Local
Employee Wounded as Gun Discharges During Cleaning at North Miami Jewelry Store
A Gavco Jewelers employee was hospitalized Friday morning after a gun accidentally fired while being cleaned at the Biscayne Boulevard store, police said. The owner says the worker is expected to recover, and authorities report no ongoing threat.
NORTH MIAMI â A jewelry store employee was wounded Friday morning when a gun discharged accidentally while being cleaned at a North Miami business, according to police and the store's owner.
North Miami police officers and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue medics responded to reports of a shooting outside Gavco Jewelers, at 16169 Biscayne Blvd., and found an adult suffering from a gunshot wound to the lower leg, authorities said.
The store owner told reporters that an employee was cleaning a firearm when it went off, and noted that gun cleaning is a routine practice at the shop. The owner said the wounded person was taken to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment, is expected to be fine, and has since been released and returned home. Police have not released the individual's age, gender or condition.
Television news footage captured officers from North Miami police, deputies with the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office and fire rescue medics at the scene shortly after 11:27 a.m., assessing the situation.
In a statement, North Miami police said there is "no indication of an ongoing threat to the public, and the circumstances surrounding the discharge remain under investigation."
The incident highlights ongoing questions about firearm safety in workplaces, particularly when guns are present for security or personal protection. Accidental discharges during routine maintenance are a recognized risk, and safety advocates stress that firearms should be unloaded and checked before cleaning. The store owner's comment that cleaning guns is common at the business suggests the practice is not unusual there, though it is unclear what protocols, if any, are in place.
Gavco Jewelers is located along a busy commercial stretch of Biscayne Boulevard in North Miami. The investigation is continuing, and police have not said whether any charges are anticipated.