A Mom Tried to Light a Cigarette with a Gun But Accidentally Shot Her Daughter Instead [Wtf]

Guns, cigarettes, shootings…it’s your everyday gangster movie! Except sadly um, this is real life. Rachel Avila, a 30-year-old mother, tried to light her cigarette with a gun but instead, had the bullet ricochet off the ground and hit her daughter.

To be fair, because the gun, a derringer style .22, was so small, Avila thought it was one of those novelty lighters when she found it. Okay, to be fair, it doesn’t change the fact that she’s still a little loopy in the head. According to the news report:

Avila and her 12-year-old daughter “were talking with friends in front of their mobile home when Avila found what she thought was a novelty lighter…Avila picked it up and tried to light it by pulling the trigger. The first time Avila pulled the trigger, nothing happened. The second time she pulled the trigger, a .22-caliber bullet was fired. The bullet struck the ground, and then ricocheted upward and entered her daughter’s upper right arm.”

Luckily, the daughter is okay but I think there’s a few overarching lessons here (none of which are cigarettes are bad for you because that should be unsaid): First, don’t pick up a gun-looking gun in the middle of a trailer park. Second, if you have to pick it up don’t pull the freaking trigger without checking if it’s a real gun. Third, if you have to pull the trigger make sure no children—especially your own—are around. And fourth, try to always use your brain whenever a gun is involved. [Banning Beaumont Patch]

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