Husband accidentally shot himself and wife during gun safety class

A firearms safety course went awry in Bedford County on Saturday when a man shot himself in the hand with a .45-calibre handgun and the bullet passed through his hand and struck his wife, seated nearby, in the leg.

Shot were Michael L. Deel, 54, and Michelle K. Deel, 49, both of Roanoke. Emergency dispatchers in Bedford County received a call at 12:25 p.m. reporting a shooting on Chapel Woods Drive. The Bedford County Sheriff’s Office said county rescue units and deputies responded.



The Deels were attending a firearms safety class being taught and hosted by Thomas F. Starke, 57, according to the department. The sheriff’s office said Starke told deputies that he had left the room, heard a shot and returned to find the Deels had been shot.

The couple was taken by ambulance to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. The shooting remains under investigation.