Gun Safety Fail

Frisco Gun Club opening goes awry when employee accidentally shoots himself

The grand opening of the Frisco Gun Club didn't go exactly as planned. The $12 million facility celebrated with a ceremonial ribbon shooting on December 13. Twenty-four hours later, one of its employees accidentally shot himself in the hand.

Frisco police referred all questions about the shooting to the gun club, citing the accidental nature of the incident and the fact that no foul play was suspected.

Brandon Johnson, vice president of marketing for the Frisco Gun Club, detailed the incident in a statement.

On the evening of December 14, 2013, while assisting a member with a jammed firearm, an experienced range officer at the Frisco Gun Club slightly injured his hand when the firearm accidentally discharged while pointing downrange. The range officer was transported to Medical Center of Plano, where he was treated and released for injuries which were not life threatening. No other patrons or staff were injured in this incident.

Kelly Hunter, a spokesperson for the club, says there's a lot of misinformation in the media. "There was a range safety officer down range away from the public trying to clear a jam in a gun, not clean a gun," Hunter says. That's when the Ruger 9-millimeter handgun unexpectedly fired.

Although an ambulance was called to the scene of the shooting, operations continued as usual throughout the weekend. On Monday morning, an employee who answered the phone was unaware a coworker had shot himself. "I didn't know about that. I wasn't here this weekend," the employee said.

A statement on the club's website touts its safety procedures:

Range safety officers and concierge staff are on vigilant to help keep the range safe. If you need or request advice or help with your shooting, concierge staff is here to help. And if you become aware of a safety issue at Frisco Gun Club, please contact a safety officer immediately. The expectation of Frisco Gun Club is that all members and guests handle firearms safely and responsibly.

The Frisco Gun Club is the nation's largest indoor shooting range. In addition to 40 indoor gun ranges, the facility boasts a retail showroom and a VIP cafe featuring executive chef Scott Romano.

The Frisco Gun Club has 40 indoor shooting ranges.

Frisco Gun Club Facebook

The Frisco Gun Club has 40 indoor shooting ranges.

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License News

Texas rolls out new less colorful driver license design

dps.texas.gov

The new cards are meant to be harder to reproduce and easier to read.

Texas has unrolled a new drivers license design which is a little more beige than its predecessor. According to a release, the Texas Department of Public Safety launched new designs for the Texas driver license as well as identification cards on August 18 with both a new look and enhanced security.

It replaces the current design which has been in place since 2020.

“The way driver licenses are made can make a big difference in terms of public safety,” says DPS Driver License Division chief Sheri Gipson in a statement. “This new card design will make it even more difficult for criminals to produce counterfeit cards, and it enhances ways we can protect Texans’ identities from being stolen.”

Like the previous model, the new cards are made of tamper-resistant polycarbonate material which complies with standards maintained by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), and is difficult to reproduce.

Most notably, the art has changed. The previous design was more colorful, featuring a red-white-and-blue flag in the upper left corner, as well as a red-white-and-blue silhouette of the state of Texas. That's been replaced with a Texas gold star state seal, and they've added an image of galloping horses along the bottom.

They also changed the design of the Real ID star. Real ID is a federal program requiring that state-issued IDs or driver's licenses meet security standards, outlined in a 2005 law passed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. On the previous license design, the Real ID star was gold. The new design features a black star in the upper right corner which will also be laser-engraved.

The personal information included on the card has been rearranged into what DPS says is an easy-to-read format for identification and verification purposes. Changes include placing the date of birth on the same line as the drivers license number, making the issuance and expiration dates larger, and moving the organ donor symbol.

civic issues