Child finds handgun, fires a shot in Fishers Ikea

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A child who found a loaded handgun wedged into an Ikea sofa fired the weapon inside the Fishers store Monday afternoon, according to police.

Sgt. Tom Weger of the Fishers Police Department said the shooting was reported around 2 p.m.

The owner of the handgun sat down on a sofa inside the store and dropped the weapon without realizing it, Weger said. The gun became lodged in the cushions and was discovered by a child.

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The child picked up the gun and fired at least one shot, Weger said. No one was hurt in incident. The child's age was not yet known.

Police were called to the scene and collected witness statements. Weger said no arrests have been made at this time, and the case information has been forwarded to the Hamilton County prosecutor's office to determine whether any criminal charges will be filed.

Ikea also released a statement apologizing to the family and making it clear that guns are not permitted inside Ikea stores.

"Ikea has a no weapon policy in our locations to prevent exactly these types of situations," the statyement said. "As soon as we were made aware of the situation, our co-workers took the action they were trained to do to ensure the safety of customers. We are cooperating with police as they investigate this incident."

By 3 p.m. Monday, police had cleared the scene and the Ikea was open for regular business.

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Call IndyStar reporter Justin L. Mack at (317) 444-6138. Follow him on Twitter: @justinlmack.