Dog Sets off Shotgun, Wounding Owner in PA Home, Police Say

David Mekeel – Reading Eagle, Pa.

A Shillington man was shot in the back late Tuesday night after his dog accidentally caused a gun to fire, police said.

Police were called to the 300 block of State Street just before 11:15 p.m. for a report of a man who had been wounded by an unknown shooter.

While on their way to the scene, police were informed the gunshot resulted from a dog jumping onto a bed where a shotgun was laying. The dog’s jump caused the shotgun to fire, police said.

The victim, 53, told police that he had been cleaning the gun, placed it on the bed and sat down beside it. One of his dogs jumped onto the bed, causing the accidental gunshot, police said.

The victim was taken by ambulance to Reading Hospital, where he immediately underwent surgery, police said. He remained hospitalized Wednesday morning.

Information on the extent of his injuries was not immediately available.

The victim’s son was also at the shooting location at the time of the incident, but police said he was not in the room when the shooting occurred.

© 2025 the Reading Eagle (Reading, Pa.). Visit readingeagle.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.