Mother accidentally shoots daughter...mistook pistol for novelty cigarette lighter.

Mother accidentally shoots daughter after mistaking gun for novelty lighter

A 12-year-old girl has been wounded by a ricocheting bullet fired by her mother, after she mistook a pistol for a cigarette lighter in Banning, US.

Rachel Avila told the police she and her daughter were talking with friends when she found what she thought was a novelty lighter in the shape of a small pistol on the ground.

Rachel Avila accidentally shot her daughter with a .22-caliber gun (Police Department)

When she picked it up and pulled the trigger a .22-caliber bullet was fired, which hit the ground and ricocheted into her daughter's upper right arm.

Banning police described the incident as an accidental shooting

Her daughter was taken to San Gorgonio Memorial, where she was treated and released, police said.

The weapon Avila said resembled a cigarette lighter was identified as a North American Arms .22-caliber 'derringer style' revolver, one of the most common small guns in the US, police said.

Sergeant Alex Diaz, who is investigating the incident, said: 'We're trying to find out who the gun belongs to, so we're looking into that. At this point it is considered an accident.'

In the UK, a man narrowly avoided jail recently after shooting off his finger while removing a wart with a 12-bore shotgun.

Sean Murphy received a 16-week suspended sentence for illegally possessing the shotgun.

Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/870818-mother-accidentally-shoots-daughter-after-mistaking-gun-for-novelty-lighter#ixzz1TbIxd7l4