Indiana Man Shoots Self in Ankle

Setup- Sometimes, pocket carry can be dangerous- EVANSVILLE, IN – police tell us a man accidentally fired his gun inside Eastland Mall on Saturday afternoon. We were told the man was using the restroom near the food court and had a legal handgun in his jacket pocket. Police say when he took off his jacket, the gun hit the ground and accidentally caused the discharge. He was shot in his ankle and was rushed to the hospital. No one else was hurt.

Safety Violations- Accidents like this happen when people do not understand that a handgun must be secured in a holster to be safe. Basic criteria for a good holster is that it covers the trigger guard and trigger completely, that it will not fall out of the holster or the holster will not fall out of its location with the gun in it, and you can get a full grip on the gun to draw it properly. In addition, we talk about guns that are not drop safe in all my classes. It is your job to understand if your gun is drop safe.

Remedy- Use a proper holster for this kind of carry. Never leave a jacket or purse that has a gun in it unattended. If carrying in a pocket or purse situation I would want to have a drop safe handgun.

Conclusion- A handgun that is carried in a jacket or purse must be secure and be in the proper kind of holster for this kind of carry. The holster should meet the three criteria above and stay in place if you were to have to draw the handgun. Get professional training and guidance to avoid these accidents. Remember when re-holstering any handgun in a flimsy soft holster that does not keep the opening for the gun clear, you must remove the holster first and place the gun in it in a safe manner.