Accidental gun shot wound prompts officials to offer gun safety tips

Last week, a man accidentally shot himself in the leg while in the woods hunting near Clayton.

The man called dispatch and notified them of the accident but was losing consciousness while explaining the situation.

Law enforcement immediately responded and contacted the Georgia Department of Natual Resources to have a ranger on the scene as well due to it being a hunting accident.

Once on scene, officials learned that the gun which was laying in the passenger seat of the man’s truck began to slide out of the seat. The man then went to grab it and it ended up going off, shooting him in the knee according to an excerpt from the incident report.

The man received the proper medical attention and the gun was retrieved by law enforcement who then turned it over to the man’s family.

The DNR offers the following hunter safety tips when using a gun:

• Tip 1: Always keep the barrel of your firearm pointed in a safe direction.
• Tip 2: Firearms should be unloaded when not in use.
• Tip 3: Don’t rely on your gun’s safety.
• Tip 4: Be sure of your target and what’s beyond it.
• Tip 5: Use proper ammunition.