Gun Owner Loses Firearm In Sofa At IKEA

When you’re carrying a gun, it’s important to remember where it is at all times. After all, it’s a lifesaving tool, but only if you can get to it when you need it.

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On the other hand, a lost gun is a major problem. Off your person and out of your control, you don’t know who will pick it up and what will happen with it. That’s bad for everyone.

However, one gun owner made it hard to claim we’re all responsible when he allowed his gun to do an impression of pocket change at an IKEA.

After finding a gun in a sofa at IKEA, a child fired the loaded weapon in the store, prompting an investigation of the incident.

Earlier that day, a customer at the Fishers, Indiana, store sat down on the couch to test it out, CNN affiliate WTTV reported.

When he got up to keep shopping, he didn’t realize his gun had fallen out of his pants.

Later, a group of kids sat down on the sofa and found the gun, Fishers police told WTTV. One of them pulled the trigger and fired a single shot.

No one was injured, and the store stayed open after the incident, WTTV reported.

An IKEA spokesperson said in a statement that customer safety and security is the company’s top priority.

“We take this incident very seriously and we have offered the family of the child involved our sincerest apologies,” the statement said.

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IKEA says they conduct regular walks and safety audits, but it’s unlikely they had any reason to look for a firearm in the cushions of a sofa.

Prosecutors are looking at the case to decide if any charges should be filed.

For what it’s worth, I’m not sure stupidity is a criminal offense, and yes, this was stupidity.

While the report doesn’t make any reference to what kind of firearm was involved, it had to be a very small pistol. I’m thinking something like a .22 revolver or even a Derringer. It couldn’t have been anything much heavier otherwise, he’d likely have noticed. It doesn’t sound like it was holstered when found, either, so my guess is that it was a small revolver in the pocket and not in any holster, which then slipped out of the loose pocket and was later found by a kid.

Thank God no one was hurt.

Folks, we need to police our own on stuff like this. If you know someone carrying like this, give them a verbal slap upside the head. I’d advise a literal slap, but I don’t want to get hammered for instigating violence or some such nonsense. Frankly, though, this warrants a slap or twelve.

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Honestly, anyone with half a brain should be able to see the problem with carrying a gun like this. Even if you’re not parking your butt on sofas, there are any number of other situations where you may find yourself in a position to lose your gun. For example, what if you have to get involved in a non-firearm altercation? If sitting on a sofa will cause the weapon to fall out of your pants, what will rolling around on the ground with a 200 lbs man going to do?

Seriously, don’t do this stuff. Make sure your weapon is secured on your person so stuff like this won’t happen.

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