A California man attending a training class required to obtain a concealed weapons permit was accidentally shot by the instructor.
The incident occurred on Aug. 10 at the Ben Clark Training Center in Riverside, located about 50 miles outside of Los Angeles. The details of the accidental shooting were only just recently made public however, in part due to questioning from The Desert Sun.
According to a press release from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, which manages concealed carry permits for the region, staffers at the gun range inspect students’ firearms amid the course. During this portion of the class, a civilian instructor, who has not been identified, administered a “trigger pull test” and shot the student in his leg.
“Paramedics arrived and the citizen was transported to a local hospital where he received treatment for non-life-threatening injuries,” the police statement reads.
County spokeswoman Brooke Federico confirmed to the news outlet that the man shot was a county employee. She noted he was taking the class as a private citizen and not at the gun range in a work capacity.
“We wish our employee a speedy recovery,” Federico wrote in an email.
According to its website, the Ben Clark Training Center “focuses on a unified system of training to include law enforcement, fire, custody and emergency medical practitioners.”
“At the Ben Clark Training Center, we are adamant that we should not just meet the need of our agencies who attend our classes but exceed all expectations,” a note on the site reads.
“We are arming public service entities with the knowledge they need to excel with their dedication and commitment to the communities they serve.”
California is a “may issue” state, which means concealed weapons carriers must obtain and carry permits, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. A state law passed in 2018 requires applicants to complete a training course approved by licensing authority in their area, typically lasting between eight and 16 hours.
