Gun Being Cleaned Fires, Injuring Falls Township Man: Police

FALLSINGTON, PA —A Missouri man has been charged with simple assault with a deadly weapon after he was showing how to clean a handgun when it went off, striking his friend in the knee, police said.

Shamir Canto, of Warrensburg, Mo., was charged Monday in the Jan. 27 incident in which he "negligently caused bodily injury" by shooting Marquarn McQuitta in the left knee with a .9mm handgun, the Falls Township Police Department said.

In an affidavit before Magisterial Judge Jan Vislosky, Detective Ronald MacPherson testified that police had responded at 8:27 p.m., Jan. 27., to 29 Vitaloak Lane for a report of a man shot in the leg.

MacPherson said police officers were inside the home when he arrived and the 26-year-old McQuitta was in an ambulance being treated for the gunshot wound in the area of his left knee.

McQuitta told police that Canto was cleaning the handgun in the family room and he sat on the couch to play video games. All of a sudden, the gun went off and a bullet struck McQuitta around his left knee.

MacPherson said he noticed a "pool of blood" on the floor by the couch.

Canto told police that he accidentally shot McQuitta and thought the gun was not loaded.

He said the gun —a tan and black Springfield XDM .9mm —belonged to the owner of the home, who was upstairs at the time of the shooting.

Canto said he was sitting on the couch with McQuitta and showed him how to clean the gun, pulling the slide back on the firearm. He told police he did not see a round in the chamber.

He then went to disassemble the gun and take the slide off when the gun went off, Canto told police. The shell casing was recovered between two couch cushions.