Kudos to Jeff (OP) for having the testicular fortitude to admit his error on this forum, knowing that the forum is mostly inhabited by perfect people, who have never made a mistake in their lives, and knowing that these perfect people would point out that it could never, ever happen to them, because they are perfect. It also makes the OP feel better when some of the perfect people call him names too, because we all know this helps prevent future accidents or "negligence". (Sarcasm font off).
Jeff, I'm not in the perfect people class, because I've experienced two (2) in my 57 years, that I'd like to have back. I'll share those with you, so the perfects have someone else to judge, which might just take a little heat off of you.
The first one was when I was a teenager, and had been squirrel hunting with a buddy with .22 rifles. We had finished for the day, and I was getting out of his truck in front of my house, when I reached up to grab my rifle out of the gun rack (yeah, we used to have gun racks in our trucks back then), and apparently pulled the trigger on my rifle, that I had clearly not unloaded when we left the woods.
No one was more surprised than I, when his back window shattered, right behind his head (still sitting in drivers seat). Lots of errors here, and I know what they all are, as will the perfect people, and a great deal of learning took place right then. And yes, he and I are still friends.
Fast forward to three years ago. Had just finished cleaning my KelTec .380, carefully keeping any live ammo away from the gun. Was reassembling the pistol, and was having problems getting it back together. Sat down in my chair in the living room of my home (home alone at the time), and looked at some youtube video's on the subject, and negligently, foolishly, and stupidly put a loaded magazine into the gun, racked the slide, and pulled the trigger, with both hands on the pistol. Thankfully the gun was pointed in a relatively safe direction, as the round went through the arm of my chair, out the other side, through three walls, lodging in a linen closet, barely missing my rock fireplace, and the wrought iron fireplace tools.
Like you, I didn't need anyone telling me I was stupid...I knew it. Thank God, he looks out for drunks and fools, and I certainly qualified as a fool that day. I've carried a gun for over 35 years, have worked as a Primary Firearms Instructor, have sat in judgement of others that have had negligent discharges with their service pistols, as well as investigated those instances for my agency. They should never happen. I know that. You know that. Hopefully we all learn a little something about ourselves when they do.
Be safe.