Woman shot in buttocks by own gun during MRI appointment

A routine medical examination took a bizarre turn for a 57-year-old woman when her concealed firearm was accidentally discharged during an MRI scan.

The incident, documented in an adverse event report submitted to the FDA’s Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database, occurred on June 28, but details only surfaced recently.

The woman, whose identity remains undisclosed, entered the MRI room with a concealed handgun containing ferrous material. As she approached the machine, the powerful magnet inside attracted the firearm, leading to an unintended discharge that resulted in a single round penetrating and exiting her right buttock.

Fortunately, the injury was minor, described by the attending doctor as “very small and superficial,” and the woman made a full recovery.

The healthcare provider filed the report in July, adhering to the voluntary reporting system for adverse events related to medical devices. The incident raises questions about adherence to safety protocols, as patients are explicitly warned not to bring magnet-attractable items, such as metal objects, into the MRI room.

Despite undergoing a standard screening for magnetic objects, the woman denied having any firearms in her possession. The report does not confirm whether she had a permit for the firearm.

This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of following safety guidelines during medical procedures involving magnetic resonance imaging. A similar tragedy occurred earlier in the year when a Brazilian man lost his life due to a gunshot triggered by an MRI machine.