A man who was shot twice in the left thigh told police he was unloading his gun while parked at a Longhorn Steakhouse in Dawson County.

The accident happened Monday afternoon at the restaurant on Ga. 400 in Dawsonville, according to a report obtained Thursday from the sheriff’s office.

In the report, 21-year-old Michael Gilbert and his mother, Diana Cleghorn, were in the car and Gilbert decided to unload his older-model, .32 semi-automatic pistol.

“He accidentally fired the weapon several times,” a deputy wrote in the report.

Two rounds hit Gilbert’s left thigh, while additional rounds struck the car door.

A preliminary investigation showed that Gilbert’s statements to police were consistent with the evidence and no charges have been filed, but the case is not closed.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Amber Hicks’ father, Mark Boggs (center), hugs Hicks’ cousin Kirstyn Bauer upon hearing the life sentence for Matthew Lanz on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. Lanz was convicted a day earlier in the 2021 killings of Hicks and her husband, Justin, in their Acworth home. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Featured

Tracy Woodard from InTown Cares (left) and Lauren Hopper from Mercy Care organization work with residents at the Copperton Street encampment in August 2024. 
(Miguel Martinez / AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez