Charles Darwin with a purple swarm around his head, contemplating the twist of fate that natural selection sidestepped these still-living honorable mentions.

2009 Honorable Mention

Next Prev Random Honorable Mentions have misadventures that stop short of the ultimate sacrifice. Nevertheless we salute the spirit of their colossal blunders with an Honorable Mention. Better luck next time!

A Putty Bullet
2009 Honorable Mention
Confirmed True by Darwin

(12 March 2009, Oklahoma) A Shawnee area man suffered an accidental (accidental?) gunshot wound to his abdomen when he fired a shotgun shell loaded with Plumber's putty into his own stomach. The 21-year-old marksman explained to deputies that he had exchanged the BB pellets in shotgun shells for Plumber's putty, and test-fired several rounds outside.

Satisfied, he decided to perform more tests on the modified projectiles. For instance, what would happen if he put a pillow between himself and the gun? He allegedly shot himself with no problem, then he tried the experiment without the pillow.

He was taken to Unity Health Center for injuries to his abdomen, shirt, and winter coat. Removal of the wad, (a plastic component of the shotgun shell that encloses the pellets) may be necessary, but he survived the navel piercing essentially no worse for wear.

The young man stated that "something went wrong," but what? Sheriff's Captain Palmer pointed out the obvious. "Shotgun shells and Plumber's putty don't mix."

READER COMMENT: Greg speculates, "Perhaps the putty-shells were a means of driving away trespassers, amd he didn't want to cause injury so through a series of somewhat scientific experiments he tested the device on himself. At Harvey Mudd college, North Dorm's motto was 'Piss on East' and occasionally a group of North Dormers would actually go to East Dorm at night and urinate on the wall. Someone in East decided to string an electric wire across the wall; of course, he tested it to make sure it was safe."

MEDIA REFERENCES

DarwinAwards.com © 1994 - 2020
Submitted by: Fellstorm
Reference: Pottawatomie County Sheriff Archive and The Shawnee News-Star

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