On August 19, 2024, a negligent discharge of a firearm at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico, resulted in an injury to David Kelner, a 65-year-old employee and Executive Director of the NRA Whittington Center.
The incident occurred while Mr. Kelner was inspecting a shipment of donated firearms in his office. During the inspection, Kelner accidentally hit the magazine release on one of the pistols, causing it to fall and strike a .22 caliber Walther pistol on his desk. The impact discharged the Walther, sending a round through Kelner’s left hand before lodging in a wall.
Officer Harrison Benway of the New Mexico State Police responded to the call after Kelner was taken to Miner’s Colfax Medical Center for treatment. Kelner, who was alone in his office during the incident, explained that the magazine’s fall had caused the discharge. No other injuries were reported.
On August 23, 2024, Officer Benway conducted a follow-up interview at the NRA Whittington Center. Kelner reiterated the sequence of events and noted that the Walther had not yet been inspected for safety. An employee named Ashley had driven Kelner to the hospital.
The NRA issued a statement acknowledging the negligent discharge incident and emphasized its ongoing commitment to firearm safety.
“As the nation’s premier firearm safety and training organization, we were concerned to learn about an accidental discharge at the NRA Whittington Center. Any accident with a firearm is regrettable, but thanks to the NRA’s well-respected Gun Safety Rules, accidental injuries with firearms have been on the decline since records of such have been kept. NRA is conducting an internal investigation of the circumstances to determine what lessons should be learned and applied. While detailed personnel and medical information cannot and will not be disclosed, the individual involved is doing well.” ~ NRA Public Affairs.
They announced an internal investigation to understand how the negligent discharge occurred and to prevent similar events in the future.
While gun accidents are extremely rare at the Whittington Center, this incident serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilance and following all safety protocols when handling firearms. After receiving surgery, Kelner is expected to recover, and further details regarding the NRA’s investigation will be released in due time.
For now, the case remains open as investigators review the circumstances surrounding the accident.
David Kelner NRA Whittington Center Accidental Discharge NM State Police Report
I’ve worked in just about every aspect of the firearms industry and I’ve had a few “Oh Cr@p!” moments, but never anything serious. In 1990 I was working at Ruger in Prescott, AZ on the P85 safety recall. Anyone who owned a P85 could contact Ruger and they would be sent a shipping box to return the gun for retrofit of a modified safety. We worked in a fenced-off area on the factory floor to keep the customer guns from mingling with the new ones. At times, part of my job was to open boxes, clear the guns and check… Read more »
Hopefully, somewhere, some guy who calls himself “Nick” has finally found a measure of peace.
And he can stop bugging the ^%&$ out of others.
“a shipment of donated firearms”.
Who put the guns in the shipment? Do people just accept the donated guns and put them in a shipment without clearing them?
More than one gun in the proximity of the desk top. Do people just pull guns from an unknown source and place them on a desk?
Sounds like complacency on multiple fronts.
HLB
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Negligent discharge is the proper term. So riddle me this: how did the loaded Walther find its way on to a desk? Here is a hint for you: touch the gun, clear the gun. Repeat. If someone touched the gun they should have cleared it and put it in a safe condition before laying it on a desk.
Did it ever occur to anyone that the Walther might have been part of the shipment? Gun people are like a flock of chickens. With chickens if one gets sick or injured and all the rest peck it to death. With gun people no matter what happens some start Monday morning quarterbacking, so they can stroke their ego and act oh so superior. Do you think the anti’s will leave you alone or like you better? Then there are the NRA haters that have been around for years. WLP just gave them an excuse. “We must all hang together, or… Read more »