Indiana police are investigating a Monday afternoon shooting at IKEA after a child reportedly found and fired a lost gun inside the store.
According to WISH, the incident occurred at 2 p.m. at 11400 Ikea Way in Fishers, a northern suburb of Indianapolis. Police said it was there a male customer had gotten up from a couch and his firearm unknowingly slipped out of his pants and became lodged between the cushions.
A short time later, a group of kids sat down on the same couch and discovered the loaded gun. One of them then pulled the trigger and fired a shot, Fisher Police Department Sergeant Tom Weger told the news station.
Nobody was hurt in Monday’s shooting. The age of the child who fired the shot isn’t immediately known. According to the Indianapolis Star, police said the IKEA was evacuated and reopened within an hour following the shooting.
Law enforcement reportedly gathered evidence and witness statements at the scene and will forward the information to the Hamilton County prosecutor. From there, the prosecutor will decide whether the gun owner will face charges.
In a statement issued to WISH, IKEA claimed they have protocol is in place to ensure their customers’ safety. They noted that all their stores have a “no weapon” policy to prevent incidents like these.
“We take this incident very seriously and we have offered the family of the child involved our sincerest apologies,” the company said.
“As soon as we were aware of the situation, our co-workers took the action that they were trained to do to ensure the safety of customers. We are cooperating with police as they investigate this incident.”
Child finds, fires gun at IKEA.READ MORE: http://bit.ly/2tBOBex
Posted by Julian Grace on Monday, June 25, 2018
[Featured image: IKEA/AP Photo/Alan Diaz]