CHANDLER, Arizona - August 7, 2011 - As Chandler residents Joshua Seto, 27, and his fiancée, Cara Christopher, 26, walked over to a Fry's Food Store for refreshments, he tried securing her pink handgun in the front waistband of his pants.
The gun fired, striking Seto's penis and continuing through his left thigh. The bleeding started immediately and was heavy, according to police dispatch recordings released Sunday.
"He is still conscious, there is just a lot of blood," Christopher told 911 operators and dispatchers.
One operator told Christopher to apply direct pressure to the wound with a dry towel or T-shirt, but to avoid looking at the wound.
"I did look at it," she said. "It's pretty bad."
The accidental shooting took place about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday on the 900 block of W. Elliot Road.
In the wake of the accident, police are warning armed residents to use holsters, not waistbands.
“The movies and TV shows, like Sons of Anarchy, that show tough guys with guns shoved into their jeans are not realistic,” Chandler Police Detective Seth Tyler said Sunday.
“The cops and robbers of the silver screen most likely use rubber weapons, which weigh far less than the real things,” added Tyler. "Whenever you handle a firearm, whether you are a novice or experienced, always treat firearms as though they are loaded.”
