Stray Bullet Hits Man In Publix Checkout Line: Police

LAND O' LAKES, FL — A man standing in a checkout line at a Publix grocery store sustained a gunshot wound Sunday afternoon when a pistol stashed in his wife's purse went off, according to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.

The shooting victim, who was not identified, was in stable condition in a local hospital Monday, and no criminal charges are expected, the sheriff's office said. His wife has a concealed carry permit and keeps a Derringer two-shot pistol in her purse.

A surveillance system inside the store, at 2121 Collier Parkway, captured the whole incident, according to the sheriff's office.

As shown by a video given to sheriff's deputies by the Publix store, the woman's purse was sitting on a counter near a cash register when it fell to the floor. Her husband immediately flinched and dropped to the floor.

The gun apparently fired when the purse hit the floor, and a bullet struck the victim's lower right shin. The deputies found the small firearm inside the wife's purse and discovered a hole in the side of the purse.