The woman, who reportedly forgot she had a loaded handgun in her bag, accidentally shot her friend in the leg as she moved the bag to the ground.
According to police, Pamela Beck was attempting to place her purse on the ground when it "hit the ground hard," ultimately setting off the fully loaded .25 caliber semi-automatic handgun.
The shot ended up striking her friend, Amie Peterson, just above her knee. Peterson, who was not seriously injured in the accident, was subsequently treated and released from a nearby hospital.
Beck told investigators her father had originally given her the gun about a year ago and she had no intentions to bring it out in public. Spokesman Mike Puetz of the St. Petersberg Police Department said Beck told officers "she had forgotten about it."
However, Beck won't be able to forget about Saturday's incident anytime in the future. Because she doesn't possess a concealed carry weapons permit, officers reported the case has been transferred to prosecutors.
Last weekend's Starbucks fiasco serves as yet another incident in a bizarre string of accidental shootings in the past month.
Previously, a three-year-old Tampa boy shot and killed himself after discovering a handgun in the room he shared with an uncle. The child's uncle, who was later arrested and charged with culpable negligence, did not possess a concealed weapons permit, according to police.
Just before that, a two-year-old Kentucky girl was accidentally shot and killed by her five-year-old brother with a .22-caliber rifle. The gun was reportedly given to the boy as present the year prior.
Further, a six-year-old Fort Lauderdale girl was critically wounded after accidentally being shot by her 13-year-old brother, who was home alone when he discovered the handgun.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost seven people are wounded by gunfire every 60 minutes in the U.S.
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