Man shoots himself, wife at firearms safety class

Published Apr 24 2012, 20:59 BST  |  By Paul Millar

A couple are recovering in hospital after receiving gunshot wounds at a firearms safety class.

Michael Deel accidentally shot his wife and himself on Saturday morning in Roanoke, near Virginia in the US.

The Bedford County Sheriff's Office told Yahoo News that Deel shot himself in the hand with a handgun.

Seconds later, he struck his wife in the leg as she was sitting beside him.

Firearms safety instructor Thomas Starke told police that he had left the room when the incident occurred.

They were taken to a local hospital but their injuries are not thought to be life threatening.

Embarrassed, Deel simply called the shooting a "stupid accident".

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