A bizarre incident out of Nebraska is drawing attention after police say a dog accidentally discharged a shotgun inside a truck parked at a convenience store, injuring a woman stopped nearby in traffic.
Fortunately, nobody was killed. And while that almost goes without saying in a situation involving an accidental shotgun blast in public, this really could have ended far worse for everyone involved.
According to KNOP News 2, the Scottsbluff Police Department responded to the Short Stop convenience store on Avenue I Saturday afternoon after receiving reports that someone had been shot.
Investigators said the owner of a truck with an attached camper had stopped at the store while a passenger stepped outside near the front passenger-side door. Police say a dog moving around in the back seat then triggered a shotgun that reportedly had a live shell chambered, causing the firearm to discharge through the passenger-side door panel.
At the time of the blast, a woman was reportedly sitting at a nearby traffic light with her arm resting out the window when one pellet struck her in the upper right arm. Authorities said the injury was not believed to be life-threatening, and she was transported to Regional West Medical Center by a family member.
A Strange Story With A Serious Reminder
As strange as this story sounds, it also serves as a reminder of something firearm instructors have repeated for generations: the gun people believe is unloaded is often the most dangerous one in the room.
I still remember a firearms instructor years ago saying something along the lines of, “unloaded guns kill people,” meaning complacency around a firearm believed to be safe is often what leads to negligent discharges and tragic accidents.
That does not appear to be what investigators are saying happened here specifically, but the broader point still applies. If you are traveling with a firearm, make sure it is unloaded, properly secured, and stored in an appropriate case. Chamber flags are inexpensive, easy to use, and provide an additional visual layer of safety. There is really no good reason for a loaded shotgun to be loose inside the cab of a vehicle where it can shift around or be accessed unintentionally.
The same goes for pets. Animals moving freely around a vehicle can create all kinds of distractions and hazards, even before firearms enter the equation. Proper restraints for pets help protect both the animal and everyone else in the vehicle.
As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This appears to have been an extremely avoidable incident.
Under Nebraska Revised Statute 37-522, it is generally unlawful to have a shotgun with shells in the chamber, receiver, or magazine inside or on a vehicle traveling on a highway, except where otherwise permitted by law. Violations are classified as a Class III misdemeanor.
It is not currently clear whether that law applies to this specific incident or whether any charges are expected. Authorities have only said the investigation remains ongoing.
Fortunately Nobody Was Seriously Hurt
Fortunately, this incident appears to have ended with relatively minor injuries instead of a fatal outcome.
Given the circumstances, and the fact a shotgun discharged in a public area near traffic and bystanders, things could have gone much worse.