Ten people were hurt Tuesday night when a gun show worker fired a shotgun into the floor, thinking the weapon had been loaded with dummy ammunition. According to Elgin, Illinois Courier-News, the gun was accidentally fired during a gun show at the St. Charles Sportsman’s Club, the area Country Club.

The Kane County Sheriff’s Department reported to the Courier that officers responded to the club, located in Blackberry township, after reports of gunfire.

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Seven people were treated at the scene for minor injuries. Three men, ages 81, 60 and 14 were transported by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment.

A 69-year-old St. Charles man was reportedly handling the shotgun when it went off. The man believed he had placed a “snap cap” in the barrel, a device used to protect the gun’s firing pin when it is in storage. Pointing the barrel of the gun at the floor, the man pulled the trigger, only realizing that he had placed a live shell into the weapon’s chamber when the gun went off, spraying lead shot into the floor, which ricocheted upward, injuring bystanders and the shooter.

Police, sheriff and fire units rushed to the scene, but fortunately, none of the injuries suffered are believed to be life-threatening.

[image of shotgun barrels via Shutterstock.com]