Dog in Parked Car Accidentally Shoots Woman at Traffic Light

A black Labrador sitting in the backseat of a parked truck in Scottsbluff, Nebraska took "riding shotgun" to a completely unintended extreme on Saturday — and one woman paid for it.

The Scottsbluff Police Department responded to a report at approximately 12:07 p.m. of a person shot near Short Stop, a convenience store and gas station at 2002 Avenue I. Officers initially received the call as a BB gun incident and were updated en route that it actually involved a shotgun. When they arrived, they found a pickup truck with an attached camper and a passenger-side door panel with damage consistent with a shotgun blast blowing through it from the inside.

The explanation took a moment to sink in.

What Actually Happened

The truck's owner had pulled into the convenience store and stepped inside to shop. A passenger from the vehicle stepped outside but stayed near the front passenger-side door. The black Lab in the backseat was left alone.

The dog moved from one side of the truck to the other — and in doing so, caught its paw on the trigger of a loaded shotgun that was inside the vehicle with a live shell in the chamber.

The gun fired through the passenger-side door. At that precise moment, a woman was stopped at the traffic light on Avenue I with her arm resting out of her window. One pellet struck her in the upper right arm.

Her injuries were not life-threatening. A family member transported her to Regional West Medical Center for treatment.

Investigators also noted the damage to the vehicle's door was consistent with the blast originating from inside — confirming the dog as the sole trigger-puller, however unintentionally.

The Owner's Legal Exposure

The dog faces no charges — it's a dog. The owner, however, could face scrutiny for leaving a loaded firearm unsecured in a vehicle where it was accessible enough for an animal to discharge it. The Scottsbluff Police Department confirmed the investigation is ongoing.

Nebraska law requires that firearms be stored safely, and leaving a loaded weapon in a vehicle in a manner that results in accidental discharge raises clear questions about responsible gun storage. No charges had been announced as of Tuesday.

This Has Happened Before

As strange as it sounds, this is not the first time a dog has accidentally fired a gun in the United States. Similar incidents have been reported in Iowa, Idaho, and Florida over the years — typically involving hunting rifles or shotguns left within reach of animals in trucks or blinds. In most cases, the dogs stepped on or bumped the weapons while their owners were nearby.

In 2015, a hunting dog in Iowa stepped on a shotgun in a boat and shot its owner in the leg. In 2011, an Idaho man was shot in the foot when his dog stepped on a rifle while the two were hunting together. And in 2004, a Florida man was shot in the hand when his dog accidentally triggered a rifle that had been left on the ground during a hunting trip. Each incident followed the same general pattern: a loaded weapon left within easy reach, an animal moving unpredictably, and an outcome nobody planned for.

The consistent thread in nearly every case is an unsecured, loaded firearm within reach of an animal. The consistent outcome is a very embarrassed owner and a very confused dog.

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