Posted on 11/16/2025 10:20:07 AM PST by fidelis
Police say the 53-year-old man was cleaning his shotgun when his dog accidentally set it off, shooting him in the lower back.
SHILLINGTON, Pa. — A 53-year-old man shot in the lower back by one of his dogs is expected to survive, police say.
The shooting happened Tuesday, Nov. 11 around 11 p.m. in Shillington, Pennsylvania.
Shillington Police Department Captain Michael Schoone said the man was cleaning his shotgun when one of his dogs jumped on the bed and the gun went off.
"He's not sure what stage of cleaning he was in at the time, so it's unsure if the dog's paw may have gotten caught inside the trigger and the safety was off, or if there was some sort of manufacturer malfunction. That's unknown at this time," Schoone told WFMZ.
Police told ABC News the man was found on the ground but conscious when first responders got to the home. Police said the man, his son and two dogs were the only ones at the home but the son wasn't in the same room when the shooting happened.
The man was taken to the hospital were he went into surgery for his injuries. His condition is unknown at this time, but police told WFMX he is expected to survive.
"Obviously, you should be treating every weapon as if it's loaded. You know, all the cardinal rules: keeping it in a safe direction, finger off the trigger," Schoone told WFMZ. "It's the perfect storm. It was just the right place at the right time, or the wrong time."
Police are still investigating the shooting, but it has been documented as an accidental shooting in nonprofit Gun Violence Archive's record. It is one of the nearly 1,160 unintentional shootings recorded by the group this year.
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When he shoots you in the back and walks up to you and sits back and smiles, he isn’t checking to see if you’re ok.
Cleaning a loaded shotgun?
How many times do people have to be told to COMPLETELY UNLOAD BEFORE CLEANING. And keep Fido OUT of the room….
In his defense, it wasn’t loaded anymore after it went off.
The idiot should have made sure the gun wasn’t loaded before attempting to clean it.
WHY CLEANING THE GUN WITH AMMO INSIDE????
I wonder if Dick Cheney trained the dog.
A Cat would try to make it all happen again.
They are clever with their front paws.
Bang!
I’ve learned my lesson. I can own firearms, or I can continue he to dress Rhett in humiliating costumes at every holiday and sending pictures to everyone I know. But I can’t do both
Cleaning a gun on the bed? Actually, sheets scented with Hoppe's No. 9 might not be so bad, at that.
Poorly executed suicide attempt with second thoughts afterward.
A “man bites dog” news story. 😂
I always load my guns before cleaning them.
Actually I remove any ammo from he room before I begin.
Yet some people expect you to believe that birdshot — which this undoubtedly was — is an effective hd/sd load.
Willing to bet he did not get his daily Milkbone treat.
Who cleans a loaded shotgun?
DOG: “You’re taking me to the vet tomorrow? I don’t think so.”
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