She Should Have Taken Our Concealed Carry Class in Inverness!

In what has now been the second occurrence in which a gun was fired from inside a woman’s purse at Starbucks, the most recent incident resulted in a gun owner’s pistol shooting her friend in the leg. Police reports indicate that Pamela Beck was standing in line at the coffee shop with friend Amie Peterson at a Mall in St. Petersburg when Beck set down her bag so abruptly that it set the gun inside off. Police spokesman Mike Puetz said Beck’s purse “hit the ground hard” thus forcing the fully loaded .25 caliber semi-automatic handgun to fire.

Unfortunately this Starbuck’s incident resulted in Beck’s concealed firearm shooting her friend Peterson above the knee, causing her to be rushed to the trauma center where she was treated and released. In the first incident of an accidental purse shooting at a Starbucks a pistol was fired but did not injure any patrons. Similarly, the girl whose purse was carrying the firearm was encouraged to do so by her father.

Beck told investigators that she had forgotten the gun in her purse and that her father had given it to her about a year ago. She also said she never intended to bring it out in public. If Beck would have taken a Florida concealed carry class she might have practiced better judgment and been aware about the correct methods of carrying and transporting a firearm. As a result of Beck’s poor decision-making she will be charged with a concealed carry felony and likely face jail time or other punitive measures.

How This Could Have Been Prevented

Upon receiving the handgun from her father, Beck should have taken a concealed carry permit class to learn about handling guns safely and appropriately. This was her first mistake amongst many. If she had taken a CCW class she would have known not to drop her purse so abruptly and more importantly would have known to carry the gun in a holster to prevent accidental discharge such as the one that occurred at the Starbucks. Beck’s incident caused pain and suffering to her friend and likely those who witnessed the accidental shooting at the popular coffee shop.

This should be a lesson to others who have acquired guns but do not have concealed carry licenses. Carrying a gun is a responsibility that should be taken seriously. Learning about the proper and legal ways to carry can prevent incidences like this from happening. Perhaps the fathers who gave guns to their daughters should have insisted they take and complete concealed carry classes.