A holiday shopping trip to a Walmart in Hayden, Idaho, took a tragic turn for 29-year-old Veronica Rutledge on December 30, 2014. The White female was with her two-year-old son and three other children, reportedly to spend Christmas gift cards, when the unthinkable happened in the electronics section of the store. Her young son, seated in the shopping cart, reached into her purse and accidentally discharged the small-caliber handgun she was carrying.
The single shot struck and killed the young mother.
Rutledge, a resident of Blackfoot, Idaho, was in the area visiting relatives for the holidays. She held a concealed weapons permit, and the purse she was carrying was specifically designed to hold a firearm, a Christmas gift from her husband. Her family described her as a loving and responsible gun owner who was not careless. She was a research scientist at the Idaho National Laboratory, holding a degree in chemical engineering.
Authorities were called to the Walmart at approximately 10:20 a.m. and found Rutledge deceased at the scene. After reviewing store surveillance footage and interviewing witnesses, the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office concluded that the shooting was a tragic accident. Consequently, there were no arrests made, and no suspects were sought in connection with her death. The incident was a devastating accident that ended the life of a young mother and left a family grieving an unimaginable loss.
