Federal Agent Responsible for Accidental Discharge at Orlando International Airport

You know, we joke about how armed citizens are more trained than those “authorized” to carry…

An accidental discharge from a firearm prompted a scare at the Orlando International Airport Tuesday morning, but what’s really scary is where it came from.

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Police said at approximately 11:20 a.m., an agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, wearing plainclothes as he was on vacation, was in the process of boarding a flight when he dropped his gun in the security checkpoint area and grabbed its trigger as it was heading for the floor.

WFTV reports:

Police said while unslinging a shoulder bag, the bag caught the agent’s holstered weapon, and as the agent tried to catch it, the trigger was pulled.

The agent was struck in the heel and treated at the scene, but was then taken to the hospital as a precaution.

No other injuries were reported.

“I was standing about 10 feet away and all of a sudden I heard the gun go off,” said Tony Ricci, who was traveling through OIA when the incident occurred. “There are hundreds of people around. We looked about 6 feet away and the bullet was right there on the carpet.”

So… that happened.

Is this a teachable moment? Well, let’s make it one.

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Make sure your holster does what it should. A good holster should cover the trigger and provide adjustable tension so your gun stays in place – even if you pull it with the shoulder strap of your garment bag. I love the Defender Pro series of holsters from Raw Dog Tactical and the SuperTuck® Deluxe from Crossbreed Holsters.

Next, repeat after me: I promise to never grab at a firearm all willy-nilly. I’m not kidding, say it out loud. Confused as to why? Take a Pistol Skills 101 Course or simply go back and read this article. If you don’t want to accidentally grab the trigger and shoot yourself, or worse, an innocent bystander, then don’t grab a gun all willy-nilly.

It’s pretty simple.

Do you have any other advice for fellow gun owners who carry to prevent an incident like this from happening to them?

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