Shows it can happen anywhere (Gun range employee kills customer)

[USMC88-93]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gun-range-employee-accidentally-kills-customer-houston-police/
(https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gun-range-employee-accidentally-kills-customer-houston-police/)
"The sheriff's office told KHOU TV that a male employee was cleaning a rifle when it accidentally discharged. The bullet passed through a wall and window, striking a man in another part of the range."


Never presume you are safer shooting at an organized range......Why in the hell would an employee of the facility be cleaning a LOADED rifle. Was it his and he was function checking and fucked up or was it a customers in which case why was there ammunition anywhere near it?

I do not remember this range when I lived down there it must be after my time as I lived within miles of that area.

[OtterbatHellcat]

That is horrible to hear, damn.

[Will1776]

Jeez that is terrible

[fairrpe86]

Drove past the range when I was there last weekend. Will have to ask my dad if that si where he goes to shoot. If I recall the range is in the Northwestern portion of Houston.

[vectorsc]

I think safer is usually the word only used for "at the range alone".

I was at an organized but unmanned range here in CO when bullets started raining down around me on the way to the shitter. Took cover behind the brick shitouse and waited to see if someone was shooting-shooting at me or what. Turns out someone had set a steel plate behind the range target hangers on the range behind me and the bullets being shot by this guy were leaving the range because of the plate angle. He didn't see them back there behind the target stand.

At another range a massive tree fell and smashed everything - it turns out it was outside the window of one of the shoot houses where the pop-up target came up. Eventually the 100,000 bullets that sucker soaked up felled the thing right before a match, and we would have been killed had we been shooting the match. this tree was massive - 16" diameter mid-height limbs and such.


https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gun-range-employee-accidentally-kills-customer-houston-police/
(https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gun-range-employee-accidentally-kills-customer-houston-police/)
"The sheriff's office told KHOU TV that a male employee was cleaning a rifle when it accidentally discharged. The bullet passed through a wall and window, striking a man in another part of the range."


Never presume you are safer shooting at an organized range......Why in the hell would an employee of the facility be cleaning a LOADED rifle. Was it his and he was function checking and fucked up or was it a customers in which case why was there ammunition anywhere near it?

I do not remember this range when I lived down there it must be after my time as I lived within miles of that area.

[theGinsue]

Whatever happened to the rule of always assuming a firearm is loaded? Careless mistake that caused a loss of life which could have been avoided.

We hear he was "cleaning" the gun, but even if the employee was working on a firearm with a stuck round he should have had the muzzle someplace safe in case the round discharged.

Tragic and sad.

[colorider]

Just because somebody works at a gun range doesn't mean they are safe with guns. Or smart. I know of a local range that had an employee ND in his office. He sure thought he knew everything about guns, being safe with them, had all kinds of experience. Yea, well he shot a hole in the wall and could have killed the employee in the next office.

[Ronin13]

This is like all those instances where military (I'm guessing usually Privates) are cleaning their weapon and "forgot" to ensure the weapon is unloaded... So sad. These incidents are very sad, but also completely avoidable if one simply follows the safe gun handling rules.

[CS1983]

This is like all those instances where military (I'm guessing usually Privates) are cleaning their weapon and "forgot" to ensure the weapon is unloaded... So sad. These incidents are very sad, but also completely avoidable if one simply follows the safe gun handling rules.

I've been present for two ND's: 1 SSG (3ID) and 1 MAJ (MiTT team I was tasked to for a few weeks). Both dropped mag, flipped to fire, and pulled the trigger into the clearing barrel without ejecting round. Both happened so fast we didn't have time to yell stop. Never seen a private ND (I know it happens). In 3ID we had big boy rules. 4ID, everyone had to clear with a buddy. Sir Major, not being 4ID, felt he did not have to do that. He even counseled one of my joes he did not have to listen to me, his Sgt, on following proper Squadron procedures since we weren't tasked to the Squadron at the time (!?).

SSG skated because he was a small arms master gunner and was able to fib that the round was stuck. MP's berated that he should have warned them. Major... well, RHIP.

[izzy]

I've been present for two ND's: 1 SSG (3ID) and 1 MAJ (MiTT team I was tasked to for a few weeks). Both dropped mag, flipped to fire, and pulled the trigger into the clearing barrel without ejecting round. Both happened so fast we didn't have time to yell stop. Never seen a private ND (I know it happens). In 3ID we had big boy rules. 4ID, everyone had to clear with a buddy. Sir Major, not being 4ID, felt he did not have to do that. He even counseled one of my joes he did not have to listen to me, his Sgt, on following proper Squadron procedures since we weren't tasked to the Squadron at the time (!?).

SSG skated because he was a small arms master gunner and was able to fib that the round was stuck. MP's berated that he should have warned them. Major... well, RHIP.

That made almost zero sense to me.

[CS1983]

Ronin was army, so he should understand. :)

translation:

two people didn't follow processes designed to keep them from doing what they did (ND).

[Ronin13]

Ronin was army, so he should understand. :)

translation:

two people didn't follow processes designed to keep them from doing what they did (ND).
I do, very well! We had an ND at JRTC at Ft. Polk. It was a PFC, and being in a Support BN I was shocked it was the only one in our BN during my time there. That doesn't count the Czech soldiers on our FOB that cleared a 12.7mm heavy MG mounted to one of their vehicles that suffered an ND that had the round go into our SOG shack. The NCOIC was luckily not in there at the time. [Help]

[CS1983]

I think at that point, we would have started referring to an ND as a Function Czech.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXlvy3sTTBk

[hollohas]

I don't understand the "cleaning" excuse. When I think cleaning, my first thought goes to running a patch through the barrel. Can't do that with a round in it.

So when they use the "cleaning" excuse, what do they mean, like wiping it down with a cloth or something?

The "cleaning" excuse means either they were getting ready to clean it or they were playing with it.

[izzy]

Yeah, "I set off my gun while cleaning it" is like telling your wife that "I tripped and accidentally ended up kissing that other woman by mistake".

[Squeeze]

That made almost zero sense to me.

LOL, if you weren't in the military, then it is likely you wouldn't understand Cav's post.

[OtterbatHellcat]

The "cleaning" excuse means either they were getting ready to clean it or they were playing with it.

I agree completely.

[KevDen2005]

This is another reason why I like to shoot on private land (with permission) away from people

[Jer]

This is another reason why I like to shoot on private land (with permission) away from people
Exactly this. I go shoot "out in the sticks" with people I know/trust. Sad will be the day when I no longer know someone who has some land.

[vectorsc]

Eh - there could be story beyond what we know. This could have been an employee taking an x-mark triggered Remington 700 over to the clearing bucket right after a customer brought it in.

You have to handle and clear it some time, and while I agree that this is probably raw stupid, it could be diluted stupid. For example cabelas has a clearing counter with a bullet trap. But you have to pretty much point that gun at the customer service area to USE the clearing trap, which is mounted on the wall in a way you can't possibly insert a muzzle without directing the cuddly end of the gun towards the back office.

This is a common failure in businesses with "safe" gun practices...they have a clearing bucket but its mounted in a place where an ND while getting the gun there results in shit like this.

[Fmedges]

This is why I prefer shooting by myself far away from people. Next time you are at a range just watch people and you'll be amazed at what you see.

[Fmedges]

Eh - there could be story beyond what we know. This could have been an employee taking an x-mark triggered Remington 700 over to the clearing bucket right after a customer brought it in.

You have to handle and clear it some time, and while I agree that this is probably raw stupid, it could be diluted stupid. For example cabelas has a clearing counter with a bullet trap. But you have to pretty much point that gun at the customer service area to USE the clearing trap, which is mounted on the wall in a way you can't possibly insert a muzzle without directing the cuddly end of the gun towards the back office.

This is a common failure in businesses with "safe" gun practices...they have a clearing bucket but its mounted in a place where an ND while getting the gun there results in shit like this.

I clear a weapon as soon as I touch it. Every time. I don't care if I set it down ten seconds ago.

[vectorsc]

I agree - but if a customer brings in a gun in a gun case, and your company policy is to clear a weapon into a bullet trap every time, you would

a) set the gun case on the counter next to the trap.
b) remove the weapon from the case and place the muzzle in the trap.
c) manipulate the action to clear the weapon.

The Remington X-mark trigger for example was known for very high failure rates resulting in non-trigger-actuated discharges of the weapon. So it is VERY possible that the firearm discharged while the employee was moving to clear the weapon in the company approved fashion. I don't think that's what happened here, BUT it is possible.

[KevDen2005]

I think at that point, we would have started referring to an ND as a Function Czech.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXlvy3sTTBk

Annnnnd If you doooo....

One of the greatest films and best scenes

[Ronin13]

I don't understand the "cleaning" excuse. When I think cleaning, my first thought goes to running a patch through the barrel. Can't do that with a round in it.

So when they use the "cleaning" excuse, what do they mean, like wiping it down with a cloth or something?

The "cleaning" excuse means either they were getting ready to clean it or they were playing with it.
This x1,000!

I clear a weapon as soon as I touch it. Every time. I don't care if I set it down ten seconds ago.
I do the same thing. I always get weird looks at gun stores when I do it right after they do (I don't trust people, I guess). And with pistols, I hand it back to them with the slide locked to the rear.