Overview
- A dog in the back seat of a parked truck moved and accidentally triggered a loaded shotgun that discharged through the passenger-side door, police said on Saturday, May 23.
- A pellet struck a woman stopped at a nearby traffic light in the upper right arm and she was taken to Regional West Medical Center with injuries that were not life-threatening.
- Officers were first told the call involved a BB gun before being informed it was a shotgun, and media accounts differ on whether multiple shots were fired as the Scottsbluff Police Department continues its investigation.
- Police stressed that Nebraska law forbids traveling with a loaded shotgun in a vehicle and issued a public reminder about safe handling, storage and transport of firearms.
- Reporters noted similar past accidents involving unsecured guns and pets, and the case could prompt more local safety outreach or enforcement on how firearms are carried in vehicles.