Woman Injured By Reported “Accidental” Discharge In Vehicle

MIAMI, FLORIDA – A woman was shot after picking up a bag that contained a loaded handgun while riding in a vehicle with her boyfriend, according to officials with the Florida Highway Patrol. The incident took place around 2:45 a.m. on the Dolphin Expressway near Northwest 17^th Avenue.

According to FHP Lt. Alex Camacho, the woman was seated in the right front seat of a gray Dodge SUV as the couple was traveling east on the highway. When she reached down to pick up a bag from the floorboard, a handgun inside the bag discharged and she was struck by the bullet at close range.

The man driving, who is reported to be the woman’s boyfriend, drove to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center. Upon arrival, he told the medical staff that his girlfriend had been shot. She was admitted to the facility and listed in critical condition.  

The identities of the couple have not been released. FHP troopers and City of Miami Police Department officers responded to the hospital, and the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting is continuing.

If the shooting happened as described, it highlights the dangers of an unsecured firearm. Guns that are carried loosely in pockets or off-body in bags, backpacks, or by other means are a recipe for disaster. They can easily fall from a pocket or bag or be left were children or irresponsible adults can get ahold of them. If there is no protection of the trigger, they can be accidentally or negligently discharged by any number of means.

Owning a firearm and failing to properly holster, carry and secure it is irresponsibility at its highest level.