A Tennessee man was accidentally shot by his own dog after the pet triggered a loaded firearm while jumping on the bed, authorities confirmed on Wednesday.
According to a police report, the man was asleep alongside his girlfriend early Monday morning when their one-year-old pit bull, Oreo, stepped on the gun, causing it to discharge.
According to the AFP, the bullet grazed the man’s left thigh, and he was taken to the hospital for treatment. His injury was not life-threatening.
“Oreo got his paw stuck in the trigger guard and ended up hitting the trigger,” the report stated.
The type of firearm involved was not disclosed, but police classified the case as an “accidental injury.”
Speaking to Fox 13 Memphis, the victim’s girlfriend, who was not named, recalled waking up to the sound of the gunshot.
“The dog is a playful dog, and he likes to jump around and stuff like that, and it just went off,” she said.
She added that the unexpected shooting was a stark reminder of gun safety. “Keep the safety on or use a trigger lock,” she advised.
Although gun-related incidents are common in the United States, cases involving pets pulling the trigger remain rare.
In 2023, a German shepherd in Kansas fatally shot a man after stepping on a hunting rifle. A similar accident occurred in 2018 when a pit bull-Labrador mix shot its owner in the leg in Iowa.
