A 21-year-old man was charged with reckless conduct after his unsecured pistol discharged inside a Valdosta, Georgia, Walmart on June 9, injuring a 34-year-old mother in both ankles.
John Eady was carrying the firearm in the front pocket of his basketball-style shorts without a holster when he reached for his cellphone, police said. The gun went off into the floor, sending shrapnel and tile fragments into the woman's ankles.
The mother was shopping with her small children at the time. She suffered non-life-threatening injuries and received treatment.
Eady turned himself in on June 10 after an arrest warrant was issued. He faces one misdemeanor count of reckless conduct and remains held at the Lowndes County Jail.
Valdosta Police Chief Leslie Manahan noted that the incident highlights the responsibility of carrying firearms and urged secure holstering to prevent accidental discharges.