Nebraska: Dog fires loaded shotgun, injuring woman in bizarre incident

A dog has fired a shotgun, injuring a nearby driver in a bizarre incident now under investigation by police.

A black labrador was along for the ride when the driver of the truck he was in stopped at a convenience store in Nebraska.

While the driver was out of the vehicle, the black labrador moved from one side of the backseat to the other, accidentally triggering the loaded shotgun.

Shotgun pellets blasted through the rear passenger side panel, hitting a nearby driver.

Officers from the Scottsbluff Police Department were called to a Short Stop convenience store for what was initially reported as an incident with a BB gun on Saturday afternoon local time, KNOP2 News reported.

However, investigations quickly revealed the damage to the car showed the weapon involved was a shotgun and that an unusual culprit was responsible.

A woman who was stopped at a nearby light with her arm out of the window was shot with one of the pellets in her upper-right arm.

Police say her injury is not life threatening and she was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

It is illegal to travel with a loaded shotgun in a vehicle in Nebraksa, with the offence considered a Class III misdemeanour which carries a minimum fine of $50.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

It’s not the only time a dog has opened fire. Last year, a Pennsylvania man was shot in the back by his pet pooch.

Local police said at the time that the dog had “jumped onto the bed and set the gun off”.

The man was found on the floor and conscious later told police he was cleaning his shotgun and had placed it on the bed when one of his dogs jumped up, causing the weapon to discharge.