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Man Accidentally Shoots Off Finger While Cleaning His Gun — and Guess Where It Landed

Mar. 4, 2013 3:32pm Billy Hallowell

On Sunday evening, Steven Johnson, a Des Moines, Iowa, resident, lost his finger during a freak gun accident. After cleaning his firearm, he pulled the trigger and accidentally shot off the top of his left index finger.

The 22-year-old apparently inserted a magazine into the gun and racked the slide, the Associated Press reports. But he didn’t realize that the gun was loaded, so when he pulled the trigger in an effort to see if it was in working order, a shot unexpectedly fired.

Steven Johnson Shoots Off Finger With a Tarus .380

Photo Credit: Tarus

The bullet sent a piece of his finger flying across the room. But that’s not all. The police report details an even creepier portion of the story: the severed tip hit his mother.

The report dryly reads, “The tip of his finger flew off and hit his mother.”

Later, she drove her son to the hospital, where the two were purportedly questioned by authorities about what unfolded.

According to authorities, Johnson’s story checked out, however they were unable to recover the blown-off flesh.

The gun at the center of the incident is reportedly a Tarus .380.

The lesson? There’s a reason that one of the fundamental firearm safety rules is to treat every gun as if it were loaded.

(H/T: WCCO-TV via AP)

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Comments (107)

toto
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 7:52pm
My biggest fear is that all those that are now acquiring weapons for the first time, will not get the necessary safety training necessary. Classes are available the NRA is a wonderful resource, gun stores have resources, and most gun owners with experience are wonderful people that would happy to share what they know. Frontsight is a good place for people that are dedicated, and want to learn to develop excellent skills. With gun ownership comes responsibility, it isn’t rocket science, but is of utmost importance that people get it right so as to be safe and not provide ammunition to the gun haters and foes of the 2nd Amendment.

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Michelle_Baboonbutt
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 7:48pm
Impossible! No way anyone can get shot if there’s not a single AR15 involved. Forget about high capacity magazines, ban low capacity brains.

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MK2
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 7:20pm
Just a bit of advise Steven don’t ever buy a MK2 you have to dry fire it to break it down to clean it next time it might be your Johnson
What a dumb A$$

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Larry E
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 6:45pm
Okay, I’ll admit it, I’ve NEVER figured out how anyone can clean a loaded gun. I’ve been cleaning guns for the better part of 60 years, and have never found a way to do it properly without unloading the gun first. I obviously need more training and experience.

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Verceofreason
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 6:28pm
I often gave my mother the finger as a kid.

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hades3
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:05pm
Aren’t we happy Iowa plays such a big part in electing our presidents ?

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hades3
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:01pm
He pulled the trigger, and the gun discharged ! Well duuuuuh ! Who would have thunk it !!!!?????

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mtsnj
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:00pm
Stupid is as… He Should be reprimanded for giving his mother the finger..badabum

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louie louie
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 4:58pm
Always treat a gun like you would treat a liberal — as loaded and capable of doing much damage.

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Calamity Jane
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 4:58pm
“Man Accidentally Shoots Off Finger While Cleaning His Gun — and Guess Where It Landed”…..

First….Why is a story of this low caliber (pun intended) being posted on the Blaze….OK, it is public service reminder concerning gun safety…..I’ll concede that point.

Second….Who is writing these headlines? A first year journalism student would be ripped apart by his professor for using the “guess where” approach in writing headlines and teases…….I guess the interns are riding the editor’s desk at the Blaze.

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abanoubkhalil
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 4:57pm
A Disney World Vacation
http://www.101bestwaysto.com/home/entertaining/disney-world-vacation/

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Uechi
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 4:56pm
The guy is a moron and a fool. You never, ever clean a firearm without unloading it and checking it twice. It was not an accident! The only gun accidents are when a firearm has a mechanical failure or you get bad ammo. What this knuckle dragger had was a ” Negligent Discharge” Almost all firearms incidents happen as a result of NDs not accidents.

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OniKaze
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 4:51pm
Perhaps, instead of universal background checks on firearm purchases, MAYBE an I.Q. test instead??

Lets spitball a number… If your I.Q. is less than maybe 80, perhaps your not smart enough to operate or own a firearm… If we did that, about 90% of Liberals would be prevented from owning or operating a firearm.. Should only hurt about 1 – 2% or Conservatives (Just a guess)… No real loss to us….

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thej-rod
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 4:50pm
So just to be clear here. He cleaned the gun, inserted the magazine, racked the slide, then pulled the trigger, but didn’t expect the gun to fire? What a moron! Also wasn’t his mom angry that he gave her the finger, so to speak?

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- rswapp
  Posted on March 5, 2013 at 5:01pm
  You’d think those shiny brass thingy’s in the magazine would be a good clue as to what would be racked in the chamber when he pulled back the slide and released it.
  Stupid is as Stupid does.
  
  We need to sterilize this genius so he doesn’t multiply and create more geniuses like him.
  
  Report this comment
Nabuquduriuzhur
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 4:45pm
I’ve never been much of a gun enthusiast, but I am grateful that my parents had me take hunter safety training.

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OniKaze
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 4:45pm
So this idiot knew how to clean and dis-assemble a firearm, but DID NOT know how to look at the Magazine to see a round in it??

Was he practicing his blindfolded cleaning?? I’m sorry, but ANY time I pick up my guns, the FIRST thing I do is check for an engaged round… 2nd thing (FYI) I remove said round properly…

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Tom K
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 4:34pm
(1) ALL guns are loaded. (2) Always keep your gun pointed in a safe direction. (3) Never point a gun at anything that you do not intend to destroy. There are Seven more basic firearms rules BUT this guy broke the first three. He could have shot his Mom ! He will always have that stubby finger as a reminder. Do Not go to the firing range or even hunting with a knucklenead / know-it-all.

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P4cooler
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 4:31pm
No excuse for this stupidity. I bet he never took a basic gun course! What a price to pay for ignorance.

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Gargent_Furball
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 4:31pm
Most NRA members understand weapons. and safety.

This just proves, if you try to take away my gun, bad things may happen.

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Hank919
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 4:30pm
The human condition…the (safety) rules don’t apply to me. People apply it to guns, automobiles, gasoline generators, chain saws, fireworks …fire, electricity. we need Joe Biden to teach saftey…he nailed it with shot guns…LMAO. He’s the poster boy for critical thinking. Probably plagiarized a paper about it from another liberal *******.

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00100111
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 4:26pm
I do believe that is “Top_Contributor” returned under a new pseudonym. You can tell by his utter lack of intelligence on any subject.

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wilbstal
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 4:26pm
Dumbo you dont clean a loaded weapon, you double check to se the weapon has not chambered a round. man where do these folks come form

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- The-Monk
  Posted on March 4, 2013 at 4:54pm
  And after being told not to since the age of 5…..
  
  …Henry finally stopped picking his nose.
  
  Report this comment
- Elena2010
  Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:48pm
  The article says he loaded it after cleaning by inserting the mag and racking it.
  
  He’s an imbecile for thinking/not realizing it was loaded and ready to fire.
  
  Report this comment
- rangerskippy
  Posted on March 4, 2013 at 6:55pm
  The article stated “he pulled the trigger and accidentally shot off the top of his left index finger.”
  
  Horse Crap!, that is not an accident, that is negligence.
  
  He accidently stuck his head in a vice, and turned the crank????? Would that fly with you?
  
  First rule of gun safety is to treat every weapon as if it was loaded. That means when you do pull a trigger, it is always pointed in a safe direction. Having the barrel pointed at your own hand is not a safe direction.
  
  An accidental discharge is when the gun fires without the trigger being pulled. It is very rare, and generally means there is something wrong with the piece. I saw my dad rack a .22 semi auto, and when the bolt slammed forward, it fired. It was pointed in a safe direction, and a gunsmith determined it to be a malfunction with the rifle.
  
  If you are stupid, do us a favor, and do not own firearms.
  
  Report this comment
- John 1776
  Posted on March 4, 2013 at 8:28pm
  Even if you don’t think there is a round in there, why would you do that? An empty hammer drop can only serve to damage the firing pin by over-travel. That’s why they make diagnostic rounds with a rubber bumper.
  
  Report this comment
LeadNotFollow
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 4:24pm
What an idiot. He gives good gun owners a bad name.

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- Anonymous T. Irrelevant
  Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:02pm
  Yeah, he can only point the finger of blame at himself :-)
  
  Report this comment
- mtsnj
  Posted on March 4, 2013 at 8:44pm
  He needs to go to his room for giving his mother the finger like that!! just no respect.
  
  Report this comment
- chfields62
  Posted on March 4, 2013 at 11:08pm
  He’s lucky it was only his finger that his his mother…that could have been very tragic. He’s an idiot for putting a mag in the gun, racking the slide and pulling the trigger and not expecting it to go bang! This just goes to show that not everybody should have a gun. Guns just don’t go off by the themselves.
  
  Report this comment
FlagWavingPatriot
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 4:23pm
Well, a big part of life is learning lessons. You can bet this kid learned his lesson. I suspect he not only had to find a rag to stop the bleeding but he also had to change his underwear. Hopefully that memory will stick with him and he’ll teach that lesson to others throughout his life.

We are all human and we all make mistakes, but you MUST have good habits if you’re going to be around firearms safely.

1) NEVER put your finger on the trigger until you intend to shoot.

2) ALWAYS treat your firearm as if it’s loaded.

3) NEVER point it at anything you do not wish to destroy.

4) A man would NEVER use a .380 when the store has .45s available. Okay, okay. That’s my rule, not a safety rule. I digress.

It ain’t rocket surgery or brain science. Those three simple rules will keep you safe. They’ve served me well.

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- ZeppelinB9
  Posted on March 4, 2013 at 4:51pm
  FWP…spot on. I was in the Navy, and instructed on the first three rules you gave. As well, I was taught that if you are going to clean a sidearm…then unload, follwed by a check and clear. Finally, I was always told by the Gunner’s Mates (GM) who issued the weapons from the armory, there are no “freak” accidents; just accidents stemming from the inattention and/or lack of respect for the equipment issued to you. (As to your last rule, I agree. If you are going to defend your home, family, and self…go for the top.)
  
  Report this comment
- Silvertruth
  Posted on March 4, 2013 at 4:56pm
  5) Never keep your ammunition anywhere near you while cleaning a firearm unless you are in combat conditions and then it’s okay to keep ANOTHER firearm that is ready to go near you…
  
  Report this comment
LOTO
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 4:23pm
So what did he get charged with, ’cause you cant just have and accident anymore?

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