ORLANDO,
Fla. -- A federal drug agent
shot himself in the leg during a gun safety presentation
to children and his bosses are investigating.
The Drug Enforcement Administration
agent, whose name was not released, was giving a gun
safety presentation to about 50 adults and students
organized by the Orlando Minority Youth Golf
Association, witnesses and police said.
He drew his .40-caliber duty weapon
and removed the magazine, according to the police
report. Then he pulled back the slide and asked someone
in the audience to look inside the gun and confirm it
wasn't loaded, the report said.
Witnesses said the gun was pointed at
the floor and when he released the slide, one shot fired
into the top of his left thigh.
"The kids screamed and started to
cry," said Vivian Farmer, who attended the presentation
with her 13-year-old nephew.
"Everyone was pretty shaken up,"
Farmer said. "But the point of gun safety hit home.
Unfortunately, the agent had to get shot. But after
seeing that, my nephew doesn't want to have anything to
do with guns."
The agent was treated at Orlando
Regional Medical Center after the April 9 shooting and
returned to work, DEA special agent Joe Kilmer said.
Police ruled the shooting was an
accident, but the DEA headquarters in Washington was
still investigating, Kilmer said.