Now we are learning about a sixth accidental gun show shooting within a week of Gun Appreciation day. This latest one occurred at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, IA. An Iowa gun dealer was showing off his merchandise when he apparently forgot that he'd loaded his pistol:
The 54-year-old St. Charles resident told police he was showing off a .25 caliber pistol he thought was unloaded when he slid the action of the gun causing it to fire. The bullet went through his left palm, according to a Polk County Sheriff’s report...I'm not a huge fan of guns, but even I know that you should always assume a weapon is loaded before messing around with it.
The man told police he was trying to dry fire, or fire the gun without a round in it. He said the gun was unloaded when he checked it earlier in the week and he didn’t know who would have loaded it. Police found another loaded gun on the man’s table and unloaded it, according to the report.
No charges were filed against the man. The gun was taken as evidence.