A man found shot to death this afternoon in St. Petersburg was the victim of an apparent accident, police said.
Troy Earl Smith Jr., 25, 985 Melrose Ave. S., was found at 1:13 p.m. lying on the ground in the area of 18th Avenue South just east of 16th Street, according to a release from the St. Petersburg Police.
He had a gunshot wound to his upper body and was taken to Bayfront Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, police said.
From information from a witness and video obtained from local businesses, police determined that Smith was riding his bike on 18th Avenue South near 14th Street when a handgun he was carrying in his jacket pocket discharged, wounding him in the chest.
A gun was found on Smith and had discharged through his clothing, police said.
via Man found dead apparently shot self accidentally, St. Pete police say.
If you must do Pocket Carry, get a holster designed for such labor and make sure there is nothing else in the damned pocket that can engage the trigger.
I have heard of people being injured by pocket carry, but this is the first death I am aware of.
Hat Tip to Derek W.
Make sure there is nothing else in the damned pocket that can engage the trigger, like perhaps the guys hand? I wonder if the video evidence showed him with his hand in his coat pocket?
Of course, I’ve always wondered why this sort of thing doesn’t happen more often when criminals just shove a gun in their waistband? Where is the poetic justice there?
[…] are sketchy but a man was shot through his pocket and killed with the gun he was carrying. My guess is no holster and probably something else other than the gun in the […]