Moises Zambrana is a licensed security officer who should know better. While showing a semi-automatic pistol to two prospective buyers, he ejected the magazine and thought the pistol was safe. Then, as Fox reports: “The gun went off and fired through a wall,” striking 20-year-old Hannah Grace in the head.
And then the media “went off” and misfired.
The New York Daily News called the gun a “Reuger 9mm” and said “Zambrana had removed the clip. [emphasis added]
ABC got the “magazine” part right, but called it “Reuger 9mm,” too.
They probably mean Ruger.
As a public service to fellow journalists, the following copy is to help you sound more intelligent when reporting on gun stories.
Gun parts for silly media denizens
Wikipedia has a picture of an M1 Garand en-bloc clip, and here’s a magazine. Modern semi-automatic pistols used magazines, which are first loaded with ammunition and then inserted into a well in the pistol grip. Clips like the Garand’s feed groups of ammunition into a fixed magazine. In both cases, the magazines then feed individual ammunition cartridges into the firing chamber.
Negligent discharge for silly media denizens
(For those still laboring under the illusion that Fox is some sort of conservative media outlet, understand that FOX “has banned advertisements featuring firearms and ammunition.” Considering all the T&A on their web site, I’ve always thought of Murdock as Benny Hill starring as a media mogul.)
For somebody to be shot, they must be in front of the muzzle. First safety rule broken: “ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.”
For a gun to go off on modern semi-auto pistols, the trigger must be depressed. This means that somebody had their finger in the trigger. Second rule broken: “ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.”
For the gun to go off, it must have ammunition chambered. Third rule broken: “ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.”
There are a number of other safety procedures broken here. For example: “Know how to use the gun safely.” With semi-auto pistols, that means you check for a chambered round after removing the magazine.
“Know your target and what is beyond.” These guys thought doing business in a closet was safe. But at KR Training we teach that most modern ammunition will go through many layers of sheetrock, wood, and even brick, and still maintain enough energy to be dangerous.
To keep it really simple, assume every gun is loaded until you verify otherwise.
This shooting was negligent, not “accidental.” A number of safety rules were purposefully ignore to create this tragic outcome.
Finally, let this be a warning to all gun owners. The media is imbecilic regarding firearms. Add this to their anti-rights bias, and any opportunity like this only feeds their fear-driven desire to disarm us all.
I couldn’t find a Monty Python skit for stupid, so the Silly Party will have to do.
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