3 Injured at Cracker Barrel When Dropped Gun Fires

Cracker Barrel restaurants have an old time, southern atmosphere, but they’re not exactly the O.K. Corral.

Patrons enjoying a Sunday morning breakfast at the Sanford location, however, may have had a hard time telling the difference. It seems a customer and his fiancée were leaving the dining area to pay their bill around 8:30 a.m. when the man’s gun fell out of its holster and fired. Bullet fragments struck three people, including the man’s fiancée.

According to a Seminole County Sheriff’s Office incident report, William Hoback, 65, didn’t notice his weapon was missing as his attention was drawn to his fiancée, Patricia Ulicny, 64. Ulciny, the report said, began to complain about a pain in her leg after the two heard a “popping sound” coming from the fireplace.

When they spotted blood on Ulicny’s leg, the two went into the restroom to examine the injury. That’s when Hoback noticed his gun was missing from its holster, the report stated.

By the time Hoback realized what had happened, it was clear that Ulciny wasn’t the only person struck by the accidental gun fire. Fragments from the gunshot also struck the restaurant’s assistant manager and another patron. All three injured were struck in the leg, the report noted. Two of the injuries were “extremely minor,” Kim Cannaday of the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office told Patch. The third was also relatively minor, but the incident report noted that removing the bullet fragment was a bit problematic.

Hoback, the report said, took immediate responsibility for the accidental firing as soon as he realized what had happened. He and two patrons even worked together to find the missing gun, which was ultimately found inside the fireplace. The gun was a “small, two-shot Cobra 9mm,” the report noted.

Since the incident was accident, Seminole deputies filed no charges against Hoback. Cannaday said the sheriff’s office is not permitted to release information about concealed weapons permits. So, it remains unclear if Hoback is a permit holder.