Senior citizen inadvertently discharges firearm inside Chehalis store

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A customer at the checkout counter of a Chehalis pet supply store accidentally fired his 38 revolver, injuring himself yesterday.

Police called at 12:42 p.m. yesterday to the Twin City Town Center found the victim and his wife had already headed to the hospital, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

The 79-year-old Onalaska resident shot himself in the foot, according to police.

He and his wife were at the counter at Petsense when he placed his hands in his pockets, and then witnesses heard a loud bang, department spokesperson Linda Bailey said. The man, who was not named, then stated he shot himself, Bailey said.

An officer made contact with him, and he confirmed what happened, according to Bailey.

The victim was treated at Providence Centralia Hospital for the non-life threatening injury and has been released, according to Bailey.

Bailey said nobody else was injured. She didn’t know how many people were inside the business at the time.

The strip mall is just west of Interstate 5 on the 1400 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue.

The case will be forwarded to Chehalis Municipal Court prosecutors for a review of possible charges, according to police.

Three years ago, after a 40-year-old man holstering his firearm in the parking lot at Sunbird Shopping Center accidentally fired a round through his hand and into his wife’s thigh, he was charged with reckless endangerment.

Tags: ,

15 Responses to “Senior citizen inadvertently discharges firearm inside Chehalis store”

  1. GoodGrief says:

    O-well is proof positive that we don’t need “illegal trash” in order to feel we need protection. Our domestic trash is bad enough. My guess is that the “illegal trash” is probably of a higher caliber. Indeed, I am far more worried about domestic stupidity than all those “illegal trash” that choose to work to support their families.

  2. Exceptionally Normal says:

    @IsTheMovie Idiocracy RealLife?

    How about, and especially in this county, doing a genetic marker type test to see how far back the last ancestor copulated and reproduced with another? Floridification?

    Interesting theory. Is that anything like Californication? Granted, neither Gainesville, or Jacksonville are known as bulwarks of high culture. Still, I wonder what Tom Petty would say?

  3. BleeBloo says:

    Thank goodness this clumsy idiot didn’t shoot anyone but himself.

  4. Billy Orr says:

    There were no immigration laws on the books when Europeans arrived in North America so, the term “illegal” is inaccurate. Trash yes, illegal no.

  5. O-well says:

    When your country is over-ran with illegal trash , people need to be armed !! I personally like it better when my dogs get practice , and it makes good video!!

  6. IsTheMovie Idiocracy RealLife? says:

    It’s nice that i can keep this nickname i had for the last comment i left on a story. Well worth spending more time pointing it out rather than just changing it as it fits. Pistols belong in holsters not pockets so I am happy to hear he shot himself as a public service and as a reminder where shit like that does and does not belong. No need for the gentleman to recieve any further justice.
    Yes Peabody the floridification of the water supply can probably be found at fault for a great deal of things possibly including this incident, but let us not forget our long and storied past of this sort of shit. Lead in gas and paint, living under powerlines, liqour in baby bottles. I mean hell. One would think stricter enforcement of helmet laws concerning lawmakers and public health officials on bicycles would be looked into…….. How about, and especially in this county, doing a genetic marker type test to see how far back the last ancestor copulated and reproduced with another? Floridification? Sure, we should have the powers that be sit down and have a discussion after lunch one day where they will no doubt be consuming Mcdonalds, a few shots of liqour, a few cigarettes, apply god knows what type of makeup, and doing a line or two of god only knows what after taking their phizer cocktail that will no doubt be washed down by a refreshing, health claims cannot be verified by the fda (yes the same ones green lighting fluoride) energy drink. Yeah, these folks will give a fuck without public outrage during an election year……

  7. Headshaker says:

    I should add……….. if your not properly trained to carry a firearm, then you have no business doing so!

  8. Headshaker says:

    Hey Sunshine Girl, I bet the people that were in the Burlington Macy’s wish they were armed!
    It’s better to have a gun and never need it, than to not have a gun when you need it….. Always be prepared!

  9. freethinker says:

    He is an irresponsible person and his stupidity endangered other peoples lives. He should be punished according to the law, just moving on is only telling people that they are not responsible for their actions. And really, safer? He shot himself!!

  10. Dr. Gringo says:

    Thank God the old man made it out alive. With all the thugs robbing pet food stores these day, you have to pack your own heat just to buy a bag of Ol’ Roy anymore.

  11. SW says:

    yep, makes me feel real safe – gun in pocket – who’s he gonna accidently shoot next?

  12. Notalwaysagodthing says:

    Peabody Slim, you are so very right. Couldnt agree more. No harm done anywhere, and the could of, would of, and should ofs should be left out of the equation.

  13. Sunshinegirl says:

    Yeah there’s no brains here either , if you need to be fully armed to buy dog food you need to have it delivered. This could have ended very bad and often does but by all means lets just move on .

  14. Exceptionally Normal says:

    I always makes me feel a lot safer in a public place, knowing my fellow Lewis County citizens are carrying fire arms with them.

  15. Peabody Slim says:

    No victim no crime, repair the floor and let’s all move on here. Instead the Rubber Government Officials prefer to make a mountain outbof a mole hill. Want to know of real crimes in the community how about prescribing the drug Fluoride to the whole community without a single person being seen by a doctor nor prescriptions being prescribed for each person forced to drink the drug. These are the crimes that should be more pressing than an accident. Drugging the whole community without their permission is no accident. This is a crime against the whole community.