A man’s gun fell out of his pocket today while exiting a vehicle in a parking lot on Tiny Town Road in Clarksville, Tennessee.  It drop-fired and struck him in the leg. He was taken to the hospital in unknown condition.

The potential for any gun to be dropped is, of course, foreseeable.  Some guns have a well-known propensity to fire when dropped, but, there is no report here of the make or model of gun to determine whether this accident could have been caused by a defect.

On the day after this incident, the Tennessee legislature approved a bill that, if signed by the Governor as expected, will provide for permitless carry of handguns.  The law, which is likely to take effect on July 1, “allows for both open and concealed carrying of handguns for people 21 and older without a permit as well as for military members ages 18 to 20.”  A lot more people may soon be walking around Tennessee with guns in their pockets.

Source:

Chris Smith “Man Shoots Himself by Dropping Gun from his Pocket in Clarksville,” Clarksville Now (March 28, 2021).

Natalie Allison, “Tennessee Legislature Passes Permitless Handgun Carry Bill, Which Now Heads to Gov. Bill Lee,”  The Tennessean (March 29, 2021).