Are Gun Shows Safe? Five Accidental Shootings at Gun Shows, Including in Medina
Saturday's accidental shooting at the Medina Gun Show was the first in 35 years.
On what was pitched as "Gun Appreciation Day," five people were shot and injured at three different gun shows across the country, including one in Medina.
The Huffington Post reported earlier this week that a handful of conservative groups declared Jan. 19 Gun Appreciation Day. It was also a day that many communities hosted gun shows where hunters, gun collectors and enthusiasts gather to buy and sell guns.
The Medina Gun Show has been an annual event since 1978, according to its website. Organizer Conrad & Dowell puts on gun shows at the Medina County Community Center throughout the year.
At Saturday's show, a vendor bought a handgun at the show and knew it was loaded, according to The Plain Dealer. The vendor aimed the gun away from people while trying to unload it and accidentally fired the gun at the concrete floor. The bullet ricocheted off the floor and hit the vendor's arm and leg, according to NewsNet5.
Saturday's accidental shooting was the first in 35 years, according to the Plain Dealer.
There are rules at the show to prevent accidents and the rules are prominently published on the show's website:
"For everyone’s safety, no loaded firearms are allowed in the building. All firearms brought into the building are checked to confirm they are not loaded and then “tied”. All firearms on exhibitor’s tables are restrained in some way. Guns are restrained by being in a glass case, by rope or wire tied. All State and Federal firearms laws are vigorously enforced. You must be 18 years old to purchase a long gun and 21 years old to purchase a handgun."
But somehow somebody handled a loaded weapon and somebody got hurt.
So the question is, have you ever been to a gun show? Do you think they are safe? Could they be safer? How?
Joyce Mullins
3:59 pm on Sunday, January 20, 2013
There is nothing wrong with most gun shows. Our weapons are always unloaded and cleared BEFORE we enter the property, not just the show. These were people not following proper procedure.
Rusty
4:16 pm on Sunday, January 20, 2013
Procedure or not, it happened... and again... and again.
Short of individual citizens having access to tanks, drones, stealth aircraft and nuclear weapons, no citizen's militia can protect the people from a well-armed government. Therefore, the 2nd amendment is no longer relevant.
Ron Helton
4:03 pm on Sunday, January 20, 2013
Sounds like those responsible for checking the firearms were overwhelmed with the number of people who showed up the shows.
The first rule in handling any firearm is to ALWAYS assume that it is loaded.
I have been to gun shows in the past and have never witnessed any accidents.
Jane Ivey
4:10 pm on Sunday, January 20, 2013
All it takes to kill someone is once.
Mark clements
4:46 pm on Sunday, January 20, 2013
Hay rusty do you know how many hunting license were sold in the us of a last year? We are the largest army in the world!