One man accidentally shot himself and another shot a teenager while cleaning their guns today. Typically, such accidents can be prevented with load indicators, magazine safety disconnects, manual safeties or cleaning protocols that do not require a trigger pull.  Remarkably many guns, including Glocks, require that the trigger be pulled for disassembly and cleaning, leading to many reported accidents.  However, the specific circumstances of the accidents reported today are unclear.

In Marion, Iowa, an adult was cleaning a gun when it discharged and struck a teenager. The victim suffered serious injuries and was taken to a local hospital in critical condition.

In San Antonio, Texas, Joshua Rocha was cleaning a gun when it discharged and struck him in the chest.  His mother said she had picked him up at a bar and he seemed “slightly intoxicated, so she distanced herself from him inside the apartment.”  Rocha was taken to the hospital in stable condition.

Sources:

“An Accidental Shooting in Marion Leaves One Teenager in Critical Condition” KWWL.com (March 21, 2021).

“Man Accidentally Shoots Self in Chest While Cleaning his Gun, Police Say,” Fox 29 (March 22, 2021).