I just can’t believe it! I guess you shouldn’t let actors near guns, not in Bradenton anyway. I live in Sarasota (a few miles away), and can’t help but comment on this perfect example of ignorance and stupidity when it comes to firearm safety:
BRADENTON, Fla.: Tragedy nearly struck a group of actors in Florida when authorities say a loaded gun was accidentally used during a rehearsal. Bill Bordy, vice president of the Sarasota Senior Theater in Bradenton, was rehearsing a scene from John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” Monday evening when he picked up a pistol he had borrowed from another cast member. Bordy pointed the loaded revolver at the head of another actor, Fred Kellerman, and pulled the trigger. Bordy’s aim was off and only grazed Kellerman’s ear.
We have three nominees for the award here; only one was nearly removed from the gene pool.
First: NEVER point a real gun at anyone you don’t want to kill, even if you think it’s empty. This is the first thing any firearm instructor will teach. Too many people bit the bullet (no pun intended) because someone thought a gun was not loaded. It is especially true of semi-automatic pistols, which can have a round left in the chamber even if the magazine is removed. There are rare exceptions to this rule, but then no ammunition should be allowed anywhere near the area and the firearm must be checked multiple times.
Second: If you loan your gun to someone who is going to point it at a friend’s head, unload it first.
Third: If you are an actor and the play calls for a gun, check first to make sure it isn’t loaded. Don’t you know how Brandon Lee died? After verifying it a couple times, press the trigger with the barrel pointing to the ground. Note to Bradenton actors: Only do this if you are on the first floor, nobody is laying on the ground in front of you and do not aim at your feet. Oh, and you don’t check the gun by looking in the barrel to see if a bullet is there. Just making sure here, I don’t mean to be patronizing..
Fourth: If someone wants to point a gun at your head and press the trigger (I can’t believe I am writing this!), make sure it is unloaded. The “gunman” should show that to you, and then you should re-check for yourself. In doubt, ask him if you can shoot him first, if he says no, have a third party check the gun again.
Fifth: If you think you are pointing an empty gun at a friend’s head, and he hasn’t slept with your wife or doesn’t have an insurance policy you would benefit from, do not actually aim for his head, but at least a foot off to the side. This might not apply to certain people however who are bad enough to actually miss by a foot..
Accidents usually happen because of a succession of failures. Here, three people lacked the most elemental common sense in handling a deadly weapon. I would not be surprised if none ever had any firearm safety instruction. Blame it on ignorance if you will, but there has to be another factor in this picture. When you think you’ve seen it all, there is always someone to top the chart.. But three at the same time in the same place, WAOH!
Leave a Reply