There is no middle ground when it comes to handling firearms.  You either do it properly or terrible things happen.   Basic gun safety means following some very simple rules.  Break those rules and bad things happen.  Sometimes those bad things even happen to you.

That’s precisely the case with former Indianapolis Colts running back Zurlon Tipton, who managed to kill himself the other day with a .45 caliber pistol.  He owned the pistol legally and also had a concealed carry license, so I would have thought he’d taken better care than this.

But that’s the thing about gun safety.  You can be perfect 99.9%  of the time and that split second where you aren’t paying attention can be the very one that takes your life or the life of someone close to you.

Former Indianapolis Colts running back Zurlon Tipton died after he accidentally shot himself Tuesday morning at a Michigan car dealership.  He was reaching into his vehicle to get a bag containing two handguns when one discharged, hitting him in the stomach.

The Roseville, Mich., police department said it received notification from St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit that the 26-year-old died from his injuries after the incident about 9:30 a.m. in a service bay at the car dealership.

Zurlon Tipton learned a very hard lesson, as did everyone who knew him or followed his football career.  Hopefully that lesson will not be lost on those of us still here.

If you’re going to own a gun ensure you are trained how to use it.  Know the basic rules of gun safety and follow them ALL THE TIME.   As Zurlon Tipton’s tragic case proves so painfully you simply do not get a second chance.

Do it right every time.

 

Like so many other football fans my heart goes out to the Tipton family.  Their grief at the shocking loss of Zurlon is indescribable.