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The Carrolton, KY community is mourning the loss of Chad Wainscott, a cherished regular at Welch’s Riverside Restaurant, who was tragically killed in an accident at a local gun store on Saturday evening.
Ernest Welch, owner of the restaurant, spoke fondly of Wainscott, describing him as a customer he would never forget.
“There are some customers you never forget, and I get pretty attached to people. Chad Wainscott was one of them. When you saw Chad, you saw a smile,” Welch told WLKY.
According to Kentucky State Police (KSP), the incident occurred at a gun store on Whites Run Road. A customer was examining a firearm when it accidentally discharged, striking Wainscott.
Despite efforts by others present to save him, the 50-year-old was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The investigation is ongoing to determine why the firearm was loaded.
Welch expressed his disbelief and sorrow over the incident. “I couldn’t believe it; I could not believe it at all. I mean, it just devastated me,” he said.
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Wainscott and his father were regulars at Welch’s restaurant, often dining there nearly every day they were in the area. They frequently discussed their love for farming and shared life updates with Welch.
Just a day before the tragic event, Wainscott had shared his excitement with Welch about a recent purchase.
“On Friday, he talked to me sitting here, and he said, ‘I bought me one with a scope, and I could shoot at nighttime if I wanted to,’ and he said, ‘Saturday, I’m going to buy me a scope for daytime,'” Welch recalled.
Unfortunately, Wainscott never got to use his new purchase.
Reflecting on the unpredictability of life, Welch said, “Things happen in life that we got no power over at all. It’s just things that happen, just like Chad. I thought he would grow up to be an old man.”
As the investigation continues, the Carrollton community remains deeply affected by this sudden loss.
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“According to Kentucky State Police (KSP), the incident occurred at a gun store on Whites Run Road. A customer was examining a firearm when it accidentally discharged, striking Wainscott”.
This was no AD; but rather a clear case of an ND.
I wouldn’t want to be the owner of that gunshop….
The gun stores I go to in Texas have strict rules regarding pulling personal weapons in the gun store. If its your carry gun, you have to keep it holstered and an employee will check the gun, clear it, make sure the chamber is empty, slide is locked open, and the magazine has been removed. Only then will the employee let the firearm be touched. Sounds like someone pulled their EDC in a gun store, which is a good way to get shot in Texas. I’ve asked to bring my EDC in to a store to compare to a ZevTech Hyper Comp. The employee asked me to unload it before bringing it in, and put it in the holster before bringing it in. He also asked my to put the holster in my waistband before walking back in or to put the empty firearm in a soft pistol case to carry it in the store. This should never happen in a gun store.
I had a customer at one of my favorite stores show me his holstered Staccato with a Holosun optic on it. He asked if i wanted to see it. I said yes. We asked one of the employed helping us. The employee took to Staccato from his OWB holster, removed the mag and racked the slide back to unload the chamber and left the slide locked back, before setting the gun on the counter top for me to examine and checkout his optic set up.
Rules are rules and meant to be followed. Always ask for the procedures to follow before pulling your loaded EDC in a gun store. Very foolish. Safety takes priority.
could have been an anti-gunner making a point…….
I know some other commenters may have covered this, but it bears repeating. The gun could only “accidentally” discharge if there was a mechanical malfunction, While that is possible, it is not probable, and even then someone should have checked to see if the gun was loaded. The poor guy was most likely killed because someone failed to treat the gun as being loaded, pointed it in an unsafe direction, and pulled the trigger. All things covered by the most basic of the rules of gun safety, and things that the person holding the gun didn’t have enough common sense to follow. Maybe it was a person new to guns, or maybe it was a long-time gun owner who got complacent, but either way, it was a completely avoidable tragedy. Although it seems obvious, the author should point out the critical importance of following the rules of gun safety since, as this article demonstrates, not everyone seems to follow them. The first thing anyone who picks up a gun should do is personally check to see if it is loaded, whether it comes out of a display case, a holster, or a gun safe.
We can all learn a lesson here. Many people are killed by unloaded (perceptive) guns.
I have been to two gun shows where guns have been fired.
I have been at least 10 dove hunts where someone blew a hole in the ground trying to react too quickly.
….and don’t think it can’t happen to you! I once shipped a rifle for a customer that had a round in the magazine. I checked the chamber but neglected to pull it back far enough to see the mag tube. Nobody to blame but myself!!!
Ours is a dangerous and unforgiving responsibility 24/7/365. My hope is to never read of a tragedy like this again.
Ryan Kephart
A while back I went to a garage sale where a gentleman was selling a few rifles. One was a real nice 8mm Mauser milsurp. A customer was handling it in a somewhat reckless manner including pointing it in directions that could have gotten someone hurt or dead. He finished his inspection and set the rifle back down on the table and moved on. I immediately asked permission to handle the rifle and was given the ok. First thing I looked at was the safety, it was off. Then I opened the bolt and almost passed out. There was a round in the chamber! I gained the seller’s attention and took him aside. I showed him the round, still in the chamber and he almost passed out! He said he’d cleared the rifle before putting it out. He took the rifle into his house and unloaded a total of four rounds of 8mm FMJ military surplus. When he came back, he handed me the rifle and I immediately cleared it… it was empty. It was a sweet little rifle so I decided to get it. After the purchase, he handed me the four rounds and thanked me.
By this time the fool that had been screwing around with a loaded rifle had left. I still get the shakes thinking about how easy tragedy could have occurred.
Clear the dang gun, each time and every time, no matter what!
Interesting. First time i get sent a reply (who is this “jeff”?) to comment from this site, and it refuses to accept a reply without i come back to the actual site.
If someone is mishandling a firearm we need to have the courage to ask them to leave immediately. Stay safe. j
BTW, I have received criticism for carrying with an empty chamber. Here is an indisputable statistic for you fellows: I each case of accidental/negligent discharge of a firearm, there was a round in the chamber 100% OF THE TIME!!! Stay safe. j
have you heard keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot? that would be like saying sparkplugs waste 90% of your gas or 90% of people die in the care of a doctor……
I am guessing some dumb a$$ pulled his carry gun and showed it to another customer while they were yapping guns. Probably pulled the mag but not the slide, or cupped the slide and the round went back into the chamber. Shops are very tight about handling guns and customers keeping theirs in the holster,etc. Someone broke the rules and if so should be charged.
So many things here that doesn’t make any sense. First of all why this man have to go at such a young age. Why was the gun loaded in the first place why would you be looking at a gun you’re going to purchase and even pointed at another person. Whether you were going to dry fire it or accidentally fire it. Why would you point it at another person there are a lot of people buying guns that are not educated in regards to the safety. My heart goes out to Chad and his family.
Live ammo in a gun, in a gunstore. the employees are usually near-paranoiacally averse to allowing that, especially with customers they do not know and trust!
I can’t come up with a scenario that would have a loaded gun in a customer’s hands. If it were his (or whomever’s) carry gun, why did they have it out? Safety rules for loading and unloading any firearm are written in blood and set in stone. Do not handle a loaded weapon unless you are going to shoot it or unload it to put it away. If unloading for someone else to handle it, both parties must check the magazine and chamber.
This didn’t have to happen. I can only hope someone learns from this tragedy and no one else dies from another person’s mistake.
I often worry about going to the range when first-time gun owners are there to try out their new toy and forget the first rules of firearms:
Always assume it’s loaded and don’t put your finger on the trigger unless the gun is pointed only at the target.