LAKE WYLIE, S.C. — A man was accidentally shot inside a popular Lake Wylie restaurant, and Channel 9 has learned the gun owner won’t be charged.
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Channel 9's partners at the Rock Hill Herald obtained surveillance video from inside the Bagel Boat Saturday morning.
It shows a man, who had just made a purchase, walking toward the door to leave, when suddenly there’s a flash.
A concealed gun fell out of another customer’s pocket, hit the floor and discharged. The bullet hit the other man in the leg.
[ALSO READ: 1-year-old girl, woman hurt in 'accidental shooting' at party, police say]
"We are very thankful that it ended the way it did, and nobody was hurt more seriously,” store manager Louis Keefe said.
The victim and his wife were new customers who just moved to the area from Chicago.
The gun owner was the first to step right up to help the wounded man.
"He was very apologetic,” Keefe said.
The victim is recovering.
The sheriff called the incident irresponsible but said it’s not a crime.
A gun instructor said under North Carolina law, which also covers the gun owner in South Carolina, he can’t be charged for an accidental discharge at a public establishment unless he was drinking alcohol.
"I would never advise someone to carry a gun loosely in their pocket,” weapons instructor Jennifer Fredell said.
She said too many things can go wrong, but it’s not illegal to keep a gun in your pocket as long as you have a concealed carry permit.
The owners of the store said they are considering banning guns from the property.