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In the current case, failure of each of the three cardinal rules -- muzzle pointed in an unsafe direction, action loaded when shooting wasn't (presumably) the intent, and finger on the trigger -- produced a predictable result. I recall one of my instructors saying something like this. With firearms, whenever the answer to the "What'll happen if" question is "I don't know", it probably isn't a good idea to do it. Range example: Where will the bullet strike (what'll happen if) I shoot over the berm? It probably isn't a good idea to shoot over the berm since you don't know what the projectile will ultimately strike. I view this as an addendum to the cardinal safety rules -- a final check if you will. My fourth rule / guidleline might have been helpful if it was ingrained in the minds of the actor(s), but then again they clearly weren't overly concerned about safety.