Victim of accidental shooting in critical condition after surgery
The victim of an accidental shooting at 10:45 a.m. Saturday is in critical condition following surgery at St. Mary's Hospital.
The man, whose identity has not been released by authorities, is an employee of Jerry's Outdoor Sports, 507 Road 30 in Grand Junction.
A customer brought a .243-caliber rifle into the store, and the rifle accidentally discharged while it was being examined by an employee and the customer, Mesa County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Heather Benjamin said.
"There was a bullet in the chamber he forgot about," Benjamin said. "An employee walked past the counter at the moment he dislodged the bullet. He took a bullet to the abdomen. I don't know that they knew there was a bullet in the chamber until it actually went off."
Deputies took one man in for questioning and were interviewing six people inside the store after the incident, Benjamin said.
Family members of the wounded employee were embracing outside the store an hour after the incident. They said they did not want to comment to the media.
Store co-owner Jerry Stehman said the store's policy is "every gun should be checked before it's worked on, and it is checked." Jerry's Outdoor Sports has been in business for 22 1/2 years, he said.
"This is truly an accident," Stehman said. "There is absolutely no bad intentions or malice intended. I've just been through so many emotions, it's just been devastating to me that it happened."
Stehman said he expects the employee, who is in his 50s, will make a full recovery. "It's crazy, just a freak accident," said Debbie Birely, manager at nearby Cornerstone Thrift Store. "Something you wouldn't think would happen."
The store was closed during the investigation.
The victim of an accidental shooting at 10:45 a.m. Saturday is in critical condition following surgery at St. Mary's Hospital.
The man, whose identity has not been released by authorities, is an employee of Jerry's Outdoor Sports, 507 Road 30 in Grand Junction.
A customer brought a .243-caliber rifle into the store, and the rifle accidentally discharged while it was being examined by an employee and the customer, Mesa County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Heather Benjamin said.
"There was a bullet in the chamber he forgot about," Benjamin said. "An employee walked past the counter at the moment he dislodged the bullet. He took a bullet to the abdomen. I don't know that they knew there was a bullet in the chamber until it actually went off."
Deputies took one man in for questioning and were interviewing six people inside the store after the incident, Benjamin said.
Family members of the wounded employee were embracing outside the store an hour after the incident. They said they did not want to comment to the media.
Store co-owner Jerry Stehman said the store's policy is "every gun should be checked before it's worked on, and it is checked." Jerry's Outdoor Sports has been in business for 22 1/2 years, he said.
"This is truly an accident," Stehman said. "There is absolutely no bad intentions or malice intended. I've just been through so many emotions, it's just been devastating to me that it happened."
Stehman said he expects the employee, who is in his 50s, will make a full recovery. "It's crazy, just a freak accident," said Debbie Birely, manager at nearby Cornerstone Thrift Store. "Something you wouldn't think would happen."
The store was closed during the investigation.
