Accidental gun misfire at BLM rally reported in Carson City Saturday, no arrests made
According to Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong, an accidental misfire of a rifle occurred today at around 5 p.m. in front of the Nevada State Legislature in Carson City following a Black Lives Matter rally.
The rally had ended previously and there was a small group of Black Lives Matter protesters left in the area, according to Furlong. One BLM protestor had an AK-47 style weapon on his shoulder, and when he removed it from his shoulder, one shot went off into the air.
Deputies went to the area and immediately recognized it had been an accident and took the gun from the protestor, who also concurred it had been an accident. The protestor was not cited or arrested, but charges may follow from the DA after an investigative report is made.
Approximately 30 minutes later, a “caravan of Trump supporters” arrived from Reno and drove slowly past what was left of the protest, which caused agitation among the BLM protestors.
One BLM protestor was cited for impeding traffic after going into the crosswalk and blocking the caravan by stopping in the middle of the crosswalk. According to Furlong, the BLM protester threw herself into the path of the vehicle as it drove past her, which is when the citation was given.
No other arrests or citations were issued relating to the protest.
Furlong said he was proud of the way his deputies and the Legislative Police handled the situation, which could have ended differently had the response from law enforcement involved guns being drawn.
The sheriff wants to remind everyone that bringing loaded weapons to a protest is dangerous, and people should use caution while open carrying and always make sure their safety is on, or leave their weapons are unloaded.
“Please, guns have accidents,” said Furlong. “An accident can turn into a tragedy in two seconds. We were very fortunate today.”
The incident was streamed on Facebook Live by a This is Reno reporter, which can be viewed here. The gunshot can be heard in the video around 1:19:30.
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