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

Atlanta police officers offer an early assist with the search for Rockdale County escaped inmate Timothy Shane, who ran away from Grady Memorial Hospital on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)

Credit: Ben Hendren for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Featured

Austin Walters died from an overdose in 2021 after taking a Xanax pill laced with fentanyl, his father said. A new law named after Austin and aimed at preventing deaths from fentanyl has resulted in its first convictions in Georgia, prosecutors said. (Family photo)

Credit: Family photo