GROTON, Conn. (WFSB/Gray News) – A woman in Connecticut is fighting for her life after she was accidentally shot by her downstairs neighbor, according to authorities.
Police in Groton said they were told by 30-year-old Caleb Bean that he accidentally discharged his firearm on Sunday just before 11 p.m. He said he had been attempting to cycle the action of his rifle.
Robert Guest of Eastern Connecticut Firearms Safety said cycling is done to load or unload a gun and should never be done in an uncontrolled environment.
“Cycling is pulling it back and letting it go, inserting one cartridge into the chamber,” he said.
Police said Bean told them the bullet shot through the ceiling of his apartment and hit the woman in the apartment directly above his.
“Always point your gun in a safe direction. And absolutely, if you know the environment you’re in and there’s just the possibility of someone being above you, up is probably not the safest direction,” Guest said.
Officers responded quickly to the Phoenix Park Apartments on Long Hill Road.
When officers arrived, they said they found two neighbors and the victim’s boyfriend trying to use a makeshift tourniquet on the victim while talking to her to keep her awake and focused.
Police said the gunshot wound to the victim’s right leg was serious and resulted in “a significant amount of blood loss.” The officers on the scene applied two tourniquets to stem and attempt to control the bleeding.
The woman was then taken to Lawrence & Memorial Hospital for emergency surgery for her life-threatening injuries. She is currently in the ICU.
Detectives said they seized an AR-15-style rifle from the scene.
Guest said he has been teaching gun safety courses for decades. He said the first two lessons are to keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot and to assume all guns are loaded.
“These things are as safe as the user. This is the importance of getting quality training,” Guest said. “This is a one in a million chance. It’s like playing the lottery. Not so much just the firearm discharging accidentally, but just the whole scenario playing out perfectly.”
Bean was arrested and charged with assault in the first degree, two counts of reckless endangerment in the first degree, unlawful discharge of a firearm, two counts of criminal mischief in the third degree and breach of peace in the second degree.
Bean was held on a $250,000 cash or surety bond.