Twelve of 71 guns discovered by TSA agents at airports around the country, during the week of Jan. 9-15, 2017.

We’re back again, and just to clear things up for you non-Romans, this is the 228th week that I’ve been collecting GunFAIL stories. Not all of the weekly compilations have been published, mind you. But I’ve never stopped collecting them, and I’ve got the overflowing drafts folder to prove it, in case you’re ever interested.

The second week of 2017 brought us more of the usual: 20 people who accidentally shot themselves, 11 accidental gun fatalities, 7 minors accidentally shot, 5 people accidentally shot by family members or significant others, 3 hunting accidents, 3 people accidentally shot by someone cleaning a still-loaded gun, 2 people who accidentally shot themselves while holstering or unholstering their weapons, etc., etc., etc.

Among the stranger stories from the week, we found yet another legislative GunFAIL, as New Hampshire state rep. Carolyn Halstead became the second New Hampshire legislator to catch our attention by dropping a loaded firearm during a committee hearing. (The first, former-Rep. Kyle Tasker, ended 2016 under indictment for drug possession with intent to distribute, and attempted child sexual exploitation charges. Because he’s a law-abiding citizen and whatnot.) Rep. Halstead was reportedly “mortified” at having knocked her gun out of its holster in a crowded hearing on the merits of full-day kindergarten. Luckily the weapon didn’t fire and no one was hurt. But if the subject of arming school teachers ever comes up for a hearing, I hope she’ll reflect on her own experience.

We also have an entry this week from what turned out to be a gun enthusiast literally in his mom’s basement. Nothing terribly wrong with that, of course, but things went south when he accidentally fired his gun up through the ceiling, and shot his mom while she was sleeping in bed, upstairs.

Lastly, the story that inspired this week’s title, which sounds more than a little sketchy. I’m not sure how many meat-packing plants operate this way, but out at Yoder Meats in Yoder, Kansas, they got hold of a buffalo to be slaughtered, and decided to do it by climbing a ladder and trying to shoot the animal with a rifle, over the side of a trailer. The buffalo, not interested in standing still for it, jostled the ladder and caused the rifleman to shoot another nearby employee, instead. No word on the other employee’s status. He probably survived, but if not, I’m sure he was delicious.

The full week’s collection of stories appears below.