In a scene straight out of a Coen brothers fever dream, a dog left alone inside a pickup truck at a Nebraska gas station allegedly managed to fire off a loaded shotgun Saturday afternoon, sending pellets flying across a parking lot and into a woman sitting in another car nearby.
The bizarre chain reaction unfolded shortly after noon outside the Short Stop convenience store in Scottsbluff, where the truck had pulled in for a pit stop. According to police, the driver stepped inside the store while another passenger got out and lingered near the passenger-side door. That left the canine co-pilot roaming freely in the back seat — alongside a shotgun that apparently had a live round chambered.
Authorities say the dog somehow jostled the weapon hard enough to make it discharge. The blast tore through the truck’s front passenger-side door before continuing across the lot and toward a nearby intersection.
That’s where things went from “careless gun storage” to “you cannot make this stuff up.”
A woman stopped at a traffic light several yards away was struck in the upper right arm by a shotgun pellet while her arm rested out the car window, police said. Thankfully, her injuries were not considered life-threatening. A relative drove her to Regional West Medical Center for treatment.
The Scottsbluff Police Department initially received reports suggesting a BB gun may have been involved before officers discovered the damage was consistent with a shotgun blast. Investigators also found visible damage to the truck’s passenger-side door.
No other injuries were reported, though somewhere out there an insurance adjuster is probably reconsidering their career choices.
The Scottsbluff Police Department is continuing to investigate the incident, which now joins the growing list of deeply American headlines involving convenience stores, firearms and extremely bad decisions.
Nebraska dog accidentally shoots someone at a gas station.
Florida Man just lost his title.
We need to talk. pic.twitter.com/RRnxMt0Plg— The Jake Buzz (@thejakebuzz) May 26, 2026
DOG ‘accidentally’ SHOOTS woman outside Nebraska gas station ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/ES1h9VVWsh
— Pakidor😎 (@Officially_Paki) May 24, 2026
