TAMPA, FL -- A tragic accident has left a young woman dead and her father grieving after the gun he was handling accidentally went off striking his daughter.
The Tampa Police Department says Melissa Kupferberg, 32, had just returned from the gun range with her dad.
"Afterwards, they went back to the house to clean the weapons, and something occurred at the kitchen table," said Tampa Police Lt. Donny Peters. "I guess it either jammed or there was something inside the weapon and tragedy happened."
Kupferberg was cleaning her Glock 34 when she had trouble disassembling it. Police say she handed the gun to her father and as he tried to tear down the weapon it discharged, hitting her in the upper body.
According to Lt. Peters, when a person is handling a Glock pistol, before being taken apart, they have to pull the trigger. Lt. Peters says a single bullet may have been inside the gun's chamber before it was accidentally fired.
Kupferberg remained breathing and conscious but died a short time later at St. Joseph's Hospital.
Kupferberg was an investigator with the federal public defender's office who worked at the Federal Courthouse in downtown Tampa.
Police say the shooting is accidental and not charges will be filed.
