Carson City sheriff: Accidental firearm discharge at BLM protest ‘could have been a disaster’ – Reno Gazette-Journal

Black Lives Matter and others hold a peaceful protest in Carson City on Aug. 29, 2020.(Photo: JASON BEAN)

A firearm accidentally discharged towardthe end ofa Black Lives Matter protest Saturdayin Carson City could have had disastrous consequences, according to law enforcement.

The moral to this weekend is guns and demonstrations dont belong in the same place at the same time," Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong said. "Unfortunately, there are no laws against it. People who are carrying weapons need to apply extra safety measures. Its their responsibility. Folks attending demonstrations should really think twice about carrying a weapon down there. We got very lucky.

Had the circumstances been different, people could have been hurt and it could have been a disaster.

In video footage shot by This is Reno reporter Don Dike Anukam, a gunshot can be heard going off at the Carson City capital complex. The gunshot goes off about an hour and a half into the video as Anukam is interviewing someone.

Anukam started streaming on Facebook Live just after 4 p.m., which places the gunshot at around 5:30 p.m.

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Furlong said the protest started around 2 p.m., and that the gunshot happened after most protesters had left the area.

"The incident followed the end of the weekly demonstration that was otherwise peaceful," Furlong said in a prepared statement Tuesday.

After the gunshot, Anukam turns the camera toward Carson Street, where a man in a red shirt is shown on his knees next to a large firearm with his hands raised above his head. As law enforcement approach him, the man stands up and steps away from the gun.

In the video footage, the firearm is seized by law enforcement and the man is questioned for about 20 minutes. Anukam stops the man as he is walking away from law enforcement and asks him what happened.

The man identifies himself as Grant McBeth, 22, of Sparks, and says the discharge is accidental.

My rifle was this way, pointed upward with the sling on, he tells Anukam. I accidentally placed my hand where the trigger was.

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Before McBeth can describe what happened after, someone advises him to stop talking. While on camera, McBeth tells a woman that the discharge was an accident.

Furlong said the bullet came from a knockoff version of an AK-47 and that the bullet went straight into the air.

Everybody recognized from the onset this was not a shootingbut an accidental discharge, Furlong said. He did not intend the gun to go off.

Furlong added, "Its ridiculous that he had this weapon on fire and not on safe The onus is on the person carrying the weapon.

Nevada law allows citizens to open carry firearms without any sort of safety training, according to Sharon Oren, owner of Maccabee Arms Ltd. in Reno.

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Theoretically, you can just have one on you, he said. Now, responsible gun ownership is responsible gun ownership. If you own a firearm, be proficient with it. This is the type of person giving the Second Amendment and responsible gun owners a bad name.

To conceal carry a weapon in Nevada, gun owners must take an eight-hour class, he said.

Furlong said the case will go to the Carson City District Attorneys Office for review to see if McBeth should be charged.

We hope that everybody calms down from the weekend and this past weekends events dont become agitation sources, he said.

Amy Alonzo covers the outdoors, recreation and environment for Nevada and Lake Tahoe.Reach her at aalonzo@gannett.comor (775) 741-8588.Here's how you can support ongoing coverage and local journalism.

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