COLUMBIA, Tenn. -
A Maury County man is in jail for accidentally shooting his friend while the pair was playing with handguns they purchased just hours earlier.
What's worse, detectives say there were three children, all under the age of four, just feet away.
The weapon, a .40 caliber Smith and Wesson, discharged Tuesday morning, according to Maury County Detective Terry Dial.
"They were having a contest to see who could break [them] down the fastest," Dial told Nashville's News 2 Investigates. "The only problem is, you need to unload them before you start breaking them down."
According to Det. Dial, James Chambers and Justin Craig purchased the guns just hours earlier but didn't take a safety class and were unfamiliar with the weapons.
"If you are going to buy a gun, then you need to go to a gun safety class to learn how to handle and discharge a weapon," he said, adding neither Chambers nor Craig previously owned a gun to his knowledge.
He continued, "They bought them, loaded the magazines up and were playing around with them."
Dial said Chambers and Craig were seated next to each other on a small couch in a tiny trailer. Two small children were seated at their feet and another toddler was in a woman's arm nearby.
Chambers was shot in the side and rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville where he underwent emergency surgery. He was listed in critical condition Tuesday evening.
Craig was arrested and charged with five counts of reckless endangerment with a weapon. Each count carries a $10,000 bond.
He declined an interview from jail.
The Tennessee Department of Children's Services is investigating the incident.
