A man in Turkey was reportedly killed after his dog unwittingly shot him with a rifle. Ozgur Gevrekoglu had apparently failed to secure his firearm in the backseat of his car, and the dog managed to somehow step on the trigger and cause the gun to fire right at Gevrekoglu, according to newspaper Turkiye. Here's what authorities know so far about the tragic accident, and why they think a dog was involved.
Gevrekoglu was hunting in the Kızlan Plateau, in the Samsun Province of Turkey. While placing his dog into the backseat of the vehicle where the rifle was kept, the animal touched the loaded weapon with its paw. This caused the rifle to discharge and hit Gevrekoglu.
Gevrekoglu was taken to hospital and later pronounced dead. As he had several dogs, authorities are not sure which one was involved in the shooting. His body has reportedly been moved to Alacam State Hospital morgue, where experts hope to find out more about his death.
Seasoned hunters are well aware of gun safety rules, and the importance of securing firearms to prevent accidents from happening. "Treat every gun as if it is loaded: Every time a gun is handled, check to make sure the gun is empty of shells or cartridges. Always assume the gun has the ability to load itself," says the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
"Always point the muzzle in a safe direction: No one should ever see the muzzle end of your gun. An experienced hunter is always aware of the safe direction to point the gun's muzzle and would not hunt with anyone who doesn't do likewise," the Ohio Division of Wildlife continues. "Never point a gun at anything you don't want to shoot: Avoid all horseplay with a firearm. Unload guns when not in use: Have the actions open to ensure a gun is not loaded. Guns should be carried in cases to the shooting area."
It's not just dogs that can accidentally cause death—a butcher in Hong Kong was knocked over by a pig he was about to kill, resulting in him being gored with his own meat cleaver. "We will complete the investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of the duty holders and recommend improvement measures," says the Hong Kong Labor Department. "We will take actions pursuant to the law if there is any violation of the work safety legislation."
