Monroe County authorities say two people were accidentally shot at a church in Tellico Plains this afternoon (Thursday, November 16, 2017) during a discussion about the recent church shooting in Texas. Police say elder members of Tellico Plains Methodist Church were meeting and began discussing the Texas shooting when someone asked if anyone brought a gun to the church. Officers say a man answered and said he carries his everywhere he goes. He reportedly pulled the gun out, unloaded it, ejected the magazine and passed the firearm around. Once the gun came back around to its owner, the man put the magazine back in and reloaded the chamber, but accidentally squeezed the trigger. The gun discharged, hitting the man in the hand and his wife in the abdomen. Both were flown to UT Medical Center for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. Their names have not been released. Nearby schools were briefly put on lockdown during the initial investigation. The lockdown was lifted once the scene was cleared.