Unscheduled live fire drill at Atlanta area gun show.

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cvasqu03
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Unscheduled live fire drill at Atlanta area gun show.

Post by cvasqu03 »

As y'all may know, I've been spending a lot of time in the Atlanta area for work. Well, last week, I experienced what I can only refer to as an unplanned-live fire-active shooter drill at an Atlanta area gun show.

There's a venue called the Atlanta Expo Center where they have large shows. They've had a few gun shows scheduled that got cancelled due to COVID so this is the first big show they've had since March of this year. The size of this show would be comparable to the ones they used to have at coconut Grove convention Center.

Anyway, I did my usual thing of starting down one end and methodically working toward the other end. I was almost to the other end and was looking through one of those big rotating bookshelves when an actual gunshot rang out. Since loaded weapons or magazines are not allowed in the venue, everyone immediately froze and started looking around. Then about ten to twenty seconds later, people started running toward the exits, ducking under tables, hiding behind big columns and running toward the back of the building around where I was. It caused a chain reaction and there was some shouting which was hard to make out so I hugged the corner of the table where I was and ducked trying to see what was going on. I figured since I was at a corner I could use the shelves for cover from two different directions and run out the back if I needed to. after a while no further gun shots rang out and everyone started to calm down. Eventually, everyone got back to normal but as it was almost closing time a lot of vendors started packing up and everyone that remained was pretty miffed to say the least.

At the entrance, there's a table that puts zip ties on guns and asks you if you have any loaded mags (which are not allowed) but there's no metal detector so somehow a loaded revolver made it inside. Apparently the moron that brought it was at a holster vendor and someone mishandled the gun and it went off. The gunshot was actually surprisingly close to where I was standing when it went off. Close enough that one of the vendors behind me could smell the gunpowder (I was wearing a mask so I didn't smell anything). There were no holes or obvious damage around the vendor's area (which was set up in a "U" shape), but around closing time four Atlanta PD officers went to the vendor and I saw him talking to them while pointing down toward the area under his tables. My guess is that the idiot who brought it in was trying to buy a holster and gave it to the vendor in some type of bag and when the vendor pulled it out he broke one of the cardinal rules and put his finger on the trigger and it went off. Either that or the idiot did it himself, while fortunately aiming downward. In any case, nobody got hurt, which was just pure luck as it was a fairly crowded venue, but it got damn scary for a minute. It certainly ruined what had up 'till then been a very pleasant day. It's also not the kind of thing that makes us all look good in general. :x

Anyway, my heart got its workout for the day, that's for sure.
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lakelandman
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Post by lakelandman »

Everybody's got a plan until they get hit.
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cvasqu03
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Post by cvasqu03 »

Yup, that was it alright. I'd tried to find reporting on it the day after but I guess it took a couple of days to make it out. Looks like that video is after the stampede had already abated. The gunshot was startling enough, but man, that stampede is what really rattled everyone. I had to fight off the urge to run in order to look around and see what was going on first. It kind of reminded me of the time they closed down Dolphin Mall because someone thought there was an active shooter but nobody actually saw the shooter. I tried to see if I could spot myself in the video but I would have been really far to the left there. I had no idea it had been the vendor's gun, but I guess that makes sense since the cops weren't questioning anyone else. A friend on another forum said that something similar happened at the Great Outdoors show in Harrisburg PA some years ago. I hope it wasn't the same guy. :shock:
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Tenzing_Norgay
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Post by Tenzing_Norgay »

Key words: "Idiot" & "Moron". :roll:
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Whoutink
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Post by Whoutink »

I'd be willing bet that atleast half the people in the gun show are carrying, they just don't shoot them in the building. 😆
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rentprop1
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Post by rentprop1 »

Whoutink wrote: Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:13 am I'd be willing bet that atleast half the people in the gun show are carrying, they just don't shoot them in the building. 😆
about 2 years ago in CRYSTAL River gun show, they had a ND, some vendor let his friend put some guns on his table and yep one of them had a loaded mag in it, I was on the other side of the hall, but heard the pop and saw no less that 10 people reach for their waistbands, no stampede but everyone was looking around, I of course added to the panic by yelling take cover :mrgreen:
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cvasqu03
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Post by cvasqu03 »

rentprop1 wrote: Wed Sep 30, 2020 3:27 pm
Whoutink wrote: Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:13 am I'd be willing bet that atleast half the people in the gun show are carrying, they just don't shoot them in the building. 😆
about 2 years ago in CRYSTAL River gun show, they had a ND, some vendor let his friend put some guns on his table and yep one of them had a loaded mag in it, I was on the other side of the hall, but heard the pop and saw no less that 10 people reach for their waistbands, no stampede but everyone was looking around, I of course added to the panic by yelling take cover :mrgreen:
Well, that's actually kind of disturbing.

Having previously only ever heard a gun fired at a gun range or during some sort of practice, hearing one out in the open somewhere where it shouldn't be is not a pleasant experience. From most people's reactions, I have a feeling this vendor will be persona-non-grata at future events, and that's probably for the best.
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rentprop1
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Post by rentprop1 »

mistakes happen, we opened a gun box ( NAA ) I think it was, that had the extra 22Mag cylinder. checked the gun but never thought to check the extra cylinder and yep it was loaded.......you've gotta take time and look and still sometimes a 2nd person checking isnt always a bad thing.

as for gunshot in the wild, you need to get out more :D , Webster Flea Market last month some redneck bought a shotgun, walked into the parking lot and tried it out on a metal road sign....yep a lot of people shouldn't own guns :mrgreen:
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cvasqu03
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Post by cvasqu03 »

Well, I was originally just going to post that I'd only ever heard it at a range, but then I remembered that the first time I shot my rifle we went with a friend down Krome avenue to a wooded area, hiked to a small clearing and shot soda cans in the water. I wonder if that area still even exists or if it's been paved over by now.
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Whoutink
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Post by Whoutink »

Imagine how the guys felt who left their guns in the car. That's gotta be horrible.

I agree with rent, you need to get out more. I hear gunfire in my neighborhood almost daily. I live in Shadyhills springhill area. I'm almost positive I have 2 neighbors very close who own automatics. I was so happy when I heard the sound
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