Negligent Discharge Files: Store Clerk Shoots Co-Worker With Customer’s Gun

Having worn a badge and uniform in a previous life, I can only imagine the incredulity of the police officers who responded to a 911 call stating that a gun had been fired inside the Fin, Feather and Fur Outfitters store near Boardman, Ohio. Ohio folks know that FFF is a chain of stores having originated in Ashland, Ohio.

The Fox 8 news story was shared with us by friends in the Buckeye State . . .

When officers arrived, an employee “calmly” told them that a gun had been fired in the store, but the individual who brought the gun had left, and other employees were cleaning up. She said one employee got hit in the arm and was taken to the hospital.

Earlier that afternoon, an older man brought a handgun case into the store that contained his firearm, which he was looking to get a holster for.

An employee asked the man if he had the weapon checked at the service desk, and reported that the man then became argumentative, stating he was allowed to carry and that “he isn’t stupid and would never bring a loaded firearm into the store,” the police report states.

Officers noted in their reports that there are two signs at the entrance of the store stating that all weapons brought inside Fin Feather Fur must be in a case, empty, and rendered safe.

Whether or not the gentleman in question had cleared his gun before entering the store, we would assume that one of the employees could deal with the situation and be sure the gun in question was unloaded. You might think that, but . . .

The employee took the customer’s firearm from its case, cycled the slide back twice, pointed the gun down and to the left, when “the firearm then discharged a round,” the report states.

The shot shattered the glass in a nearby display case, and another employee working nearby said something hit him in the arm.

Hence the title of this sad little tale, “Store clerk shoots co-worker with customer’s gun.” While there’s more than enough shame and embarrassment to go around, there are certainly lessons to be learned in an effort to mitigate such incidents in the future. 

First of all, the injured employee was reported to be in good condition. That’s the silver lining. We can also admit that the “older man” who brought the loaded gun into the store and got butthurt when asked about its condition was wrong and, dare we say it, stupid.

HOWEVER, even a loaded handgun won’t go off on its own (most of the time).

Stop Pressing the Trigger!

It seems ridiculous to have to say this, but clearing a semi-automatic handgun isn’t that difficult and requires only two steps: Step 1) remove the ammunition source, AKA, the magazine. Step 2) lock the action/slide in the open position. That’s it. The gun is now clear. If you desire to tickle the chamber with your little finger, you can do that if you like. 

PRO TIP: at no point is pressing the trigger a part of the gun-clearing procedure.

Universal Firearms Safety Rule #3: Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot. Your finger should remain completely outside the trigger guard and rest flat along the frame of the gun until you have a clear target and have made a conscious decision to fire. 

When you are clearing a gun or verifying that the chamber is empty, do you want the gun to fire? No, you don’t. Then why are you touching and pressing the trigger?

The scant details we have in the news story stated that the clerk admitted to cycling the slide twice and “the firearm then discharged a round.” There is only a 99.978% chance that said clerk pressed the trigger. First of all, why “cycle the slide twice”?  Even if the clerk didn’t remove the magazine first, if he would have just locked the slide open, the likelihood of a negligent discharge would have been virtually zero. 

Who is Teaching People to Negligently Pull Triggers?

Reflexively pressing the trigger as a part of the clearing process is stupid and a great way to practice for your upcoming negligent discharge. Despite that fact, there are still institutions and organizations that require/force their charges to reflexively and thoughtlessly press the trigger or “snap it out” as a part of the gun-clearing procedure. 

While it is our fervent hope that the current War Department is fixing this situation, we know for a fact that during the Cold War, Post-Cold War and even the GWoT, negligent trigger pressing was mandated by the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. 

The other major offender regarding negligent trigger pressing are some of the gun competition organizations with their psychotic “unload / show clear” kabuki, gun-fiddling nonsense with the ever-present buffoonery of catching live rounds and then reflexively/negligently “snap it out” as a mindless action. And there are Youtube shooting celebrities who demonstrate clearing guns by “snapping it out.” People see this and then they mimic it. 

Sooner or later, there will be a round in the chamber and they will thoughtlessly press the trigger because thoughtlessly doing so is what they have practiced. 

One more time…pressing the trigger should NEVER, EVER be a part of the gun-clearing process. 

Lastly, I know for certain that there are readers who are thinking, “That’s what I was taught,” or “It’s not a big deal, the gun is empty, so who cares if you snap the trigger?”

Reflexively snapping the trigger during the gun clearing procedure just sent one gun store employee to the hospital in Ohio. It didn’t have to happen and until we stop endorsing this kind of reckless stupidity as part of gun clearing, such incidents will continue to happen.  

 

 

Paul G. Markel is a combat decorated United States Marine veteran. He is also the founder of Student the Gun University and has been teaching Small Arms & Tactics to military personnel, police officers, and citizens for over three decades.