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[OT] Gun vendor shoots woman at gun show

On the bright side, he showed that the gun works. I hope he enjoys being the bitch while in prison.

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. (AP) ? A vendor accidentally shot a woman in the leg while demonstrating a gun and holster at a central Pennsylvania gun show, police said.

The Columbia County district attorney?s office will determine whether the vendor, Geoffrey Hawk, will face criminal charges stemming from the shooting Saturday at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds, Officer Brad Sharrow said.

Hawk, 44, of Warminster, didn?t immediately return calls Sunday to his cellphone and business, In Case of Emergency Enterprises. He was manning a booth for his business at the Eagle Arms Gun show at the time of the shooting.

Hawk told police he thought the gun was unloaded when he demonstrated a concealed-carry wallet holster to the woman, Krista Gearhart, 25, of Orangeville. Gearhart was treated and released for a thigh wound at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.

Hawk told police he had done the same demonstration about 20 times without incident before the shooting, ?racking? the gun?s slide to clear it of bullets each time, Sharrow said. Somehow, the gun was loaded when Gearhart was shot.

Police said Hawk told them he had left the gun on display when he completed background checks on some customers and believes it?s possible someone loaded the gun when he was busy.

Joel Koehler, the gun show organizer, said Hawk was asked to close his booth and leave the show, which continued Sunday. The show has an entrance sign that says ?No Loaded Weapons? and Koehler said his staff checks all guns to ensure they are unloaded before they are brought in for display.

Koehler said Saturday?s shooting was the first at any show he has held at the fairgrounds or anywhere else.

Reply to
miso
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Obviously, a design problem. What's lacking is a method of indicating that the weapon is loaded (charged). The problem and various solutions have been around for a long time. From 1890: and others:

--
Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com 
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com 
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com 
Skype: JeffLiebermann     AE6KS    831-336-2558
Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

leg while

ce

how about the simple fix, assume it is always loaded

-Lasse

Reply to
Lasse Langwadt Christensen

Like checking/clearing the chamber before handling it? Gun stores do this every time they hand a firearm to a customer - religiously (and I check it again, first thing, even though there is no magazine in it).

Reply to
krw

such a widdle scaredy cat...

Reply to
bloggs.fredbloggs.fred

I'd be surprised if he did any time, unless some useless lawyer tells him to cop a plea. The worst he's guilty of is being rather careless.

Sylvia.

Reply to
Sylvia Else

Worse, he insulted "Miso's" rigid statist view of the world.

Reply to
krw

g the

No charges will be brought:

Ignorance or mistake as to a matter of fact, for which there is reasonable explanation or excuse, is a defense if: (1) the ignorance or mistake negatives the intent, knowledge, belief, recklessness, or negligence required to establish a material element of the offense; or (2) the law provides that the state of mind established by such ignorance or mistake constitutes a defense.

Reply to
bloggs.fredbloggs.fred

...just as Sylvia said.

Reply to
krw

And, never point at a person unless you intend to hurt. #1 rule.

Greg

Reply to
gregz

Or in other words, practice gun safety.

Reply to
miso

Hey, individual responsibility. This person is too stupid to own weapons, let alone sell them.

Reply to
miso

That may be true. If it is, I dare say the authorities will be seeking to prevent him from doing so in future (to the extent permitted by the constitution).

But there never has been any useful purpose served by punishing people for being stupid.

Sylvia.

Reply to
Sylvia Else 

--
Chopping off Louis XVI's head seems to have worked out rather well 
for the French. 

John Fields
Reply to
John Fields

No criminal charges, perhaps, but he may be liable in a civil court due to negligence. Might cost him a bundle.

Reply to
John S

He was only person, not people.

Sylvia.

Reply to
Sylvia Else

It wasn't "just as Sylvia said," wimpy widdle pee-brain. Citing the applica ble words from the Pennsylvania criminal code is just slightly stronger th an the unsubstantiated ego-centric announcement "I'd be surprised if he did any time,..." But you can't tell the difference because you're a lame/pee- brain type, so dumb in fact that you never could develop a working knowledg e of electronics at any level.

Reply to
bloggs.fredbloggs.fred

e leg while

ice

When I got a hunting permit at age 16, the "trick" test was the instructor clearing the chamber and handing the gun to you. Then a little later, he wo uld absent-mindedly ask for the gun back, after he told you to close the chambe r as a part of a 'test.' If you cleared the chamber before you handed it back t o him, you passed.

Another rule is to never point a gun at someone else. (unless you have to.) I see this violated at shooting ranges all the time.

jb

Reply to
haiticare2011

A friend at University had a really ugly scar on a slightly deformed elbow. How did it happen? At a shooting range his 'friend' was lined up with small caliber pistol ready to shoot. My friend was standing next to shooter with arms akimbo and said, "Bet you can't hit the target" The shooter turned to reply with, "Yes, I can" and, you guessed it, the turning action placed the pistol pointing at his elbow and the gun went off. Shattering a lot, damaging a lot of nerves, very messy repair work.

So the rule is: NEVER POINT ANYTHING AT ANYBODY EVER!

The one other urle is to not let go of control of your weapne, EVER! as in placing your loaded shotgun leaning up against a fence, then climb over the fence, to be surprised the shotgun falls and discharges.

Reply to
RobertMacy

.) I see this violated at shooting ranges all the time. "

Good popint there, but it comes into some physical difficulties in practice . At a gun show there are a shitload of people around and it is almost inmp ossible NOT to point it at someone. In a holster, it is pointing down. That works. But then when you are buying, selling, trading, that doesn't work.

Someone made a mistake.

Fact is, shit happens. Yes it could hae been avoided. Yes it should have be en avoided. ?Is that negligence actually criminal ? It created a victim, bu t there was no intent to harm. These people do not generally shoot their cu stomers.

So really, what should happen here ? I say nothing. An accident happened, j ust because a killing machone was oinvolved changes nothing really. ?shit h appens with power saws, lawn mowers, AUTOMOBILES, paint cans, cats, screen doors. All kinds of shit. But if there's a gun within a mile, it is the gun 's fault to some people.

OK then. Don't buy one.

Reply to
jurb6006

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