Chicago woman suffers lethal gunshot wound while sorting clothes in thrift store

A Chicago woman died after a gun fell from a pile of clothing she and a coworker were sorting and discharged, striking her in the chest.

According to NBC Chicago, 54-year-old Maria Carmen Dominguez and a fellow employee of the Unique Thrift Shop were sorting through donated items when a .22-caliber pistol fell out of a sock. Dominguez' coworker reportedly tried to catch the gun before it could strike the floor, but hooked the trigger instead, causing it to fire.

"It's tragic," Dominguez's husband, Victor Campos, said to NBC. "We don't know what we are going to do."

"I can't believe it," Campos continued. "We have a 17-year-old daughter. She's in high school, and she doesn't know what is going on."

Chicago police and labor officials said are treating the shooting as a workplace accident. No charges have been filed.

[hat-tip to TPM]

[image via Shutterstock.com]