On a Sunday in September of 2016, Megan Quinn Sloss, a 24-year-old White/Caucasian woman, was driving near Lake View, Iowa, with her older brother, Spencer Lee Sloss. The siblings were on their way to a family event where they had planned to do some target shooting. As they traveled, a conversation about cleaning firearms began. Spencer, who was in the passenger seat, decided to demonstrate how to disassemble his 9mm Sig Sauer handgun.
During the demonstration, the firearm accidentally
discharged, and a single bullet struck Megan in the hip. The car was moving at highway speed at the time of the incident. Spencer acted quickly, climbing over the center console to bring the vehicle to a stop. He immediately called 911 for help and carried his sister out of the car. A doctor who happened to be driving by stopped to render medical aid until paramedics arrived.
Megan was first transported to Loring Hospital in Sac City and then airlifted to Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines. Tragically, she succumbed to her injury and died on September 18, 2016. At the time of her death, Megan was a graduate student at the University of Iowa, pursuing a master's degree in social services with aspirations of helping children and adults in need.
The Sac County Sheriff's Office investigated the shooting. It was determined that Spencer had a valid permit to carry the handgun. While the investigation was ongoing in the immediate aftermath of the incident, authorities stated that no charges had been filed against him, classifying the event as a tragic accident. The case was to be reviewed by the Sac County Attorney's Office upon completion of the investigation.
