It goes without saying that your firearms should be unloaded before you start cleaning them. I guess this Pasco, WA man didn’t get the memo.

Pasco Police responded to the report of a shot fired this past Sunday at about 9 PM. They arrived at an apartment complex and found that a man had a negligent discharge while cleaning a rifle. The round went through the floor and landed in the apartment below him. Luckily, no one was hurt. The owner of the firearm might be facing charges for unlawful discharge of a firearm in the city.

We, as gun owners, need to do everything we can to prevent these things from happening. I understand that accidents happen, but a negligent discharge is a costly mistake. When cleaning firearms, you have to be 100% sure the firearm is unloaded. If you need to triple-check to make sure it is unloaded, then make that your routine.

Do not clean your guns in the same room as ammunition is in. Make sure the firearms are completely separate from the ammo. That leaves no chance of a round somehow getting into the gun.

You also need to keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. Most of the time, that would be down. But not if you live in an apartment where someone lives below you. So what if you live in an apartment where someone lives above and below you? I’d suggest getting something that can stop a round, like a plate of body armor, and pointing the gun at that while unloading it.

Do not become complacent when it comes to handling firearms. Make sure you follow the 4 Rules of Firearm Safety. And come up with a routine that will prevent these things from happening.

Read the original story: Make Sure Your Guns Are Unloaded When Cleaning | Don’t Have a Desk Pop Like This Guy