A vendor accidentally shot a Pennsylvania woman in the leg while demonstrating a gun and holster at a central Pennsylvania gun show over the weekend, police said. Now, the 25-year-old female was treated and released for a thigh wound at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, says she feels sympanthy for the vendor.
Krista Gearhart, of Orangeville, told police that vendor Geoffrey Hawk was demonstrating the use of a concealed wallet holster at an Eagle Arms Gun Show at Bloomsburg Fairgrounds, about 30 miles north of Harrisburg, on Saturday when his handgun discharged, Officer Brad Sharrow said.
Hawk, 44, of Warminster, was heading a booth for his business, In Case of Emergency Enterprises, at the time of the shooting, Reuters reported. He told police he thought the gun was unloaded since he had done the same demonstration of "racking" the gun's slide to clear it of bullets 20 times without incident. But somehow, the gun was loaded when Gearhart was shot.
He believes someone possibly loaded the gun when he left it on display while completing customoer background checks, USA Today reported. Hawk could not immediately be reached for comment, and a representative of the gun show declined to comment.
The Columbia County district attorney's office will determine whether Hawk will face criminal charges stemming from the shooting on Saturday. Gearhart said she feels sympathy for Hawk's accidental shooting. "This was all a horrible accident for him. He was doing his job."
Joel Koehler, the gun show organizer, said Hawk was immediately asked to close his booth and leave the show, which continued Sunday. The show has an entrance sign that reads "No Loaded Weapons" and Koehler said his staff checks all guns to ensure they are unloaded before they are brought in for display.
Saturday's shooting was the first at any show he has held at the fairgrounds or anywhere else, Koehler said.
