:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2)/Shillington-Police-Department-111325-c65821925fbf4f959879c38a06d24fa6.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "Dog shoots owner in the back after jumping on shotgun left on bed: Police")
The 53-year-old man was hospitalized and was undergoing several surgeries.
A Pennsylvania man is now hospitalized after his dog allegedly fired a shotgun at him, injuring him in the back, according to the Shillington Police Department.
At approximately 11:13 p.m. on Tuesday, officials received reports of a shooting and that a 53-year-old man had suffered a gunshot wound to his back, police said in a press release obtained by ABC News.
While police were on their way to the scene, officials were informed that a dog had “jumped onto the bed and set the gun off,” police said. Once at the scene, officials found the man on the floor and conscious, police said.
The victim told police that before the incident, he was cleaning his firearm — which was identified as a shotgun — and had placed it on his bed, officials said. He then proceeded to sit down on the bed, “at which time one of his dogs jumped onto the bed,” causing the weapon to fire a round into the man’s lower back, officials said.
At the time of the shooting, the victim and his son were the only individuals at the residence, along with two other dogs, police said. The man’s son was allegedly not in the same room when the gun was fired by the dog, officials said.
After paramedics arrived at the scene, the man was transported to a local hospital, where he “immediately went into surgery for his injuries,” officials said.
On Wednesday, hospital staff told police the man underwent an initial surgery, but would need an additional operation either on Wednesday or Thursday, officials said.
The extent of the man’s injuries as of Thursday is unknown, police confirmed to ABC News.
The shooting appears to be accidental, but police said they are still investigating the incident.
Dog Shoots Owner After Jumping on the Bed and Setting Off Gun, Police Say
A spokesperson for the Shillington Police Department called the incident “the perfect storm”
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NEED TO KNOW
- A dog is behind the shooting of a Pennsylvania man, police said
- The Shillington Police Department is investigating a report that the dog jumped on a shotgun that was resting on a bed, shooting his owner in the back
- “It’s unsure if the dog’s paw may have gotten caught inside the trigger and the safety was off, or if there was some sort of manufacturer malfunction,” police said
A dog owner in Pennsylvania is recovering from a gun shot wound after his canine set off a shotgun that was in his home, according to reports.
A 53-year-old Shillington man told police he was cleaning his shotgun in the 300 block of State Street on Tuesday, Nov. 11 shortly after 11 p.m. when he set the firearm down on his bed. One of his dogs allegedly jumped on the mattress, and set the weapon off, WFMZ reported.
“While they were responding, they were informed that a dog had jumped up onto the bed, causing the shotgun to go off, which ultimately struck the male,” Cpl. Michael Schoone with Shillington Police Department told the outlet.
“He’s not sure what stage of cleaning he was in at the time, so it’s unsure if the dog’s paw may have gotten caught inside the trigger and the safety was off, or if there was some sort of manufacturer malfunction,” Schoone continued. “That’s unknown at this time.”
The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was reportedly home with his son at the time. His son called for help, and the 53-year-old was transported to Reading Hospital where he underwent surgery.
ABC News added that the Shillington resident was found on the floor and conscious when police initially arrived.
“Obviously, you should be treating every weapon as if it’s loaded,” Schoone added. “You know, all the cardinal rules: keeping it in a safe direction, finger off the trigger… This was, like you said, it’s the perfect storm. You know it was just the right place at the right time, or the wrong time.”
When reached for comment by PEOPLE, police said that the incident is still “under investigation.”
