You hear of people who handle guns improperly and end up worse for wear, but it’s not every day you read about a person injured by a bullet that is nowhere near a gun at the time.

And yet, a Lowe’s shopper in Pennsylvania ended up having to go to the hospital after a loose bullet in her purse apparently exploded and did some damage to her leg in the process.

Police confirm to the Williamsport Sun-Gazette that the woman did not have a gun in her purse or on her person as she strolled the aisles of the hardware store on Sunday.

“Something must [have] hit the primer of one of the bullets,” the local police chief tells the paper. “The bullet stayed in the purse, but its casing put a hole in the purse and caused a minor leg wound.”

The woman chose not to go the hospital right after the incident — possibly because the police would need to be called and then maybe it would end up in the local paper — but did, at the urging of her son, seek medical attention three hours afterward.

Police: Bullet explodes in woman’s handbag while she shops at home improvement store [sungazette.com]

Thanks to Lovemypets00 for the tip!

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.