Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
Two teenagers were accidentally shot in gun accidents on Halloween. One has died and the other is hospitalized. A Denver, Colorado teenager is in custody after another juvenile was shot and killed in a gun accident at a local home. A 17-year old is in custody and is being investigated for manslaughter. The police have …
A 17-year old Tallahassee, Florida girl was arrested and charged with manslaughter after she and a group of kids were passing around a gun in a local apartment. It apparently went off while she was holding it and a 17-year old boy was killed. The news report does not say how the teenagers got the …
A three-year old in Columbia, South Carolina shot and killed herself today. No other details are available. Authorities have not said how the child got the gun. Nor do they question why there are no laws or regulations that would prevent gun designs that make it simple for a toddler to pull a trigger. Source: …
A Houston, Texas mom sent her ten-year old son and his eleven-year old cousin to retrieve something from her car. The boys found a loaded gun in the vehicle and, while playing with it, the ten-year old was shot and killed. Police are uncertain which of the boys was handling the gun when it went …
Dawson McGrath, an Addison, Vermont man died today of a “non-suspicious gunshot.” Police are continuing to investigate, but they have preliminarily concluded that McGrath’s gunshot wound was accidental and self-inflicted. He was transferred by helicopter to Vermont Medical Center and was originally listed in critical condition, but he was later pronounced dead at the hospital. …
Kemar D. Hinton, age 4, of Greensboro, Alabama, shot and killed himself today with a loaded gun he found in his home. “When a tender age child is involved, it’s just near and dear to my heart that we find out the truth. But like I said, based on the evidence we have so far, …
In Bradley County, Tennessee, a two-year old child found a loaded gun at home, shot themself in the chest, and was later pronounced dead at the local hospital. “A preliminary investigation discovered that the firearm had been left unsecured and the child was able to have access to the weapon.” The child’s father, Matthew Jenkins, …
In Ann Arbor, Michigan, a 16-month old child was shot in the head by a sibling, but is expected to survive. “He is breathing on his own,” his grandmother told a local news station. There were four children at home at the time of the accident. The victim was the youngest and the oldest was …
15-year old Kamm VanGilder of Jeffersonville, Indiana was riding with a former Jeffersonville police officer when the man’s rifle accidentally discharged and VanGilder was killed. The former officer was not identified. An autopsy has confirmed that the shooting was accidental, but the investigation is ongoing. In an incident at a San Antonio, Texas mall, two …
Authorities in Clinton Township, Michigan are expected to charge a man whose gun went off during a physical altercation with his younger brother. The two men were wrestling on the floor when the gun fired and the younger man was killed. The precise circumstances causing the gun to go off are unclear. Although the police …
The Rust Movie Set and The Death of Halyna Hutchins Horrific gun accidents happen in this country every day, 365 days a year. Halyna Hutchins’ accidental death today on a New Mexico movie set should prompt a larger discussion about regulating guns for safety and about the level of gun safety training necessary to prevent …
A Chicago, Illinois police officer, engaged in a struggle with an unarmed suspect, accidentally fired his service weapon and struck two other officers. One was shot in the arm and the other in the shoulder. Both officers are reported to be in good condition. A gun was later found in the suspect’s car. Source: Charlie …
Kyleek Williams of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, age 17, was playing with semi-automatic guns with a friend when one of the guns went off. Kyleek was struck in the stomach and later died at the hospital. Police have announced that there is a suspect in custody, though the nature of the charge is unclear. Kyleek is …
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Jeffrey Carter, age 65, was struck in the head and killed by a stray bullet while driving near a local high school. He crashed his SUV off the road at the time of the shooting. A 16-year old boy was also struck in the head by gunfire and taken to the hospital …
In West Point, Georgia, a 17-year old and her 23-year sister were playing with a pistol when it fired. They didn’t know the gun was loaded. The 17-year old died of a single gunshot wound to the head. Although there is an ongoing investigation, Police have concluded that the shooting was accidental. There is no …
In Greenville, South Carolina, a 4-year old died in a gun accident today. The child passed away at the hospital and no further details are available. According to the local Sheriff’s office, “there is no threat to the community.” Source: Freeman Stoddard, Thomas Gore, “4-year-old Child Dies from Accidental Gunshot, Coroner’s Office Confirms” Fox Carolina …
In Mooers, New York, a man was hospitalized after a firearm accident. The case remains under investigation, according to the report, and there is no continuing threat of harm to public safety. Source: “Possible Firearm Accident in Mooers,” Press-Republican (October 16, 2021).
An 18-year old Peoria, Arizona man was shot and killed by a friend who was cleaning his gun inside a local apartment. The Peoria police said that the man who fired the fatal shot was reassembling his gun after cleaning it and that it still had a round in the chamber. No other information about …
Seattle, Washington police concluded that a man who accidentally fired a pistol shot into his leg had used a gun that was reported stolen in 1997. The man initially claimed to have been shot by people who were trying to sell him drugs. Other witnesses told police that the man was playing with the gun …
In Houston, Texas, a man accidentally shot his friend in the abdomen tonight while celebrating the Astros victory over the Chicago White Sox. According to the report, the celebration went “a little too far.” A group of people watching the game told police that they would dry fire their weapons whenever the Astros scored a …
A Nashville, Tennessee woman heard an argument in the apartment below, then a loud pop, followed by pain in her foot. She had been struck by a round that passed through the floor of her apartment. According to the report, “[o]fficers found the apartment below the victim’s empty with the door slightly open, and a bullet …
At least 7 people unintentionally shot themselves or others with guns today in incidents across the country. In Ellisville Mississippi, a man accidentally shot himself in the hand. The Sheriff’s Department said that the incident occurred in a community residence. A Temple Hills, Maryland 16-year old is hospitalized after shooting himself accidentally at the local …
The Problem of Relying on a Gun Seller as an “Expert” on Gun Safety According to the original report, police concluded that an Independence, Missouri eight-year old found a gun in his family’s home and shot himself. He was transported to the hospital where he later died. “We are just trying to put all the …
In Cocoa Beach, Florida, a teenager died of an accidental gunshot wound after mishandling a gun. The child was taken from the local apartment where the accident happened to Cape Canaveral Hospital and was pronounced dead. Police have not released the teenager’s name, age or gender. Nor is there information about the circumstances of the …
An Orlando, Florida man shot himself in the leg in a shooting range parking lot today while clearing his gun. He was inside a vehicle outside “Shooter’s World” when the accident occurred. Source: “Police: Man Clearing Gun Shot Self in Leg Outside Orlando Range,” Fox 35 (October 8, 2021).
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, Autumn Merrick, age 18, was killed when a shoot-out between people in two moving vehicles resulted in a fiery crash on a local sidewalk. Merrick, an innocent bystander, was riding a scooter on the sidewalk where the crash occurred. Her death was ruled a homicide, but no arrests have been made. “It …
A three-year old and a four year old were injured today by their gun-owning parents’ negligence. This is at least the fourth day in a row that young children were injured in gun accidents. You can track the links to the other stories here. In Houston, Texas, a three year-old was shot in the upper …
For the third day in a row, a baby was shot when an adult mishandled a gun. In this instance, a one year old Winston-Salem, North Carolina girl was shot in the hand by one of her parents. She was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive. Also today, Shawn Santiago, a 39-year …
Once again, a baby girl was injured today in a gun accident. The baby’s mother, Victoria Tejeda, age 20, of Ramona, California and her boyfriend, Roman Estrada, age 18, were both arrested after the incident, in which Estrada accidentally fired a gun and shot the baby in the leg. Both Tejeda and Estrada were charged …
In Auburn, Alabama, a 13-month old girl was shot in the upper torso and killed. Witnesses remained at the scene and were cooperating with police. Later, Michael A. Thomas, one of the adults present at the at the time of the incident was arrested and charged with manslaughter, possession of Marijuana 1st degree, three counts …
Two gun owners accidentally shot themselves today and were taken to hospitals for treatment. In Omaha, Nebraska shot himself in the leg with .22 caliber pistol twice. He is said to be suffering from dementia. It is unclear why he was still in possession of a gun. And in Gold Hill, North Carolina, a man …