DEA agent shoots self during gun safety class for Orlando kids

The Miami Herald ^ | Fri, Apr. 30, 2004 | Associated Press

[archy]

DEA agent shoots self during gun safety class for Orlando kids

Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. - A federal drug agent shot himself in the leg during a gun safety presentation to children and his bosses are investigating.

The Drug Enforcement Administration agent, whose name was not released, was giving a gun safety presentation to about 50 adults and students organized by the Orlando Minority Youth Golf Association, witnesses and police said.

He drew his .40-caliber duty weapon and removed the magazine, according to the police report. Then he pulled back the slide and asked someone in the audience to look inside the gun and confirm it wasn't loaded, the report said.

Witnesses said the gun was pointed at the floor and when he released the slide, one shot fired into the top of his left thigh.

"The kids screamed and started to cry," said Vivian Farmer, who attended the presentation with her 13-year-old nephew.

"Everyone was pretty shaken up," Farmer said. "But the point of gun safety hit home. Unfortunately, the agent had to get shot. But after seeing that, my nephew doesn't want to have anything to do with guns."

The agent was treated at Orlando Regional Medical Center after the April 9 shooting and returned to work, DEA special agent Joe Kilmer said.

Police ruled the shooting was an accident, but the DEA headquarters in Washington was still investigating, Kilmer said.

[arm958]

Let me guess that Eddie Eagle has not shot himself in class yet.

Eddie is smart enough to use "snap caps" (dummy rounds) when showing kids the danger of loaded guns.

[mtbopfuyn]

Nothing like hands on demos.

[Sender]

And another Leftist is born.

Sounds like a whole roomful of 'em. Jeez, next time just toss a flash bang in there if you just wanna terrify kids for the rest of their lives, save your legs, guys ;-)

[looscnnn]

Read further, he supposedly racked the slide after removing the clip. Meaning that it should have been unloaded.

[Ditto]

My question is why did he have a round chambered in the first place.

[pabianice]

Rule 1: always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

Rule 2: see Rule 1.

[TC Rider]

Maybe the moron didn't pull the slide back far enough and with suffcient force to eject the round. He was more interested in 'show & tell" then a clear weapon.

Maybe he reinserted the magazine after clearing the chamber, but before releasing the slide.

If Lou Horuchi and Rick Brana still have jobs, this guy has nothing to worry about.

[arm958]

My question is why did he have a round chambered in the first place.

That, and why was his finger on the trigger? I don't even like to go to ranges any more - I've seen too many unsafe acts. I prefer to practice in the boonies these days.

[Liberal Classic]

I would not wish an accidental discharge on anyone, but there is a certian amount of irony in this article.

``But after seeing that, my nephew doesn't want to have anything to do with guns.''

Wasn't the point that kids wouldn't want to have anything to do with drugs?

[FRMAG]

Broken extractor?

[NYFriend]

Cause it won't work otherwise?

[cinFLA]

Let's see what Dave Barry eventually has to say about this one....

"Police ruled the shooting was an accident, but the DEA headquarters in Washington was still investigating, Kilmer said."

At the conclusion of the investigation, it was stated that it was not an accident. The gun shot him on purpose.

[bondjamesbond]

"The kids screamed and started to cry," said Vivian Farmer, who attended the presentation with her 13-year-old nephew.

There must be some problem with the way we are raising our kids. I mean, what red-blood American kid would not be laughing his a$$ upon seeing this?

[ahadams2]

Good Point! as an NRA Instructor I don't allow live ammo in the same *building* in which the course is being given...sheesh - an unnoticed failure to eject a live round followed by an AD due to the guy's finger holding the trigger back while he released the slide? failure, failure, failure - give the guy his money back and he's outta here! ... oh wait, this guy is supposed to be instructing people???

[bondjamesbond]

I'm a total ignoramus about guns (only ever been shooting once, and that was with a friend's .38 revolver), so help me here...if he removed the magazine and pulled back the slide, shouldn't that have cleared the round that would've been chambered?

Yes, it should have.

But check back to Rule 1: The gun is always loaded.

Even after you verify that it is not loaded, the gun is always loaded.

[bondjamesbond]

I think the Darwin is given posthumously, but he is eligible as a runner up.

A couple of inches to the left, and this agent could have qualified under the "special" catagory.

[OXENinFLA]

Simply remvoing the magazine does not necessarly mean the weapon is completely unloaded.

Agreeed, but the story says te DEA agent also pulled back the slide.

[robertpaulsen]

"I hope he had the decency to kick in his own door first."

He shot his leg, not his dog.

[Ichneumon]

Maybe he reinserted the magazine after clearing the chamber, but before releasing the slide.

That would be my guess. If the other parts of the article are accurate (not a safe assumption, but...) then that's the only thing that makes sense. He either put the magazine back in out of habit (he's an armed officer, loading his gun before holstering it would be his normal procedure), or the article might have missed the fact that the leg-shooting occurred *after* the "how to unload a gun" show-and-tell had concluded, and the officer was in the process of putting his sidearm away (after, of course, reloading it to return it to "ready" state).

[familyofman]

One less candidate for 'teacher of the year' award. Especially in the gun safety category. Let's hope he doesn't start teaching at trucker school, learnin' all them boys & girls how to drive 19-wheelers.