Five people have been hurt by accidental shots at separate gun rallies in the US.

It is reported that a shotgun discharged as its owner unzipped its case for a law enforcement officer to check at a security entrance at an event in North Carolina.

Three bystanders were hit by shotgun pellets and taken to a hospital. 

In Indiana, police said a 54-year-old man was injured when he accidentally shot himself while leaving a gun show.

Meanwhile in Ohio a gun dealer accidentally pulled the trigger of a gun injuring his friend.