Gun falls out of woman's purse, discharges, injures woman nearby

A woman was checking her mother out of Christus Outpatient Pavilion in Beaumont, TX. She reached into her purse to grab some paperwork and a small caliber pistol fell out.  When the gun hit the floor it discharged.  The bullet went through a wall and hit another patient in the hip.

A police spokesperson said the injury was not life threatening and that the victim was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Christus issued a statement that read, in part:

Handguns are strictly prohibited on all CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Health System campuses, as safety for our staff and patients is always a top priority. We are thankful for the rapid response of our teams and will continue to provide ongoing support to our staff as needed. We are working with law enforcement on the ongoing investigation.