Phoenix man killed in gun-safety demo

[WhiteFeather]

Harry Schneider emailed this one along with safety rules to learn a lesson from someone elses mistake.

Phoenix man killed in gun-safety demo


http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/293333

Tucson Region
Law and Order
Phoenix man killed in gun-safety demo
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.18.2009

A 26-year-old Phoenix man accidentally killed himself early Sunday while
explaining gun safety to two Sierra Vista residents.
Samuel Benally Jr. was at an apartment on West Tacoma Street when he said
guns should be kept unloaded because people could point them at their heads,
said Sierra Vista police Sgt. Brett Mitchell.
Benally then demonstrated by putting his own 9mm Ruger, which he believed to
be unloaded, to his head and firing it, Mitchell said.
Benally was flown to University Medical Center, where he was pronounced
dead, Mitchell said.
An investigation is ongoing, but police do not believe alcohol or drugs were
involved, Mitchell said.
Kim Smith


HARRY SCHNEIDER COMMENTS:

It is very bad gun manners to point a firearm at anyone.

(thinking that your gun is unloaded does not make it ok)


THE FOUR UNIVERSAL SAFETY RULES - DEVELOPED BY JEFF COOPER AT GUNSITE

1. ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED (Even if they are not, treat them as if
they are)
While you should not load a gun until you are ready to use it, be deadly
serious about expecting every gun to be loaded until you have personally
verified that it is not and it has not left your hands since you verified
the condition.

Always adhere to this rule and you'll never have to whimper: "But, I didn't
know it was loaded"


2. NEVER LET THE MUZZLE POINT AT ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY
(for those who point a gun at someone and attempt to excuse it
with "it isn't loaded", see rule 1.)
Be aware of where your gun is pointed every moment it is in your hand. If
you cannot pick it up without pointing at someone who must not be shot,
don't pick it up. Uncase and case with the muzzle pointed downrange.
When presenting a firearm to shoot, it must never be pointed above the
target. All bullets fired from this range must safely come to rest within
this range.

KEEP IT POINTED DOWNRANGE - NEVER TURN IT SIDEWAYS
NEVER POINT THE MUZZLE HIGHER THAN THE TARGET


3. KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET
Keep your trigger finger in the "index position" alongside the frame above
the trigger guard until your sights are on the target and you have decided
to shoot. The reverse is also true: your finger goes back to "index" the
moment you come off target. Nothing touches the trigger unless the sights
are on target and you want to hear a loud noise. This is the golden rule.
It's violation is responsible for at least 60% of unintentional discharges.
Never place your support hand in front of the muzzle.


4. BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET
Know what it is, what is behind it and what might cross in front of it.
Never shoot at anything you have not positively identified. YOU are
personally responsible for every bullet that you fire. YOU must know where
the bullet will land before you shoot. Don't point the gun at anything that
doesn't have a good earthen backstop behind it. - Therefore do NOT point
it up in the air.

[Bigrepp61]

wow... that was a smart move..... almost as smart as that guy who whot himself in the foot in that elementary school.....

[JIDinPhilly]

He really proved the point of his demonstration.

[Tootie]

Samuel Benally Jr. was at an apartment on West Tacoma Street when he said guns should be kept unloaded because people could point them at their heads, said Sierra Vista police Sgt. Brett Mitchell.
Benally then demonstrated by putting his own 9mm Ruger, which he believed to
be unloaded, to his head and firing it, Mitchell said.

OMG what was he thinking. I don't care if you think a gun is empty, you ALWAYS check it no matter what.

When are people going to learn this simple rule? Every gun is loaded until YOU make sure it's not.

[LorDiego01]

Benally then demonstrated by putting his own 9mm Ruger, which he believed to
be unloaded, to his head and firing it, Mitchell said.

APPROVES.

[Delcoadvocate]

OMG what was he thinking. I don't care if you think a gun is empty, you ALWAYS check it no matter what.

When are people going to learn this simple rule? Every gun is loaded until YOU make sure it's not.

Even if he did check it, what the hell was he trying to prove by pointing it at his head and then pulling the trigger? What kind of picture was he tring to paint? If you are teaching gun safety to folks that are unfamiliar with guns, pointing even an unloaded gun at your own or anyone elses head or other body part, makes ANYONE VERY uncomfortable (as it should), and does NOTHING to ease their fears. This makes NO sense to me at all.

This guy was an idiot, and the remaining living gun owners should be happy that this idiot is officially "out of the pool".

[tlgpa]

If you are teaching gun safety to folks that are unfamiliar with guns, pointing even an unloaded gun at your own or anyone elses head or other body part, makes ANYONE VERY uncomfortable (as it should), and does NOTHING to ease their fears. .

Yup. If you're teaching gun safety, you teach to treat all guns as they are loaded (even unloaded ones). And never point a gun at something you don't intend to destroy.
Point proven in this case.

[Tequila Sunrise]

That was just shear stupidity and a shame. Like they said, treat every gun as if it's loaded, period! That was something that could have been said without demonstrating. Lord knows what else might have happened, if he didn't shoot himself there was a big possibility he could have shot one of two people he was tudoring. The bottom line was the gun was loaded and he obviously didn't check the chamber. Yes accidents can happen, but that shouldn't be one of the ways. Prayers for him and his family.

[adymond]

I don't even like having the barrel and slide pointing at me when disassembling my pistols. Even when they are seperated from the trigger assembly. Why in God's name would you point a gun at your head? Makes me shudder.

[Bug44]

uhhh... Glad he was not the guy who taugh my UTAH class!