negligent discharge
Unintentional weapon discharge
A negligent discharge is the unintentional firing of a gun due to carelessness or failure to follow safety protocols.
The term is used in military, law enforcement, and civilian firearms contexts to distinguish accidents caused by handler error from mechanical malfunctions: He was disciplined for a negligent discharge during training.
The phrase emphasizes culpability—someone failed to keep their finger off the trigger or pointed the weapon carelessly.
- accidentalOccurring by chance
- accidental shootingUnintentional firearm injury
- firearmProjectile weapon using explosives
- gunshotFirearm's explosive report
- misfireFailure to discharge
loaded gun · careless · reckless · gun safety · safety · trigger · holster · unintentional · weapon · bullet · chamber · loaded · handgun · irresponsible · wound · incident · safety violation · violation
negligent, negligence, negligently, neglect, neglected, neglecting, neglects, neglectful, discharge