Ohio Gun Shop Owner Fatally Shot During Concealed Carry Class

[RedStickChick]

Terrible.

The owner of a Monroe Township gun shop was fatally shot Saturday afternoon when a student in a concealed carry permit class accidentally discharged a weapon, the Clermont County Sheriff's Office said.

James Baker, 64, was shot in the neck and pronounced dead just before 1 p.m. at his KayJay Gun Shop at 3023 Lindale-Mt. Holly Road, the sheriff's office said in a news release. He was struck by a bullet that was fired by a class participant while practicing weapon malfunction drills.

The sheriff's office reported about 10 people were taking the class in a room adjacent to where Baker was sitting.

The student who discharged the handgun has not been identified.

In the hours following the fatal incident, nearly a dozen people gathered in gravel lot in front of the business sharing hugs and tears.

Anita Fritz said she'd known Baker since 1999. She was holding a yard sale in the front yard of her father's home across the street of the gun shop when police and an ambulance arrived.

Fritz described Baker as the best neighbor you could ever have.

"He was a friend to everybody," she said. "If it snowed, he'd get everybody's driveway."

When Fritz's father recently passed away, she said Baker offered to do anything she needed. She said the same ambulance that had come for her father returned to try to save Baker.

She recalled that Baker worked in law enforcement in the 1970s and was a friend to local police and deputies.

"Cops were always coming in and out, and he told me, 'Don't worry, I'm not in trouble,'" she said. "They came and looked at his guns, get their guns fixed and cleaned and get their ammo."

KayJay Gun Shop could not be reached for comment.

An American flag flew outside the brown pole building occupied by the business. A white sign attached to a fence advertised the business to those traveling the two-lane road in rural Clermont County less than two miles southwest of East Fork State Park.

KayJay Gun Shop's website advertises concealed carry permit classes along with tactical rifle and defensive pistol classes. During this summer, concealed carry permit classes were scheduled to take place once a month.

The business holds a Type 07 and Type 06 federal firearms license allowing it to manufacture both firearms and ammunition. It also holds a Class 72 Special Occupation Taxpayer license, which is needed to manufacture firearms regulated by the National Firearms Act of 1934 that placed tighter restrictions on fully-automatic weapons and other categories of firearms.

The Clermont County Sheriff's Office is continuing to investigate the shooting.

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2016/06/18/police-1-dead-accidental-clermont-co-gun-shop-shooting/86085726/

 

[whitsend]

Sad indeed. I saw that earlier. The article I saw said they were practicing malfunction drills.
When I took my CHP class the instructor didn't even allow ammo in the classroom.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[DAVE_M]

Sad indeed. I saw that earlier. The article I saw said they were practicing malfunction drills.
When I took my CHP class the instructor didn't even allow ammo in the classroom.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

There should never be ammo in the classroom. It's bad enough that 90% of the folks in the classroom don't even know how to load their gun.

 

[JBP55]

No Ammunition and No Firearms in the Class. Empty Pistols and separated ammunition components used by Instructor which are verified by students before the class begins.

 

[Whitebread]

Its sad to hear things like this. I know a lot of people laugh at the use of snap caps, but I used them to teach my wife basic maniputation techniques. And havent in a while but use them to practice clearing malfunctions while sitting on couch. Live ammo in a classroom enviroment or in my case in the living does seem a little risky. I was always tought three steps
1.tap (seat mag)
2.rack (clear chamber and reset trigger)
3.bang (fire weapon and if no joy repeat)
I just don't see how you can practice that with live ammo in that kind of enviroment.

 

[JBP55]

Its sad to hear things like this. I know a lot of people laugh at the use of snap caps, but I used them to teach my wife basic maniputation techniques. And havent in a while but use them to practice clearing malfunctions while sitting on couch. Live ammo in a classroom enviroment or in my case in the living does seem a little risky. I was always tought three steps
1.tap (seat mag)
2.rack (clear chamber and reset trigger)
3.bang (fire weapon and if no joy repeat)
I just don't see how you can practice that with live ammo in that kind of enviroment.

Tap/Rack/Bang has changed in recent years to Tap/Rack/Assess. Snap Caps should be verified by students before used in class.

 

[DAVE_M]

I just don't see how you can practice that with live ammo in that kind of enviroment.

With a dedicated training.

I don't know anyone moronic enough to use real equipment in a classroom setting.

Blue Guns and Glock's training guns were designed for a reason.

 

[Whitebread]

Tap/Rack/Bang has changed in recent years to Tap/Rack/Assess. Snap Caps should be verified by students before used in class.

Good to know.
Are we assessing the weapon or the situation, or both?

 

[whitsend]

No Ammunition and No Firearms in the Class. Empty Pistols and separated ammunition components used by Instructor which are verified by students before the class begins.

^Exactly what my instructor did. And anytime he handles a pistol, he verified it and he had a student verify it again. If he laid it down and picked it back up, it was verified again. If it was handed to another person, it was verified again.

Safety first. Always.

 

[DAVE_M]

^Exactly what my instructor did. And anytime he handles a pistol, he verified it and he had a student verify it again. If he laid it down and picked it back up, it was verified again. If it was handed to another person, it was verified again.

Safety first. Always.

Or just use training aids.

I'm all for safe practices, but the classroom is no place for real firearms.

 

[whitsend]

Or just use training aids.

I'm all for safe practices, but the classroom is no place for real firearms.

That depends on what you are doing.
Part of the required CHP training is learning all the part of revolvers and pistols. That can be hard to do with a training aid.

But I agree, training aid should be use when possible.

I actually found some cheap rubber(?) traing pistols and bought one for some training and plan to get a few to give to the instructor that taught my CHP class.

 

[DAVE_M]

That depends on what you are doing.
Part of the required CHP training is learning all the part of revolvers and pistols. That can be hard to do with a training aid.

But I agree, training aid should be use when possible.

I actually found some cheap rubber(?) traing pistols and bought one for some training and plan to get a few to give to the instructor that taught my CHP class.

Blue Guns are dummies. They don't do anything and they are cheap.

There are Revolvers and Pistols that do have moving parts, but do not fire anything. Glock's Red Gun for example.

 

[JBP55]

Good to know.
Are we assessing the weapon or the situation, or both?

Quickly assess the Situation and if No Threat No Bang. Deadly threat, Shoot until you stop the threat.

 

[DAVE_M]

Quickly assess the Situation and if No Threat No Bang. Deadly threat, Shoot until you stop the threat.

What if the guy was throwing chips?

 

[JayKay]

A couple of articles seem to indicate that the victim was not actually in the same room where the gun was fired. Sad no matter what the circumstance.

"Investigators discovered that a class participant discharged a handgun while practicing weapon malfunction drills, striking Baker, who was sitting in an adjacent room." (http://local12.com/news/local/fatal-shooting-in-amelia)

 

[JBP55]

What if the guy was throwing chips?

Ask for a soft drink to go with the chips.

 

[machinedrummer]

Very sad. They should have a "No Ammo" sign on the classroom door. I'm not a fan of going through the re-certification class. It still seems to be be full of second time shooters. Public ranges are a scary place too. Especially in the last few years when everyone is buying weapons and not seeking proper training to use them. Owners manuals and YouTube isn't enough. Get a decent weapon and great training. There are many qualified instructors around here that can help.

 

[Whitebread]

Quickly assess the Situation and if No Threat No Bang. Deadly threat, Shoot until you stop the threat.

I figured that was the thinking.

- - - Updated - - -

What if the guy was throwing chips?

Ask for a soft drink to go with the chips.

 

[323MAR]

What if the guy was throwing chips?

Run
Hide
Fight

If he is throwing racial insults, then fire warning shots!

 

[Pops 1]

No Ammunition and No Firearms in the Class. Empty Pistols and separated ammunition components used by Instructor which are verified by students before the class begins.

+1