Virginia Lawmaker Accidentally Discharges Gun in Office

A state lawmaker's handgun accidentally discharged in his office Thursday as he tried to unload it, sending a bullet zinging across the room.

It was stopped by a bulletproof vest hanging on the door.

"That absorbed the entire thing," said Del. John S. "Jack" Reid, a 63-year-old Republican who was both shaken and embarrassed by the incident.

He later took the rare step of apologizing to both the Democratic and Republican caucuses before Thursday's floor session, and then made another apology on the House floor.

Reid said he had taken the tiny automatic handgun out of the breast pocket of his jacket and was ejecting the ammunition clip when it discharged.

He said it was fortunate that the vest was hanging where it was because the .380-caliber bullet could have passed through the door and possibly hit someone. Reid received the vest last year as a gag gift from the sheriff of Henrico County, the Richmond suburb where he lives.

The lawmaker said he obtained a permit to carry a concealed weapon two years ago after becoming concerned about his security. He declined to elaborate on the threat.

"I think all of us occasionally get some phone calls that concern us, so during the session I've been carrying it," he said.

Virginia's gun laws are among the nation's least restrictive. So revered are gun rights that the General Assembly allows permit holders to bring firearms into buildings on Capitol Square, including the Capitol itself. Several legislators carry firearms.

Thursday's incident reprised the debate over allowing firearms inside the buildings at the seat of state government.

"It does raise a safety question," Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said. "You've got Boy Scout groups and pages and all kinds of folks walking around in the halls, so I think it's something the Legislature needs to look at."

House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith, a Republican and key gun-rights supporter, said the accidental discharge of Reid's gun is no reason to consider tightening rules.

"The truth is you're more likely to get hurt in a car accident than by a gun," he said. "So why restrict people's freedoms?"