In today's world when guns are easily accessible, it is a must for the public to be educated on gun safety to avoid accidents, similar to what happened in Indianapolis when a child fired a loaded gun at IKEA.
Accidental Firing
Guns and kids are never a good mix. That is why it is important to keep loaded guns away from children's reach and for the public to be mindful of where they keep their firearms. Otherwise, accidents can happen just like what transpired on Monday at the IKEA store in Fishers, Indianapolis.
A 6-year-old boy found a handgun on a sofa not knowing that it was loaded. The boy, who remains anonymous, spotted the weapon stuck in a couch in the showroom and fired it there in the middle of the furniture store.
Sgt. Tom Weger from the Fishers Police Department told reporters that the gun belonged to a customer who tested out the sofa. The man accidentally dropped his weapon into the couch. He stood up not realizing that the handgun had fallen off from him.
Gun Safety
Sgt. Weger reminded the public about gun safety. He issued a statement asking gun owners to always be mindful when it comes to deadly firearms.
"It's important to remember that if you are going to carry a firearm on your person, that you make sure you're under control of it at all times. It's just part of gun ownership, responsible gun ownership," he said.
IKEA has since issued a statement addressing the incident. A spokesperson said that customers' safety and security remain the company's top priority. IKEA has a "no weapon" policy in its stores to prevent accidents such as what happened in Fishers. The store also holds regular safety walks and audits.
"We take this incident very seriously and we have offered the family of the child involved our sincerest apologies," the spokesperson said in a statement sent to CNN.
The Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office is looking into the incident to determine whether the gun owner needs to be charged. It is unclear if the man has a license to carry a weapon, which is required by Indiana law.
According to a 2016 report, Indianapolis holds the seventh place as a city in the U.S. with the most number of accidental shootings that involve children as young as 2 or 3 years old. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident at IKEA.
