Man unintentionally discharges gun in Tennessee convenience store

45-year-old Keith Altman, of Fall Branch, Tennessee, was in the Roadrunner convenience store in Hampton, TN, when he went to use the bathroom. According to reports, Altman told police he took his loaded handgun out of the holster and put it on the counter next to the sink. When he went to put the gun back in the holster he unintentionally discharged the weapon. Altman told police he didn't have his finger on the trigger but thinks his shirt may have bunched up in the trigger guard and caused the weapon to shoot. Fortunately, no one was injured when the gun discharged, although there was damage to the bathroom floor.

Reports indicate that Altman was carrying a 9mm Springfield Armory XDM semi-automatic handgun. The gun has a number of built in safety features including a grip safety and a chamber load indicator. The chamber load indicator would have told Altman that there was a bullet in the chamber of the gun, ready to fire. The grip safety prevents the striker from releasing if the gun is dropped, but since Altman was holding the gun at the time of the discharge, and presumably holding down the grip safety, this safety feature was not a factor.
Reports do not indicate what Altman feared that he felt it was necessary to carry a loaded gun, with a round in the chamber, into the convenience store.