Gun fires accidentally during Easter mass and bullet grazes member of congregation

Officials in Pennsylvania are examining whether charges should be brought against a man whose gun accidentally went off during an Easter mass service, grazing a member of the congregation.

Police said the gun owner was carrying the pistol legally but that its safety switch may not have been on when he knelt to pray at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in the town of Altoona. As he stood to his feet, it appears the weapon snagged on his trousers and fired, the Associated Press said.

Sgt Marshall Worling said police and local prosecutors were examining whether the gun owner will face any charges. The incident happened around 15 minutes before the end of the service and the bullet lodged in the church’s tile floor.