©Julia Khusainova via Unsplash
A remarkable incident reaches us from the US state of Nebraska.
A dog accidentally set off a firearm on Saturday in the US state of Nebraska in a bizarre scene in the parking lot of a gas station. The owner of a pickup truck had left the weapon in the car, while the dog was left alone in the back seat.
The incident took place in Scottsbluff in western Nebraska. According to local police, the woman got out of her pickup truck to buy something in the store and another passenger also went in with her, leaving the dog alone in the car. The dog somehow came in contact with the loaded firearm and accidentally activated the trigger with its paw. A shot was fired from inside the pickup.
The bullet penetrated the car door and hit a woman in another car a few yards away at a traffic light. At the time, the woman had just had her upper arm hanging out the window and was hit in the arm as a result. She was taken to the hospital, but her injuries were not life-threatening.
In Nebraska, it's illegal to drive with a loaded firearm in a car. This was reported police. The incident is now under formal investigation by local Scottsbluff police. In the meantime, the dog need not fear punishment. His owner, however, may be prosecuted for negligence and violation of the gun law.
©Julia Khusainova via Unsplash - illustration image of a dog in a car