Another handgun accident

dragonsden73 · Mar 30, 2010

A Salem man was seriously injured after a handgun he was unloading fired a single round into his left hand this afternoon, police said.

Michael Lowe, 35, was at a friends house in the 2900 block of Vick Avenue NW unloading the .45-caliber handgun, Salem Police Lt. Mark Keagle said.
The gun belonged to a friend, Keagle said. They were looking at it and trying to unload it.
Lowe held the gun pointed at his left hand and had his finger on the trigger when it fired one shot, the lieutenant said.
It fired into the meaty part of his left hand and wrist, Keagle said.
A friend called 911 at 3:40 p.m. and Lowe was taken to Salem Hospital by ambulance. His condition was not immediately available, but police said the injury was not life threatening.
Salem police remind people to use extreme caution when handling firearms.
Treat all firearms as if they are loaded and never cover the muzzle with any portion of your body, Keagle said. Never point it at you, any portion of your body or anyone else.

Trlsmn · Mar 30, 2010

Hmm which Salem members haven't signed on today? :s0131:

clearconscience · Mar 30, 2010

What an idiot. Hopefully he can't use that hand anymore and is unable to handle a firearm again. We'll all be safer.

What's up with Salem and it's population shooting themselves.

I guess if I lived in Salem I would probably end up doing the same thing.

dobeman · Mar 30, 2010

"Lowe held the gun pointed at his left hand and had his finger on the trigger when it fired one shot, the lieutenant said."

well duh!

Benny503 · Mar 30, 2010

That name sound very farmiliar.... The other question for the gun owner, is he suppose to hand a unloaded gun to someone? When handing a gun to someone please make sure it's unloaded and keep the slide back and lock it that position so the person recieving the gun able to look inside the the magazine barrel to double check.... this is the kind of accident caused by stupid people. SOrry I am just so pissing right now after reading this.

jdub75 · Mar 30, 2010

clearconscience said:
What an idiot. Hopefully he can't use that hand anymore and is unable to handle a firearm again. We'll all be safer.

What's up with Salem and it's population shooting themselves.

I guess if I lived in Salem I would probably end up doing the same thing.

Pot calling the kettle black, eh?

DootyBeet · Mar 30, 2010

Trlsmn said:
Hmm which Salem members haven't signed on today?

Not me, I'm still here :s0155:

NK777 · Mar 31, 2010

Wow an honest to God gun with it's own mind huh? "It fired a shot"???? Really all by itself? I guess it's true some guns are just plain evil psycho killers out to get us. :s0112:

I bet the gun was black in color, semi-automatic with a high capacity magazine, and looked mean too.

You just can't trust those crazy killer guns. If you own one you'll go crazy and it will tell you to kill everyone... :s0131:

Oh no it's to late for me. Dragonsden recently sold me one fitting that description. Crud it's a 45 too!!! Dragonsden please tell me you didn't sell it to me because it was chanting at you day and night "KILL, KILL, KILL"?

greydog111 · Mar 31, 2010

Too bad he did'nt shoot his knutts off and remove the possibility of reproducing another seriously impared gun handler for society to worry about.

Member 5605 · Mar 31, 2010

Time to get back to basics.

I see 5 things that could have kept that from happening.

safooma · Mar 31, 2010

Dyjital said:
Time to get back to basics.

I see 5 things that could have kept that from happening.

+1. My 10 year old son, when I read this to him, nailed it straight away--he said 'rule #1 muzzle control'. Why was it pointed at his hand? He listed a few other no-nos as well: treat it like its loaded, keep your finger off the trigger until u are ready to fire, check the action--LOL.

Of course he graduated with 98% from his hunters safety course just last year, but still, come on people.

dragonsden73 · Mar 31, 2010

NK777 said:
Wow an honest to God gun with it's own mind huh? "It fired a shot"???? Really all by itself? I guess it's true some guns are just plain evil psycho killers out to get us.

I bet the gun was black in color, semi-automatic with a high capacity magazine, and looked mean too.

You just can't trust those crazy killer guns. If you own one you'll go crazy and it will tell you to kill everyone...

Oh no it's to late for me. Dragonsden recently sold me one fitting that description. Crud it's a 45 too!!! Dragonsden please tell me you didn't sell it to me because it was chanting at you day and night "KILL, KILL, KILL"?

You really think I would admit to it?????

On a more serious note....my first thought when I saw this was....

"Some people's children...."

safooma · Mar 31, 2010

dragonsden73 said:
"Some people's children...."

You buy them book and buy them books and all they do is eat the covers....

Phillyfan · Mar 31, 2010

clearconscience said:
What an idiot. Hopefully he can't use that hand anymore and is unable to handle a firearm again. We'll all be safer.

What's up with Salem and it's population shooting themselves.

I guess if I lived in Salem I would probably end up doing the same thing.

This is pretty damned callous, if you ask me! Many experienced gun owners, including myself, have had accidental discharges. Luckily in my case nobody was hurt, but I can tell you that I sure as **** learned my lesson. This poor guy will be hampered by this for the rest of his life most likely. I get a little sick of some members' holier than thou attitudes. Accidents happen to all of us. Have some compassion for xxxxxx sake!

torpedoman · Mar 31, 2010

ACCIDENT= a made up word to eliminate the use of the word stupidity.

Phillyfan · Mar 31, 2010

I shouldn't have jumped on Clearconscience like that, what I was saying could have been directed at several of the posters on here. Sorry, Conscience.

clearconscience · Mar 31, 2010

Everybody has accidents. And maybe my comments were a little on the harsh side. But I'm pretty sick of these people giving us a bad name.

It was an accident, it does happen to all of us, and if I shot myself I would probably give up on guns......Actually my wife would make me, but that's not the point.

I think it's comes down to everyone not only making sure they don't become complacent, but also making sure their buddies don't as well.

I went shooting with a friend of mine (friends for 10 years) and he kept coming back up range with his 12ga pointed at me. The first time I corrected him, the second I told him if that barrel came in my direction again I was going to shoot him. He got the hint. I still never went shooting with him again.

Phillyfan · Mar 31, 2010

clearconscience said:
Everybody has accidents. And maybe my comments were a little on the harsh side. But I'm pretty sick of these people giving us a bad name.

It was an accident, it does happen to all of us, and if I shot myself I would probably give up on guns......Actually my wife would make me, but that's not the point.

I think it's comes down to everyone not only making sure they don't become complacent, but also making sure their buddies don't as well.

I went shooting with a friend of mine (friends for 10 years) and he kept coming back up range with his 12ga pointed at me. The first time I corrected him, the second I told him if that barrel came in my direction again I was going to shoot him. He got the hint. I still never went shooting with him again.

Agreed. My comments were harsher than they should have been and, again, I do apologize.