Brief: Gillette Man Didn’t Know Gun Was Loaded When He Shot Pet Cat Dead

A 19-year-old unintentionally killed a cat while using it for what he thought was dry-fire target practice inside a Gillette home Wednesday morning, police say.

The man was ticketed for discharging a firearm within city limits, Gillette Police Department Deputy Chief Brent Wasson told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday.

“He admitted that he was using the cat as a target for dry-fire practice, believing that the gun was not loaded,” said Wasson.

The firearm was a handgun, and the man discharged it inside his girlfriend’s home, Wasson added.

“And the firearm discharged, and killed the cat,” he said.

Wasson said the cat was an 8-year-old tabby.

The call came in at 10:55 a.m., from the 200 block of Talisker Drive. Police spoke with the girlfriend’s mother on scene, said Wasson.

Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.