Woman Shot by Man Checking in Gun at Bass Pro Shop [View All]

A man checking in weapons at the Bass Pro Shops store in Rancho Cucamonga accidentally shot a woman shopping nearby.

San Bernardino County sheriff's spokeswoman Tracy Dorsey says the 52-year-old Chino Hills man, whose name wasn't released, brought six guns to test fire Sunday afternoon when the .45-caliber weapon fired.

The bullet traveled 40 yards and struck a female shopper in the left buttock.

Dorsey says the round gave her a minor wound, but didn't penetrate the skin. She was taken to a hospital for treatment and her name wasn't released.

Bass Pro Shop spokesman Larry Whiteley says customers check weapons in at the front desk before going upstairs to the firing range. On Sunday, the weapon fired before the employee examined it.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/05/18/state/n075252D94.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0oIXlwrlT

The incident happened at 3:45 p.m. at the Bass Pro Shop when a customer brought two of his own guns to the shop to use at the indoor firing range.

As he was checking in the weapons at the front door to verify that they were unloaded and to be trigger-locked, a bullet discharged within the carrying case and struck a customer standing in an aisle about 70 feet away, according to a spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

Trigger locks are put on all outside guns until a range master unlocks the trigger at the indoor range, the sheriff's spokeswoman said.

"I was actually by the fish tank when I heard the shot," Jose Coria, a customer, said.

The victim was hit in the buttocks and was treated at the scene by paramedics and then transported to a hospital. She was not seriously hurt, CBS 2/KCAL 9's Mark Sayre reported.

http://cbs2.com/local/Woman.Accidentally.Shot.2.1697782.html

IMHO the Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's and Gander Mountains plus any others that deal in guns & have customers bringing them in for repair, trade or to shoot at the range should have a place with ballistic shielding where knowledgeable employees can assist a customer with a gun check. Always struck me when taking a gun in for service or trade that it is totally unsafe to be doing this at the front desk or customer service counter.