine safety precaution and pull the trigger you can fire a round through negligence, not "accident".

That also violates safety rule #2; "Never point the muzzle at anything you don't wish to destroy".

"Cleaning the Gun" is also a frequently used euphemism used to cover suicides as well. Especially among police.

[cheyanne]

10. Can you knock the hammer spur off the safety block just be grabbing the gun or knocking the gun

against something like a counter or a even a human leg?

[DonP]

12. Hammer block safety don't have a firing pin to hit

On the old Colts and S&W the firing pin was mounted directly on the hammer. Drop the gun and it lands on the hammer spur and "Bang".

There are variations, but in a Smith & Wesson revolver there is a steel transfer bar that the hammer has to hit that transfers the impact of the hammer to the internal firing pin. The internal firing pin is offset to prevent any accidental discharge if dropped.

The transfer bar is only in place when the trigger is fully pulled.

If there is no finger on the trigger than there is no way the gun can "accidentally" fire.