Staff and patients at a physician’s office in Sevierville were startled on Friday when a firearm discharged inside the building.
Sevierville police responded to a call from Summit Medical Group, 1124 Fox Meadows Blvd., on July 1, 2016 to investigate a report that a patient’s firearm accidentally discharged, sending a bullet through the wall and into the lobby where several people were waiting.
A staff member at the medical office told police that 43-year-old Shon Ingram was being weighed, stepped off the scale, and then a loud bang occurred. That is when staff realized Ingram had a firearm and that it had been fired. The discharged round went through the wall, angled up as it exited the wall into the lobby, and struck a light fixture in the ceiling. Two to five people were in the lobby at the time. No injuries were reported.
The medical office has a sign posted on the front door prohibiting firearms on the property.
When police arrived, Ingram had already left the office. In a phone interview, Ingram told police that he always carries his Derringer 9 mm handgun. He admitted that he saw the sign on the front door, but forgot he was carrying the firearm. Prior to stepping on the scale to be weighed, he took off his pager and realized he had his handgun, which he also removed and placed on a stool next to the scale. Ingram told police he intended to place the firearm in his vehicle after he was weighed, but somehow the firearm, which he said was in a holster without the hammer pulled back, slid off the stool and discharged.
Police said Ingram has a valid handgun carry permit. The district attorney’s office was considering if charges should be filed.
Sounds to me like someone should be charged with reckless handling of a firearm.