The best way to learn gun safety is getting shot, some people might say. Just ask Tom Smith, a Modesto, CA pastor who is in the hospital recovering after being shot by his own gun safety instructor. After recent mass shootings at San Bernardino and at A.M.E. Church in Charleston, South Carolina, California church members are now training to carry concealed weapons for protection. However, this probably wasn’t the “mass” shooting they had in mind.

Modesto police claim they were demonstrating a scenario when Pastor Smith, who also helps with church security, was shot. They stated the instructor put his rubber gun down at the end of the class and picked up his actual, loaded gun before firing and hitting Smith and probably saying “Ok class, this a good example of a bad example of gun safety!” Police have not determined whether the gun instructor, who is an instructor of guns, knew if he was using a real or fake gun, even though he is a gun instructor and was just teaching people how to use guns.

Looking forward to Sunday’s sermon!

Follow Mike Cella on Twitter @mikevcella