UPPER WEST SIDE, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK — Conflicting reports surfaced shortly after a man negligently shot himself while waiting in line at a local Jewish deli that specializes in bagels and coffee. Some reports initially suggested he was trying to rob the place but he was not arrested for attempted robbery.
However, this is New York City. Add to that, he was homeless with nine prior convictions mostly related to drug possession. He shouldn’t have had a gun in the first place but apparently he found a way. Ironically, law-abiding citizens in New York City would be hard pressed to do the same.
According to DNAinfo, the guy shot himself when he adjusted the handgun in his waistband. If he had done a little market research prior to slinging a “found” handgun, he may have considered investing in an inside the waistband concealed carry holster with decent retention. That would have effectively stopped his gun from going off.
Too little, too late. The homeless man dropped his bagel and coffee and ran off, leaving a trail of blood behind him. NYPD was fast behind him, using bloodhounds to track his location. He checked himself into a nearby hospital before they arrived with a non-life threatening gunshot wound to the right thigh.
This guy is going to get charged with multiple felonies — including the illegal possession of a firearm. In New York City, such crimes generally come with heavy consequences and let’s not forget things like minimum sentencing and the nefarious “three strikes” rule. In all, this guy will likely be getting his coffee and bagels for the foreseeable future from a commissary in a New York State penitentiary.
No one else was hurt. There’s the obvious kerfluffle that occurs any time that gunshots are heard in a city that prides itself on effectively banning them. People reportedly were upset while they waited in line at Zabar’s but it’s nothing that’s going to scar the place for a lifetime.
End point: if you’re going to carry a gun, at least make sure it’s secure. Don’t be an irresponsible gun owner and don’t play with your gun in line.
Oh, and apparently common criminals have an easier time getting access to a handgun than a tax-paying citizen of the five boroughs… But that’s nothing new.