Conceal carry permit holder unintentionally shoots himself at Iowa Sam's Club

Occurred February 26, 2014.


A man with a conceal carry permit was putting his gun in his vehicle, in the parking lot of a Sam's Club in Waterloo, Iowa, when he unintentionally fired it, hitting himself in the butt.  He then drove home, and was persuaded to get medical attention.

From an article:

According to police, 50-year-old David Kugel was removing his handgun to store in his vehicle in the parking lot of Sam’s Club, 210 E. Tower Park Drive, at about 6 p.m. when he weapon fired. The bullet struck Kugel in the buttocks, causing a minor wound, according to the police report. 

Kugel then drove home, where a family member persuaded him to seek medical attention. He was treated at Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo. 

Capt. Tim Pillack said Kugel had the proper permit to carrying the weapon.

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Conceal carry gun owner unintentionally fires gun in Iowa Walmart and continues shopping

Occurred November 17, 2013.


Christopher Strube, a legal conceal carry permit holder, was shopping in a Walmart store in Centerville, Iowa, when he unintentionally fired his concealed handgun, hitting some items in his cart but not injuring himself or others, luckily.  

Amazingly, he acted like nothing happened, continued shopping, paid for his goods, and left the store.

He was reported and arrested.

The store remained open throughout the event.

From an article:

Officers said Christopher William Strube, of Centerville, was shopping Sunday afternoon when the .45-caliber handgun fired from his pants pocket. 

Investigators said the 50-year-old Strube told them a bottle he was carrying struck the weapon and caused it to fire one round. 

Police said Strube told them he paid for his items and left the store. 

Store employees and other shoppers reported the gunshot, and police said they smelled gunpowder and found a bullet hole in a basket and several cans of beans. 

They also found a .45-caliber bullet in one of the cans of beans. 

Strube, who has a valid concealed carry permit, was arrested the following morning and charged with discharging a weapon within city limits.

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Conceal carry permit holder arrested for failing to show permit to officer at Iowa Walmart

Occurred August 28, 2013.


An officer in uniform, working as off-duty security at a Des Moines, Iowa, Walmart store, saw 23-year old Dennis Scott Estell with a handgun in a holster.  The officer asked for Estell to show his permit, as provided by Iowa law, but Estell repeatedly refused.  The officer then arrested Estell, who was charged with a misdemeanor and had his gun confiscated.

From an article:

A Des Moines police officer working off-duty, but in full uniform, saw Dennis Scott Estell, 23, walk into the store with a handgun in a holster on his belt, police reports show. 

The officer asked Estell if he had a permit for the weapon and Estell said he did, officials said.
But when the officer asked to see the permit, Estell reportedly refused, saying, “No, it’s my right to carry this and I don’t have to show you my permit.” 

Iowa law requires anyone carrying a revolver or pistol to carry a permit and produce it at the request of a police officer. Failing to produce the permit is a simple misdemeanor. 

Estell refused the officer’s second request to see the permit and the officer placed him under arrest and confiscated the gun. 

Estell was charged with carrying weapons and interference with official acts. He remains in the Polk County Jail on a $2,300 bond.

According to another article:

The officer took Estell into custody and seized the gun, which had a round in the chamber and a loaded magazine. ... 

The police report shows Estell does have a permit to carry, issued out of Madison County. 

According to Iowa Code 724.5, “A person armed with a revolver, pistol, or pocket billy concealed upon the person shall have in the person’s immediate possession the permit provided for in section 724.4, subsection 4, paragraph “i”, and shall produce the permit for inspection at the request of a peace officer.  Failure to so produce a permit is a simple misdemeanor.”

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Man arrested for unlawful use of a gun, which he had a permit for, in Iowa Walmart parking lot

Occurred August 2, 2013.


David Lee Edwards, 46, and Norma Dawn Lashley, 42, were victims of a gangland drive-by shooting at their Des Moines, Iowa, home on August 5.  No one was injured.

Days before, on August 2, they had been in the parking lot of the local Walmart when a fight broke out.  Edwards then retrieved a gun from his car, which he had a permit for, with apparent intent to shoot one of the fighters.  Luckily, police intervened and stopped him, arresting him.

From an article:

Lashley had allegedly been in Wal-Mart with her daughters when she began following one of the other participants in the fight and yelling at him. The fight escalated and moved into the parking lot. At one point Edwards left to retrieve a gun, which he had a permit for, from his car. 

Edwards returned with the gun just as the police officer approached the fray. He complied with the officer’s demands to put down the weapon, officials said. 

Edwards was charged with going armed with intent. Lashley was charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct.

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Escaped convict with boxcutter shot by police at construction site of Iowa Walmart

Occurred August 4, 2013.


A convict, Michael Hannum, 52, who had escaped a work-release facility was found at a Walmart construction site, in Council Bluffs, Iowa.  Police responded, at which point Hannum attacked them with a box cutter.  After a failed attempt to stun him, the officers then shot him twice.  He is now in critical condition.

From an article:

Two police officers encountered Hannum Sunday afternoon at the construction site of a future Wal-Mart after a woman called 911 and reported a man acting suspiciously, bleeding from his hands, according to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. 

Armed with a box cutter, Hannum allegedly refused officers commands and became aggressive. Officer Jason Burleigh shot a stun gun at Hannum but it failed to connect, said DCI Special Agent Mitch Mortvedt. 

When Hannum continued to advance toward the officers, Officer Aaron Gutierrez fired two shots, hitting him in the chest and abdomen, Mortvedt said. 

Hannum was transported to University of Nebraska Medical Center where as of Monday afternoon he was listed in critical but stable condition. 

At the time of the incident, the officers did not know Hannum’s identity. 

The blood on Hannum’s hands was from a self-inflicted cut and investigators have no evidence indicating he assaulted anyone else, Mortvedt said.

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