Man's concealed weapons permit revoked over gun found in theater
TILLAMOOK, Ore. (AP) — Police revoked the concealed-weapons permit of a 61-year-old Tillamook man after he wriggled in his theater seat during a showing of "The Hobbit" and shook loose a loaded handgun.
A 7th-grade student found the weapon on Wednesday with a round in the chamber and the safety off.
Gary Quackenbush says he's embarrassed that the gun fell out of his holster.
Quackenbush says he always keeps the gun loaded with a round in the chamber because he never knows when he may have to use it.
"In a time of crisis like somebody barging into a mall or a theater, you don't have time to do a two-handed cocking of the weapon," Quackenbush said. "It is my mindset everywhere I go."
Quackenbush said he lives in a rural area where bears and cougars abound. He said he's had to fire his weapon to scare off animals, but in more than 40 years of gun ownership, hasn't had to fire it another person.
The student notified adults and local police cleared the theater on Wednesday.
Quackenbush said mass shootings in recent months, including a Colorado movie theater, could have been averted — or the casualties lessened — if someone had had a loaded weapon.
"If somebody had been prepared, they could have stopped those perpetrators long before they were able to commit those horrific acts," Quackenbush said.
Tillamook County Sheriff Andy Long said the case was handled by city police and information was forwarded to the county district attorney, who is considering whether to press charges.
Quackenbush can reapply for a concealed-weapons permit as long as criminal charges aren't pending, Long said.
"He shouldn't apply for it soon," Long said.
Quackenbush said no one answered the phone when he called the theater late Tuesday after he realized the gun had fallen out of his holster.
He said he spent a sleepless night pacing and drove to the theater early Wednesday, but police were already on scene.
"I'm totally appalled at the incident and embarrassed and regret that I gave people distress," Quackenbush said.
Of the movie "The Hobbit," his review in a letter to news media organizations explaining the incident was brief: "Overly long," he said, "and fairly boring."
You can reach reporter Nigel Duara on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/UKvVDo
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
i have to add to this also. i carry and do not keep a round in the chamber! nor do i leave the safty off with one in the chamber when carrying! i dont feel that threatend in public that i have to leave one in the chamber with the safty off when going to a movie or dinner! i do agree with not taking his permit away! But i do recomend he retake a safty class.
 @footeb1 The safety classes I've been to have no problem with having one in the chamber, nor having the safety off. One of our concealed carry guns doesn't even have a safety.
Bet this would have never made it in the news if he had the chance to stop a murder. It was a stupid mistake and the kid did the right thing so this is just another media hype up. Its a shame when news is only one side now days.
Good movie, stupid mistake. Â I saw the Hobbit yesterday with my wife and adult daughter and we enjoyed it. Â Note: Â it is in 3 parts and the book gets appropriate interpretation on the screen. Â As for the gun, the owner should have kept the weapon secured and failed - perhaps loosing his ccw permit is appropriate - because all of us who carry know it is our job to keep the weapon secure. Â It is an unfortunate fact that with society in the state it is in, responsible people have to carry weapons for safety, and not just because of cougars and bears (which we have where I live also).
Well, I for one am offended, and I can't believe that I am the first to mention it. He called The Hobbit "Overly long," ... "and fairly boring." ;-p
This is a perfect example of someone carrying a gun in an unsafe manor, endangering the public. Concealed carry is OK by me, but people like this guy show it's huge flaw. Unsafe practices endangering all of the other people in the theater. If he cant take time to put both hands on the gun, he shouldn't be firing in crowded theater where people are jumping up and running for safety. No, instructor is going to let you start blasting away one handed. What if some young child would have picked that gun up, thinking it was a toy, pointed it at someone, and pulled the trigger. This guy should never get his permit back or his gun.
 @Rick For the record, he's talking about the time it takes to rack the slide the to back. He never said he would fire one handed.Â
Bet the folks in the Colorado theater would have been glad to have this guy in the audience. Yes, he made a mistake but no harm/no foul. Now we are going to punish him by denying him the right to protect himself and his family?
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It is regular the stories of LEO's leaving their weapons laying about. How many of them lose their right to carry?
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Knee jerk reaction is all that is happening here. He's been made a public fool of. I bet he never loses a weapon again!
Frankly, only someone unprepared to use a weapon believes a 'safety' is anything but a liability move by the manufacturer. Sig, Glock and others integrate safeties into their designs to prevent accidental firing if dropped but will ALWAYS fire with a trigger depress. (The Browning .50 cal HMG has no safety)
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A trained person will ALWAYS have a round in the chamber, know it and how many rounds they have and know that the ultimate safety is having the finger NOT ON THE TRIGGER.
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The kids that found it likely knew that as well, since at least one of them stated "the safety was off". If that is indeed the case, they were never in any danger having found the weapon and knowing how/how not to handle it, likely due to the fact they were educated by their parents.
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I'm not arguing dropping the weapon and not noticing wasn't boneheaded, but I agree with him being forced to reapply for his permit and would object to his being denied a new permit after further 'education/training'.
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This media-sponsored demonizing of gun-owners needs to cease. Kudos for KVAL publishing the owner's comments. Some movement in the right direction is better than nothing.
So this guy just happened to leave a loaded, round in the chamber, safety off gun in a theater that was playing a movie marketed towards a young crowd? Not buying it.Â
@Stooge Newton
Yep. The majority of CC holders carry in condition 1 or condition 0. That combined with a cheap nylon holster will result in a gun in condition 1 or 0 just lying about on the floor.
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Buy a good proper holster and this won't happen.
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Give him back his gun and permit. There was no malice intent here. I'm sure he'll never make that same mistake. Should get him self a better holster........ARM EVERYONE.
 @RougeCoyote Agreed. Too sever a punishment. But there should be one. Using a cheap holster is negligent. Go buy a real holster, with leather, and/or kydex. I'll bet he had a nice little single clip nylon Uncle Mikes.
The parent's of the kid who found the gun should sue this idiot. Quackenbush wants to "save-the -world" but he can't even HOLD on to the gun. Bullet in the chamber, safety off?!! Has he EVER taken a class on gun safety?!! It is okay if he wants to be an idiot in his OWN home but please NOT out in public! He should lose his license to carry a concealed weapon PERMANENTLY!
 @LifeisGOOD007 =/ Most people who carry have a round in the chamber, and there's nothing wrong with having the safety off. Plenty of guns don't even have external safeties. I've taken an extensive class on gun safety, and neither of those things were remotely recommended.
 @LifeisGOOD007 Sue him for WHAT??? A lawsuit requires "damages". Nobody was hurt and there was NO intent in this case. Yes, he did a dumb thing...but we all learn from our mistakes. I'm SURE that you've made some in your life that you would not want to be persecuted for forever. NOBODY DIED....get over it and give the guy back his gun and permit!