An employee working at the National Rifle Association (NRA) headquarters accidentally shot himself on Thursday afternoon, causing minor injuries.
According to NBC Washington, the 46-year-old man’s pistol unintentionally discharged as he holstered it during a firearms training session at the NRA’s National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Virginia.
Police told reporters that the man was rushed to hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries to his lower body. No charges were filed.
The NRA has long touted itself as a champion of gun safety, but the incident highlights the dangers posed by firearms, even when stored or holstered. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there were 2,200 unintentional shootings in 2016, and 549 incidents have already occurred so far in 2017.
Meanwhile, the NRA has hosted seminars in which speakers encourage gun owners to store firearms in children’s bedrooms — despite that fact that children are often involved in unintentional shootings. According to data collected by gun safety group Everytown, at least 247 people were accidentally shot by children in 2016, and at least 58 have occurred so far this year.
Overall, the Gun Violence Archive has tracked 15,704 incidents of gun violence in 2017.
This post was updated to clarify that the victim’s gun went off as he was holstering it.