Gun Misfires During Safety Demonstration: Prosecutor

TINLEY PARK, IL — A man teaching firearm safety to some teens accidentally blew a hole through the ceiling when the gun discharged, prosecutors said. Brian White, 26, of Tinley Park, appeared before Cook County Judge Terry Gallagher on a felony charge of reckless discharge of a firearm.

Around 3 p.m. Jan. 20, the mother of a 15-year-old girl told police that White came to the home uninvited in the 7100 block of 173rd Street in Tinley Park. White brought an unassembled shotgun to teach the daughter and her boyfriend how to handle firearms, the prosecutor said.

After White assembled the gun for the teens, the prosecutor said he put a live round in the chamber. Moments later, the gun misfired and the bullet penetrated the ceiling. The prosecutor said White repaired the hole.

White has a revoked FOID card, the prosecutor said. He was released on a $10,000 I-bond. White’s next court date is Feb. 27.

“You might want to leave the guns alone,” Gallagher said.