Woman, 80, shot in leg when gun falls out of her purse

Gun fell out of Bernie Hightower's purse as she got out of car

EASTPOINTE, Mich. – What was supposed to be a regular trip to the dollar store for 80-year-old Bernice Hightower changed when her gun fell out of her purse.

The last thing anyone would ever want going off accidentally went off when a gun fell out of Bernice Hightower's purse in Eastpointe.

When she heard the gunshot, Jessie Billing turned to Hightower, her friend, wondering what happened.

The 80-year-old woman had put her gun in her purse, and when she was getting out of the car, the gun fell to the ground.

It went off and Hightower was shot in the leg.

Billing said her friend wasn't scared. In fact, she said Hightower wanted to make a pit stop before going to the hospital.

Billing took her lifelong friend home and they called an ambulance. She said Hightower never goes anywhere without her .22 caliber gun. She doesn't think that will change after the incident.

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About the Authors:

Priya joined WDIV-Local 4 in 2013 as a reporter and fill-in anchor. Education: B.A. in Communications/Post Grad in Advanced Journalism

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.