Lawyer accidentally shot by own gun in MRI suite dies of his injuries
A man in Brazil who was accidentally shot by his own gun while accompanying his mother to an MRI exam has succumbed to his injuries, according to an update from CNN Brazil.
On Jan. 16, lawyer Leandro Mathias de Novaes was wearing a registered firearm on his waistband while assisting his mother in the MRI suite when the scanner’s powerful magnet pulled the gun away from his body. The gun subsequently discharged and shot the 40-year-old lawyer in his stomach, landing him in an intensive care unit until Feb. 6, when he passed away.
Following his death, a spokesperson for the Order of Attorneys of Brazil in Cotia released a statement expressing their condolences to the lawyer’s friends and family.
“It is with deep regret that OAB Cotia communicates to all fellow lawyers the unexpected loss of our dear friend and lawyer Dr. Leandro Mathias de Novaes,” the statement reads. “We are sorry for the loss and we sympathize with his family in this moment of pain.”
The incident occurred at Cura Laboratory in the central region of São Paulo. Representatives of the facility maintain that both the victim and his mother had been informed of metallic contraindications and were instructed to leave any metal objects outside of the MRI suite prior to entering.
“We reinforce that all accident prevention protocols were followed by the CURA team, as is customary in all units,” the CURA group said in a statement.
The group noted that although both the man and his mother signed a term of acknowledgment regarding this guidance, de Novaes made no mention of the presence of his firearm prior to entering the exam room.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.