Man fires gun at Sandy gun show, injuring 2 teens


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SANDY — Two juveniles suffered minor injuries Saturday when a potential buyer at a gun show in Sandy accidentally fired a weapon he was looking at.

Sandy Police Sgt. Dean Carriger said the incident at the South Towne Expo Center started when a 73-year-old man selling several guns came in contact with a 49-year-old potential buyer.

The buyer was interested in a Colt .45 handgun, Carriger said. The seller had all of his weapons zip tied and the potential buyer asked him to cut the zip tie so he could further examine the gun.

"He manipulated the slide, not realizing there was a magazine in the gun. After manipulating the slide, he did notice the magazine and hit the release and took it out, unknowing that he racked a round into the chamber. He then pointed the gun down at the floor and pulled the trigger," Carriger said.

One shot fired, striking the concrete floor.

"The round struck the floor sending some chips of concrete and shrapnel flying, as well as the main part of the bullet ricocheted up and embedded into a pillar nearby," Carriger said.

Chips from the floor hit a 17-year-old boy and a 13-year-old cousin, who were nearby, he said. An EMT at the Expo Center examined the two teens. Their parents signed a waiver declining medical treatment at a hospital, Carriger said.

The person who fired the gun will likely not be cited as the case was determined to be an accident, he said. The incident is a good reminder for all gun owners, Carriger noted.

"You've got to assume every gun is loaded," he said. "We're fortunate he pulled the trigger (while pointing the gun) at the ground."

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Pat Reavy

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