title:  Whoops: VA Gun Shop Employee Accidentally Shoots Herself
text: An employee of Safeside Tactical in Roanoke, Virginia accidentally shot herself in the leg on Thursday, May 6 during a private event being held inside the gun store. According to local station WDBJ7, the shooting took place just before noon, while the business was closed to the public.Roanoke City Police Department and Roanoke Fire EMS were called to the scene. The shooting victim was transferred to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, where she is being treated for non life-threatening injuries.According to a statement released by the company, the injured employee works in an administrative position.The company stated: All of our employees undergo required firearm safety training upon hiring, and this unfortunate incident shows that even experienced firearm owners must be ever-vigilant and aware of the responsibilities associated with safe handling. According to the NRA, guns make for a safer society. Following that line of reasoning, a gun shop should be the safest place in the world. This is just one of many incidents where people have been accidentally or purposely injured by a firearm while surrounded by guns.On January 9, 2015, for example, four people were shot inside a gun store in Shawnee, Kansas.A few months later, a Fayetteville, NC man shot himself in the leg while attending a gun show.In November 2015, two men were shot at a gun show in Idaho when a vendor  accidentally fired a rifle. In January of this year, somewhere between one and three people were shot at a gun show in Ohio. Authorities were unable to determine the exact number of people who were shot at that event.Also in January of this year, two people were killed and two others injured during a father-son shootout at a gun store in Mississippi.All of the people involved in these shootings were surrounded by guns when they were injured or killed. Contrary to what the NRA says, being surrounded by guns does not make a person less likely to get shot. In fact, the opposite is true. The more guns that people have access to, the greater their risk of being injured or killed by one.Featured image via Ratha Grimes via Flickr cc 2.0 