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ROANOKE, Va. — A Virginia man and his wife are recovering after an accidental shooting during a firearms safety class.

The Bedford County Sheriff’s Office tells media outlets that Michael L. Deel, of Roanoke, shot himself in the hand with a .45-caliber handgun. The bullet also struck his wife, Michelle, in the leg as she was sitting beside him.

The incident occurred Saturday during a firearms safety class at a home. The instructor, Thomas Starke, told police he’d left the room and then heard a shot.

The Deels were taken to a local hospital where they were treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Michael Deel says the shooting was a “stupid accident.”
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This article was provided by The Associated Press Wire.  (Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)