Gun shop talks about the importance of firearm training, responsible gun ownership

AVON — The shooting of a grandmother and her 4-year-old granddaughter is once again putting a spotlight on the importance of responsible gun ownership.

On Wednesday afternoon, Avon police say a 25-year-old man was mishandling a gun resulting in his mom and niece getting shot. Both are expected to be okay.

The man is now facing a criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon charge.

WRTV does not identify suspects until they have been formally charged.

"We encourage everybody to take any steps, both in training or gun locks, whatever it may be to prevent such things like this from happening," Deputy Chief Brian Nugent said at the scene of that shooting.

WRTV talked to Daniel Scalf, Training Coordinator at Indy Arms Company, about the importance of training when you buy a firearm. He says classes will teach you how to safely load and unload guns along with the proper stance and proper grip. He says the classes should be ongoing.

"I encourage people to take a training class, firearm safety training class and continuing education with it, not just a once and done class," Scalf said.

However, it isn't something he can force people to do. Scalf says it's usually young guys who decide against taking classes.

"It's hard to get them in training class," Scalf said. "They already know it all. They've seen all the movies, they've seen all the video games. What more do they need to know."

Public health experts who study shootings all agree; training is essential to stop unintentional firearm injuries. Numbers from the CDC show unintentional firearm injuries account for 37% of shootings that aren't deadly.

RELATED: Unintentional firearm shooting statistics

Scalf says they're going to continue urging all their customers to take training whenever they purchase a gun.

"I believe in the right for self-protection, the right to bear arms, but along with that comes great, great responsibility," Scalf said.