I just saw a story on ABC7 Chicago about a woman sorting clothes at a thrift who was killed when a gun fell out of a sock. It absolutely breaks my heart that something so easily preventable just ended a woman’s life.

It also breaks my life because this happened to me a couple of years ago at Nana’s house.

Cleaning out anyone’s home after their death is an emotional undertaking and this was no exception. I won’t tell you exactly how long it took for us to do this, but let’s just say that it required multiple trips to Florida. It was a big task.

I think this was my third trip, so a lot had been done. We were at the point where we had taken out the things we wanted, sent items that should go to my uncle and cousins, and were now taking things to charity. I was in Nana’s bedroom working on her closet when I reached up to grab a pillow off the top shelf. Rather than grab a step stool, I was on my tip toes because I thought the only thing on the shelf was the pillow.

I was wrong.

As the pillow slid off the shelf, a separate pillow case fell and landed on my foot. After screaming in pain, I reached down to pick up the item and was surprised by just how heavy and oddly shaped it was. My mom walked into the room just in time to see me unwrap a handgun.

We stood there looking at each other in stunned silence. Neither of us knew that Nana owned a handgun, much less kept it hidden in a pillow case and plastic zipped bag under a pillow on the top shelf of her closet.

I was fortunate because the gun was not loaded. The bullets were in an envelope in the plastic bag with the gun, but not actually in the gun. At least Nana did something right. Both Mom and I are certain that Nana had long ago forgotten about the gun because she was meticulous in telling us about everything she owned and where it was all located. She was so meticulous in fact, that she had an inventory of her most prized possessions, their history as she understood it, any appraisals she had, and a list of items she’d loaned out. The gun was not on any of the lists.

This could have been a horrible accident that resulted in my death or serious injury, but I got lucky and didn’t even have any broken bones from the weight of the gun landing on my foot. Unfortunately that can’t be said for the woman at the thrift store today. I’m very sorry for her family because this could have been easily prevented. Without knowing the details, I’m guessing that just like Nana forgot the gun was in her closet and then she died, someone forgot they had wrapped a gun in a sock.

Three important lessons stand out to me from both of these incidents: First, always keep guns unloaded and locked in a gun safe. Doing so will safe lives. Second, when you’re going through someone else’s belongings after their death or even purging your own closets, retrieve items from shelves with care. Third, always check every item carefully before turning them over to charity, tossing them in a garage sale, or throwing them out.

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