BRANDON, Fla. — Deputies say a woman accidentally fired a gun Saturday afternoon at a mall in Brandon, causing several people to call authorities for reports of a possible shooting.
At 3:24 p.m., The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in a news release the woman, a man and two children were at Charley's Cheesesteaks at the Brandon Town Center Mall picking up food.
While at the counter of the restaurant, the woman leaned over and the gun in her purse accidentally went off and struck the side of the countertop, authorities say.
The woman and the other people with her left the food court and headed to the parking lot of the mall.
After searching for the woman, the sheriff's office said in an update they found her to make sure she did not suffer any injuries. She is not facing any charges at the time of this writing.
"Every day, our deputies put their lives on the line to protect our communities and today was no different," Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. "Our agency's dedication and swift response to this incident demonstrates our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of our citizens."
Law enforcement says they have not located anyone that was injured in the apparent isolated and accidental shooting.
The investigation of the incident remains ongoing, deputies say.
The sheriff's office says there was never an active shooter situation.
Francesca Steadman was inside the food court when she heard at least one gunshot. She said chairs and food were being knocked over as people rushed to the exit doors.
"[I'm] shaken up," Steadman said through tears. "I was concerned about other people's safety."
The mall was extra busy for a meet and greet involving the star of the kid's show Gabby's Dollhouse.
Steadman and other patrons notified law enforcement. One other patron said staff were able to assist people to safety in the middle of the chaos.
Ryan Thomas, a firearm instructor with Tampa Carry, said the details released of the incident, if true, is an act of negligence.
Thomas said it's important that people who carry their firearm inside a purse or bag have a proper holster for it like Kydex. That way, it can help prevent triggering the gun.
In addition, he recommends attaching it with an object like a clip inside to avoid having the gun moving around.
However, he adds firearms inside bags still don't eliminate the risk. Children could access the gun easily for instance or it can be taken away, Thomas said.
Thomas said he encourages people to take proper firearms courses to avoid incidents like what happened at the Brandon Town Center Mall.
"You just have to ask yourself the question, how much is your life worth? How much is your children's life worth?" Thomas said. "If I have to pay $200 to go to a shooting course to learn how to not accidentally kill my children with a gun, I would say that that is a very, very low cost."