Walk me through how this happens.

Step 1. I'm willing to accept that a lot of average (and definitely less than average) people are dipshit enough to pick up a weapon without first checking to see if the goddamn thing is loaded, so let's just accept the premise that these people are fucking around with a weapon that maybe they don't realize it loaded.

Step 2. Proper cleaning requires disassembly of the weapon. Disassembled weapons can't fire. So by this point they've ignored Step 1 and Step 2.

Step 3. Many weapons include a trigger safety to prevent accidental manipulation of the trigger. Let's also just ignore this part, for the sake of argument.

Step 4. Basic cleaning of an assembled weapon does not involve purposefully pulling the trigger.

So how the fuck do people "accidentally" discharge a weapon while cleaning it?

I once had a friend accidentally fire his weapon in his living room during a house party. Dipshit somehow got a 98 on his ASVAB but still decided to go 11B.

Trying to be the cool kid, he's showing his AR to his wife's non-military friends.

"No, it's perfectly safe. See? *pulls trigger, discharges 1 round into the floor*" At least he had the absolute bare minimum common sense to not be flagging anyone when he pulled the trigger.

But even he intentionally pulled the trigger. I still can't fathom how someone does the same thing, but while "cleaning" their weapon.