Fun With Guns: The People of WalMart Edition
WalMart Warning: If you hold a license to carry permit, you are allowed one free “accidental” discharge inside the store.
A woman pushing her newborn son in a shopping cart was injured in a freak shooting incident at a Walmart store in Columbus, Ind., according to local media reports.
Police say a .22-caliber pistol fell from the pants of Tony E. Ward on Saturday evening. When the gun hit the floor, it discharged. The bullet missed the baby, but hit a bottle of soda in the cart, then ricocheted and struck the woman in the upper arm — and it all happened while the local chief of police was in the store, according to WBIW.
A licensed gun owner shooting inside a WalMart can no longer be classified as a “freak” accident. It happened earlier this month in Phoenix. So, it’s pretty much a “regular” accident. Or, an accident you can count on.
They are either going to have to pay their people a decent salary or offer target practice for their customers.
Just another free, friendly service from the good people at WalMart. “Come on in and leave with free bullets in your butt.”
Thanks to Charles for the heads up.
We need to stop classifying them as accidents, as far as the police are concerned, too. If you are irresponsible with your gun and someone gets hurt – consider it assault and book them. As long as there are no consequences for these “accidents, there will continue to be accidents.
1Thank you for staying on top of this ‘stupid with weapons’ theme. Somebody needs to keep us aware of all the senseless shootings that are part and parcel of the absurd ‘everyone-should-have-and-carry-guns-because’ reading of the second amendment.
2These “accidents” are caused by willful negligence and endanger lives. Book ’em and take away those firearms!
3The second amendment does NOT trump the right to life.
It’s not like I already didn’t have my reasons for not setting foot in a walmart, but I have one more now-I don’t want to get shot.
4That’s why we can’t have nice things.
5Wow, it’s amazing how many Gun accidents are happening these days. Of course when so many more are out there than when I was growing up, I’m lucky I got to grow up! Kind of reminds me of the automobile, you know that number on the roads has doubled in my 62 years but the deaths from accidents has gone down. Maybe we should put air bags and bumpers on those carried in public!
6If you have a stupid and negligent accident with your car it’s a crime. Maybe we should apply the same rule to guns.
7I never, I repeat, NEVER shop at Walmart. I never even set foot in a Walmart until elder sister needed a bathing suit for a cruise, and asked me to accompany her to one. I quickly found her a suit, and got the eff out of there. They treat their employees badly, pay them horribly, and hold workshops for them to teach them how to get SNAP and Medicare — after getting tax breaks from the places where they put mom’n’pop stores that have been there forever out of business. STAY OUT OF WALMART. Don’t buy from them, in person or on the internet. You don’t need crap from China, and even if you do, there are better places to get it. Besides, you might get shot.
8The Walmarts in my area don’t have such a good reputation. It isn’t inside the stores that is so dangerous. Its the outside in the parking lot. Despite the security cameras and a few and random security guards too much bad stuff is happening out there, day or night and Walmart insists that it is the customer’s fault!!!! Old Sam Walton has sired a bunch of bushwah artists!
9I saw a news account of this story, and this is the part that really got me: The police officer was quoted as saying the man had a permit and the gun was in a holster, the implication being that the man had done all he could reasonably do. No harm, no foul, I guess. I’m not sure even if the bullet had gone into the baby’s head the man would have been criminally charged.
10If Walmart lets people carry guns in their store, shouldn’t they provide bulletproof protection for their other shoppers? At the door near the carts should be a rack of bulletproof vests, helmets, etc to balance the insanity.
11Another reason not to shop at Walmart
12I’m with everyone here: shop somewhere else. I do.
13I think this is where the gun conversation needs to go in this country. People with guns (like me) should have to have insurance and should be accountable for what happens with their guns. There should be no such thing as an accidental discharge. If your gun goes off in public or hurts somebody, you should be held to account (charged unless it was really, truly self-defense). We’ve tried in the past to outlaw certain weapons and that had limited success. I’m all for expanding background checks to cover all purchases, but I think we might have more success arguing for holding gun owners responsible for what they do with guns and what their guns do when they don’t secure them properly.
14Haven’t been there since early ’90. Had the unpleasant experience of being asked to come to Ark to bid on a project they were hot to implement. After being ignored andl treated like “Vendor Scum”, I told them the project would cost around half a million (not much for a marketing program). They told me I could do it for less than half that. I told them never to call me again and could show myself out.
15It absolutely is negligence. If you hit the woman with a car or run over her with a bicycle or skateboard in the parking lot you will be liable for her injuries. Store might be liable too. I hope she sues, lots of pain and suffering. Shoppers have an expectation of safety on the premises.
16Yet another very good reason not to patronize Walmart!
17