Gun accidentally goes off in Clyde's Restaurant during supper hour
Dec. 20—A gun accidentally went off during the busy supper hour at Clyde's Restaurant in Waynesville over the weekend when a man waiting in line to pay for his meal dropped the gun out of his pocket.
Miraculously, no one was hurt. The bullet lodged in the wood counter below the register.
"We're very fortunate no one was hurt," Waynesville Police Chief David Adams said.
The incident occurred around 5 p.m. on Saturday evening, Adams said.
"It was super busy and loud in the restaurant," Adams said. "Some people might've thought they dropped a thing of plates. It didn't affect everyone."
The man, who Adams said appeared to be an "older gentleman," was second in line to pay for his food. As he was pulling his money out, a gun fell from his pocket and went off.
The man then picked the gun back up, paid for his food and left. The discharge of the firearm did not seem to throw a wrench in the supper hour.
"Everyone was kind of caught off guard," Adams said. "Everyone was kind of in shock, and then they kept on working."
Officers believe the man left in a Land Rover, but no employees were able to get his tag number. Police are currently searching for the individual. Police are unsure if any crime was committed since it was accidental, but would just like to speak to the man involved.
"Hopefully, we can get this gentleman identified," Adams said.
When dispatchers received the call abut the gunshot, police were not concerned there was active shooter situation.
"It didn't seem to be anything urgent," Adams said. "No one was hurt and there was no confrontation."
With the gun going off in a popular restaurant during supper time on Saturday, the chance for disaster was quite high. The stray bullet luckily missed the person in line in front of the man before it lodged in the wooden counter.
