A man and his father were both injured last week when a gun was apparently discharged at the supper table. According to the Clermont County Sheriff’s Department, Christopher J. Sharp, 21, shot both himself and his father, Christopher L. Sharp, 44, by accident Jan. 9.

Preliminary reports said that the incident, which occurred at 2617 Irenton Trees in Washington Township, was the result of a gun cleaning accident. The gun went off accidentally, shooting the younger Sharp through the hand and then hitting the elder Sharp in the shoulder.

According to Sheriff Tim Rodenberg, the accident wasn’t the result of cleaning, but of showing off a new gun. The accident was most likely the result of unfamiliarity with the weapon.

“Christopher J. Sharp had just purchased the .40 Cal. automatic pistol earlier in the day,” said Sheriff Rodenberg. “Christopher was showing the gun to his father at the dining room/kitchen table and had locked the slide back to take a pin out to remove the slide.  He failed to take the magazine out of the gun which had ammunition in it. He stated that the gun had to be de-cocked in order to take the slide off and when he pulled the trigger to de-cock the weapon the gun fired.”