A Pennsylvania state police Cpl. Richard Schroeter was charged with five counts of reckless endangerment on Tuesday in the shooting death of a fellow police officer, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Schroeter, a 20-year veteran of the police force, allegedly shot and killed Trooper David Kedra by accident in September while teaching five officers on a new weapon at a training facility in Plymouth Township.
“Schroeter was discussing the trigger mechanics when he pulled the trigger on his duty-issued firearm,” the District Attorney’s office and State Police said in a statement.
According to the statement, the grand jury concluded that “Schroeter breached routine, yet critical safety protocol by failing to visually and physically check to ensure his weapon was unloaded, failing to obtain confirmation from another that his firearm was not loaded, and failing to point his weapon away from the direction of everyone present.”
I forgot to mention that the example of gun carelessness on TPM last year that got the most votes was:
A South Carolina man was killed on Wednesday after he put on a bulletproof vest, asked his friend to shoot him, and the friend allegedly missed the vest, according to television station WYFF. (5.15.2014)
The state with the most examples of gun carelessmess in 2014 was:
FLORIDA
So far the state in 2015 with the most examples of gun carelessness is:
NORTH CAROLINA
Twenty years of handling weapons on the job, and this can still happen if you’re careless. I doubt such a sobering truth will impress the open-carriers who use guns as a 2nd Amendment fashion statement, however. If only they endangered just themselves!
Come on.
Stupid? Yes.
Criminal? No way.
Guns don’t kill people, gun trainers kill people.
My family is suffering through the suicide by shooting of a young woman we all loved and now mourn. She finally used a gun after two other methods less lethal failed.