A Georgia mom shopping at Walmart with her young children was injured after a man’s gun accidentally fired inside the store, sending bullet and floor tile fragments into both of her ankles, police said.
The frightening incident happened June 9 at a Walmart in Valdosta, according to the Valdosta Police Department.
Police said 21-year-old John Eady was carrying a firearm in the front pocket of his basketball-style shorts when the gun “inadvertently discharged into the ground.”
Authorities said the gun was not in a holster, and Eady had his cellphone in the same pocket.
When he reached into the pocket to grab his phone, police said the firearm went off.
The bullet hit the floor, and shrapnel from the bullet and broken tile struck a 34-year-old woman in both ankles.
“Preliminary information indicates that one shopper sustained a gunshot wound to her lower leg,” police said.
The woman was treated for injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
Police said the situation could have been much worse, especially because the victim was shopping with her small children at the time.
“We are very thankful that no one received more severe injuries, as the victim was shopping with her small children,” Valdosta Police Chief Leslie Manahan said.
Manahan said the case should serve as a reminder that carrying a gun comes with serious responsibility.
“Firearms should be carried in a secure holster or in another secure manner to prevent unintentional contact with the trigger, reducing the risk of an unintended discharge,” she said.
Investigators said Eady carried the weapon in a way that was a “gross deviation” from how a reasonable person would handle a firearm in a similar situation.
Authorities obtained an arrest warrant for Eady on June 10. He later turned himself in and was charged with one misdemeanor count of reckless conduct.
Eady was being held at the Lowndes County Jail.
