[Submitted Article from Speedy Mercer]
I arrived 5 minutes late Memorial day for my shift at the VCDL table at the Harrisonburg Gun Show at Rockingham fairgrounds. I apologized to Mike Piper and rolled around back of the table and settled in. Mike and I said our "Hello's" and "How are ya's" and began our shift. It had been slow as gun shows go but I could see that several items and a membership or two had been sold. Some of the dealers had left but a good number were left all the same. We were positioned right next to the right side entrance to the rear section of the building near Trader Jerry's and had a fairly good view of the back area which is always good for "people watching." We hadn't been there much more than an hour when it happened... Off to our left, there was a loud "POP!" and all froze in place and looked toward that awful noise. I said "Aw $h!t" and a few seconds after, someone across the build hollered "anyone hurt?" No one hollered out and a few "I'm OK's" were heard. I voiced that I thought I heard "something" in the overhead and the fellow selling the leather belts and holsters at the far wall said he had "felt" something fall on him when it happened. By this time, the police there had gathered around the source of the noise as had the shows promoter and Jerry from "Trader Jerry's" was there as well. From where I was sitting, I could see Jerry examining the cloth cover of a dealer's table and pointing at something. It turned out that two Licensed dealers had had a transaction for a 9mm SIG between themselves and, though they dropped the magazine, BOTH of them failed to PROPERLY check the chamber. One of them let the slide slam home, pointed the weapon at the floor and pulled the trigger. It was then that I heard "It," that horrifying sound of a Negligent Discharge at a gun show. I am 51 and have been to MANY gun shows in my life and hadn't ever been around a negligent discharge in such a dangerous place as in a building full of people with a concrete floor. The odds were against me and I shouldn't be surprised that it caught up with me and happened in my presence. God willing, this will never happen to ANYONE again. The fact that no one was injured is a miracle. The floor carries a scar that the people who were there, the promoter and owners of the property will always cringe at whenever they see it. Both dealers were immediately shown the door. I don't know their names, if they will be allowed back or if any charges were filed. They are darned lucky that they, and everyone else, walked out of there unscathed today. Speedy Mercer
