Man fires gun into pants, shrapnel hits woman and child in Cobb

Call it dumb. Call it luck. It was certainly dumb luck.

A man dropped a gun checking out of a Marietta hotel over the weekend. Some shrapnel from the round going into the ground hit a woman and a child nearby.

No one was injured.

No one was charged with a crime.

Marietta police spokesman Officer Chuck McPhilamy said officers have discretion whether or not to arrest. He said the man reported the accidental discharge himself, was apologetic and somehow no one was hurt by his actions.

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McPhilamy said officers “look at all circumstances” surrounding the case before deciding to arrest.

The man tucked the gun into his waistband, but the gun fell out while he was carrying luggage down stairs.

"He said he reached for his gun to keep it from falling and accidentally pulled the trigger while grabbing it," the department said in its Sunday post on Facebook.

The bullet sliced through the folds of his pants to create a dramatic look at the trajectory that just barely missed his leg.

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McPhilamy wanted to remind folks that Marietta police and many others groups offer firearms training classes.

The Facebook post has been shared more than 300 times and garnered 100 comments. People argued back and forth in the comments section about the virtue of carrying a gun.

The department signed off the post with this: “Seriously people, it is your right to bear arms, but if you CHOOSE to do that, seek training first! #reallifeisstrangerthanfiction”

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