Dog Fires Shotgun at Nebraska Gas Station, Wounding Driver

A dog inside a parked truck discharged multiple rounds from a shotgun at a gas station in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, on Saturday, striking a woman stopped at a nearby traffic light. The owner, a passenger, and the dog had stopped at Short Stop, a baseball-themed convenience store, just before noon.

While the owner entered the store, the dog moved around the back seat and reached the weapon. Several shots passed through the passenger-side door. One round crossed the station lot and hit the woman in the arm.

Scottsbluff police first received a report of a BB-gun discharge. Officers later found the dog beside a smoking shotgun inside the vehicle. The victim was taken to a hospital for treatment of a non-life-threatening injury.

Nebraska law prohibits carrying a loaded shotgun in a vehicle on any highway. The offense is classified as a low-level misdemeanor carrying a minimum $50 fine. Police continue to investigate the circumstances of the shooting.