We've gotten this story from tons of readers today, which is awesome, because we think it's hilarious and scary at the same time. In Virginia, a state delegate was unloading his gun in his office in the General Assembly building, and accidentally fired it.

Del. John S. "Jack" Reid had gone through this morning routine dozens of times. He'd reach into his pocket, pull out his small semiautomatic .380 handgun, release the clip and store the weapon safely in the desk drawer of his office on the seventh floor of the Virginia General Assembly Building.

But something went wrong Thursday. Reid's pistol, which he said he carries for protection, fired as he popped the clip from the handle, sending a single bullet into the cushion of a bulletproof vest that was hanging from the back of his closed office door.

No one was injured, although Reid said he suffered a cut on his hand from the friction of the gun's slide snapping back.

The incident prompted an unexpected debate about gun control and also something uncommon in Virginia political circles: contrition from a state legislator. Reid, a Henrico County Republican, rose from his seat on the floor of the House of Delegates, asked to be heard, explained what had happened and said: "I want to apologize to the members of this body and to the greater body. . . . I'm just thankful that nobody was hurt."

Even a few hours after the incident, Reid -- a 16-year veteran and one of the House of Delegates' most popular and free-spirited members -- was at a loss to explain how an experienced gun owner found himself discharging a firearm during one of the busiest parts of the business day at the state Capitol complex.

"If you asked me if I ever put a finger on a trigger when I wasn't at the shooting range, I'd say no," Reid said at a news conference after his apology. "Whether that's what happened, I can't tell you. I really don't know."

Sorry? You "really don't know" if you've ever pulled the trigger of a gun you carry around the General Assembly building every day? Children tour this building. We hope that if a boy scout had been killed by this shot, the conversation would be a little different then a relieved apology.

Then, last year, a committee of delegates and senators passed a rule requiring residents to have a concealed weapon permit to bring a firearm into the complex, even if the gun is carried openly. Some senators proposed barring guns from the buildings altogether. But many gun rights groups opposed the move.

Several lawmakers said they were stunned to find out that Reid carried a gun and even more surprised to hear that it had gone off in the busy building.

"He had no business bringing it into the General Assembly," said Senate Minority Leader Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax), a supporter of gun control laws. "I think guns should be banned for all these government buildings."

And we agree. Guns are dangerous no matter who's holding them. Even a gun-trained veteran holding a gun they carry every day represents a potential risk to anyone who happens to be around. No one died this time, but what happens the next time a legislator's gun goes off by accident? Guns don't belong on our streets, and then definitely don't belong in public buildings. Reid's little accident proves it.

And, as a final note, there's one more thing that's really scary about this story. One of our readers points out that if Reid's carrying a gun around the General Assembly, who isn't? Maybe that's why our lawmakers are so out of touch with what the American people want on the gun issue-- they don't understand what the American people do: that guns, in anyone's hands, represent nothing but danger and violence.