Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
Lessons Learned: [note: hyperlinked material shows in dark blue] November 15, 2020 marked the one-year anniversary of Shattered: The Gun Accident Journal. There are now more than 366 daily reports in the archive, categorized by state and tagged for common safety issues. There are also five chronological narratives that illustrate the steady accumulation of family …
Teens Playing Around With Guns Result in Two Deaths A 16-year-old brought a gun to a gathering of teens in a home in Springfield, Ohio, where he unintentionally shot and killed 15-year-old Ray Estep. The magazine was removed from the gun, and the suspect thought the gun was unloaded when he pointed it at Ray …
Woman Killed and Husband Injured on Walking Trail, Toddler Fatally Shoots Self, and Teen Critically Injures Eight-year-old Sister with Gun He Thought was Unloaded On a walking trail in Summervile, South Carolina, Lori Wind, 54, was shot and killed by Kristofer Kelle McDonald, 20, who discharged several rounds from a 20-gauge shotgun thinking he was shooting at …
Two People Killed, and Four Others Injured, in Unintentional Shootings Today A five-year-old girl died in an accidental shooting in Seguin, Texas. Few details about the shooting were reported, and no charges have been filed. A two-year-old in Saint Louis, Missouri, was seriously injured after shooting themself in the abdomen with a gun left accessible by 19-year-old Jeremiah …
Man Shot in Foot at Gun Show A customer at a gun show in Jacksonville, Florida, was unintentionally shot when another customer, a 42-year-old man at one of the booths, attempted to “dry fire” a gun that he thought was unloaded. The bullet struck the concrete floor and ricocheted, hitting the victim in the foot. …
Gun Accidents Kill One and Injure Two Others, Including a 4-year-old Shot by Her Younger Brother A 4-year-old girl in Miami, Florida, was shot in the head by her 3-year-old brother. The girl was taken to the hospital where, according to a police spokesman, she is “fighting for her life.” Her mother’s boyfriend, Quavanta Ennels, …
Grandfather Shoots and Kills 16-year-old Grandson After Magazine is Removed Royce Osborn, 16, was accidentally shot and killed by his grandfather in Clinton, Missouri. Neighbors said that Royce lived with his mother and grandfather, 70-year-old Thomas Ribby, and wanted to have a future in law enforcement. A witness at the scene could be heard on …
Because there are 390 million guns already present in the United States, it is clear that the only practical way forward is a relentless focus on preventing gun violence before it happens. Evidence-based suicide prevention programs and well-funded community-based gun violence intervention projects are two prongs of the necessary three-pronged approach. The third is reevaluation …
In a Brevard County, Florida incident that is being reported as an accidental shooting, one sheriff’s deputy shot and killed another while the two were playing the video game Call of Duty. According to the report, Deputy Andrew Lawson, 22, pulled the trigger twice on a Glock pistol while aiming it at his roommate, Austin …
Cesar Chavez, age 22, of Houston, Texas, believed a shotgun was unloaded when he fired it. He struck and killed his 12-year-old nephew, who was playing with a toy gun at the time of the incident. Chavez has been charged with manslaughter. Source: Moriah Ballard, “Bond Set at $100K for Uncle Who Discharged Gun at …
22-year old Christopher Jordan of Fresno, California was arrested after he accidentally shot and killed his girlfriend, Deisha Guzman, age 20, at a local Hampton Inn hotel. Jordan initially claimed that he placed his gun on the bed and that Guzman had shot herself. After questioning, Jordan admitted that he accidentally fired the gun, striking …
We recently posted on the likely impact of the Supreme Court’s decision in New York Rifle and Pistol Ass’n v. Bruen on gun safety. In Bruen, the Supreme Court ruled that all “law-abiding” Americans have a Second Amendment right to carry a gun outside the home for self-defense. Several states quickly responded by considering or …
Dominique Poindexter, age 22, of Charleston, West Virginia was unintentionally shot and killed tonight by his friend Marcus Lee Linville. Linville, 23, is charged with wanton endangerment in connection with the shooting. Police Investigators said Linville “thought the gun was unloaded when he fired at Poindexter, shooting him in the head.” They added that Linville …
Austin Duhon, a Lubbock, Texas teenager was showing his friend, Christopher Stringer, a shotgun while they were watching television together. Duhon believed the gun was unloaded. Somehow the gun went off and Stringer was shot in the waist. At the time of the report, there was no update on Stringer’s condition. Source: James Clark, “Friday …
In Houston, Texas, a Texas Southern University senior was shot and killed in a gun accident today when a gun that his roommate was showing to the victim and a friend went off and struck the victim in the side. The three students believed that the gun was unloaded. No word about whether the gun …
Two young people, a ten-year old boy and an 18-year old girl, died in gun accidents today. The ten year-old, Charlie Patton, of Milledgeville, Georgia, died of a pellet gun wound after being accidentally shot by 17-year old Jamarius Walls, a friend of his family,. “All the evidence and witness statements we have from the …
In North Hollywood, California, Valentina Orellana-Peralta, a 14-year old girl who was shopping for a quinceañera dress, was accidentally shot and killed in a department store dressing room when a bullet passed through a wall during a police action at the store. She died at the scene. Los Angeles police were shooting at an assault …
A teenager was killed and a young man was seriously injured today by rounds fired from guns that were believed to be unloaded. As always, this raises the question of why guns are manufactured without prominent loaded chamber indicators. Although safety protocols should always include checking the chamber for a live rounds, many gun users …
In Phoenix, Arizona, 15-year old Valerie Arreola-Loya was accidentally shot and killed by a 21-year old relative who was cleaning his gun. He had removed the magazine from the gun, and then apparently believed that the gun was unloaded. The 21-year old who fired the fatal shot, Alexis Vidrio, was arrested and charged with manslaughter. …
In Biloxi, Mississipi, Bennie Hiep Lu, a 15-year old, accidentally shot and killed another teenager. The boys were playing with a gun and Lu pulled the trigger in the belief that the gun was unloaded. Reports indicate that “Bennie has been placed under arrest and is being charged as an adult with manslaughter. … After …
20-year old Gregory Lee Miller, Jr. of Lexington Kentucky died today of a gunshot wound. 25-year old Jaquan St. Louis has been arrested and charged with reckless homicide. According to police, St. Louis believed the gun was unloaded when he pointed it at Miller. Source: “Arrest Made in Lexington’s First Homicide of 2020, Victim Identified,” …
Woman Unintentionally Shot in Face by Boyfriend In Erie, Pennsylvania, a 20-year-old woman was shot in the face by her boyfriend, 25-year-old Nicholas T. Chastang. She was taken to the hospital, and both she and Chastang told authorities that the shooting was accidental and that they often played around with unloaded guns, pointing them at each other and pulling the …
Teen Killed, and Two Boys Injured While Playing with Guns In a home in Las Vegas, Nevada, a group of friends were playing around with a gun they thought was unloaded, when a discharge fatally wounded Keanu Riley Enright. Police determined that a 15-year-old fired the shot, and he was arrested and booked on open …
One Person Dead, Three Injured, in Unintentional Shootings Today In a home in Kokomo, Indiana, 37 year-old Henry Clayton was unintentionally shot and killed by Perry A. Reyes, age 31, with a gun that Clayton had been showing him, and that Reyes mistakenly thought was unloaded. When Reyes got ahold of the gun, he pointed it at Clayton and pulled the trigger, fatally wounding Clayton. Reyes …
20-Year-Old Women Dies in Unintentional Shooting In Wilmington, North Carolina, 20-year-old Skyler Pattillo was killed in an unintentional shooting. Officers arrested and charged 21-year-old Triston Spencer with manslaughter. According to the report, Spencer believed that the gun involved in the shooting was unloaded. No further details have been provided. Source: “WPD: Gun discharges, Woman Killed, …
Group of Friends Playing with Gun; 16-year-old is Killed In an Indianapolis, Indiana home, 16-year-old Nathaniel Labissiere was unintentionally shot and killed by his friend, 18-year-old Jakari Bibbs. The two teens and another friend were playing around with a .22 caliber Glock 44 while another person took photos. During the investigation, Bibbs told detectives he …
Roommates Playing with Guns Result in One Man’s Death In a St. Petersburg, Florida home, Kevin Bishop, age 50, was accidentally shot and killed. Bishop and his roommate, 57-year-old William Tompkins, were drinking alcohol and looking over the guns that Bishop owned and both believed to be unloaded. The men were pointing the guns at …
Uncertain if Guns Were Loaded, Two People Injured in Unintentional Shootings An employee at a gun store in Southington, Connecticut, accidentally shot himself in the hand while handling a pistol he thought was unloaded. He was taken to the hospital for treatment. And in Lewisburg, Kentucky, Clifford Harper was checking to see if a shotgun …
One Dead, Four Injured in Unintentional Shootings Police originally thought the shooting death of a man in Fort Worth, Texas was a homicide, but evidence determined that he accidentally shot himself. No other information has been reported. In Owensboro, Kentucky, police are investigating the shooting of a 17-year-old boy. The boy’s injuries are not life-threatening, from what officers believe …
Boy Critically Injured During Reckless Gun Play A 16-year-old boy is in critical condition after being unintentionally shot in the head by 20-year-old Joseph Hampton Roberts in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Several people were playing around with guns, pointing them at cameras and each other when the shooting occurred. Hampton Roberts believed the gun he held to …
5-year-old Killed by 6-year-old After They Find Loaded Gun at Grandparents’ House In Newaygo, Michigan, Braxton Dykstra, a 5-year-old, was shot and killed by a 6-year-old with a loaded gun that the two children found in their grandparents’ bedroom. The 6-year-old was handling the gun when it unintentionally fired. It’s unclear how the children are …
Toddler and Teen are Killed, and Police Officer Wounded in Unintentional Shootings In Greenville, North Carolina, Kayden Swinnely, 3, shot and killed himself after he found a loaded, unsecured gun inside his apartment. A 13-year-old had unlocked the gun safe and left the firearm where Kayden was able to access it. The two children were …
Three Accidental Gun Deaths A San Angelo, Texas man playacting with his friend’s loaded Radical Arms AR-15 rifle, which he believed was unloaded because the magazine was removed, accidentally shot and killed a relative. According to the report, Benjamin Ibarra was “conducting a fake ‘sweep’ … of the house after the thought-to-be unloaded rifle was …
Three Teens Unintentionally Injured in Shootings After a 13-year-old St Petersburg, Florida boy reported that he had been shot while riding his bike, investigating police concluded that he had accidentally shot himself instead. The boy’s injuries are not considered life threatening and police are investigating where the boy got the gun. In Alexandria, Louisiana, an …
Man Shoots and Kills Acquaintance with a Gun He Believed Was Not Loaded Frankie Morello, 22, of Chalmette, Louisiana, shot and killed an acquaintance while handling a gun that he believed was not loaded. He was arrested and charged with negligent homicide. This is yet another deadly gun accident that might have been prevented if …
Two Children Brought Guns to School in Wilmington, DE Today In unrelated incidents in Wilmington, Delaware two children were found to be in possession of guns at different schools today. Police confirmed that an 8-year-old boy was found with an unloaded gun in his backpack at Shortlidge Elementary School, shortly after a 14-year-old was also …
James Martin, a 15-year-old, died in Indianapolis, Indiana in an unintentional shooting that occurred at his home. Police have arrested and released a person of interest, who also appears to be a juvenile, after determining that the shooting was likely to have been unintentional. According to the report, “[p]olice said the shooting appears to be …
A child in Springfield, Missouri died today in an unintentional shooting, but few details have been reported, including the circumstances of the accident. Not even the child’s age is available. A neighbor said, ”[m]y kids play with their kids, and I’m just glad my kids weren’t over there because an accident could happen to anybody.” …
19-year old Dax Goodwin was arrested and charged with manslaughter after an unintentional shooting today in Tonopah, Arizona. According to the report Goodwin shot another teenager in the head with a gun he believed to be unloaded. The two were on a hunting trip driving in separate pick-up trucks at the time of the incident. …
Eight-year-olds in Texas and Illinois were unintentionally shot and killed by young family members who were handling guns today. In Houston, Texas, an eight-year-old boy was unintentionally shot and killed by his 10-year-old sister who was handling a loaded shotgun. The family is believed to have recently moved to the Houston area from Venezuela. A …
Derrick Curtis, an alderman in Southwest Chicago, Illinois, shot himself in the wrist today while cleaning a gun. He is in good condition at the hospital. And in Salem Township, Minnesota, an unidentified 70-year-old man shot himself in the leg, also while cleaning a gun. According to the report, a police deputy applied a tourniquet, …
Three people accidentally shot and killed others in gun accidents today. Each accident was caused by the shooter’s own negligence but was likely facilitated by faulty gun design. Two of the incidents occurred in vehicles. In Raleigh North Carolina, Barri Rogers, 21, was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of his friend, Ahmad …
Aston Simmons, a 28-year old Apollo Beach man, was arrested after a 5-year old found a loaded gun in a bedroom and shot himself. A substantial amount of marijuana was also found at the scene. The child is in critical condition at the hospital. Simmons has been charged with unlawful storage of a firearm among …
No charges were filed today after a West Palm Beach man claiming to have “dry-fired” a gun believing it was unloaded, shot and killed his good friend. The 25-year old victim managed to get outside before dying on the stairs. Witnesses told police that a group of six friends were gathered in an apartment when …
A Muncie, Indiana six-year old shot his five year old sister in the head today with a loaded handgun that he had removed from his parents’ gun safe. The girl died at the hospital. According to the report, the child found the key to the safe and removed the gun while his mother was napping; …
A man claiming that he fired his gun in the air to stop a knife fight in Columbus, Ohio, accidentally shot an eight-year old girl. The girl was later found by police lying in the park in critical condition with a gunshot wound that required surgery. However, she is expected to survive. 28-year old Torrance …
A St. Louis, Missouri 10-year old shot and killed his 12-year old brother today. Their mother was getting a haircut at home at the time of the incident. The victim, LaFrance Johnson, was a sixth grader. “A 36-year-old woman was arrested for endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death after she told police …
There were at least four more serious gun accidents today, for a total of nine in two days. Several of the accidents occurred because the shooter wasn’t aware that the gun was loaded, making it unlikely that the weapons involved had a proper loaded chamber indicator, a common sense safety device. In North Pole, Alaska, …
In Denton, Texas, two friends were drinking and handling a firearm when it went off, injuring one of them. They say they didn’t know the gun was loaded. The injured friend was taken to the hospital and released. Source: Zaira Perez, “Friends Alleged Drinking, Negligence Led to Shooting at Denton Apartment,” Denton Record-Chronicle (March 2, …
From a Facebook post made by the sheriff’s office in Nagadoches County, Texas, we learn today that two young boys were playing in a bedroom with a .380 semi-automatic pistol that had been left unattended. The boys, one ten and the other 13, had been shooting earlier in the day under adult supervision. When the boys …
In Granite Quarry, North Carolina, a middle school student shot and killed himself when he “mishandled a gun” that he thought was unloaded. At this time, the family has asked for privacy and we ask for everyone to keep the family in thoughts and prayers,” the local police chief said. “We have no further releasable …
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 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 …
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 …
Three children shot and killed themselves today with loaded guns they found in their homes. In each case, few details were reported. In Smithfield, Utah, a five-old and his family returned from a camping trip on Tuesday night and left their camping gear in a downstairs room. The boy came downstairs early on Tuesday morning …
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, a 22-year old man was arrested after pointing and firing a gun that he believed to be unloaded. The man, Zachary Shipley, was playing video games with his friend, Christian Price, also 22, and wanted to frighten him. Price was struck in the head and killed. Shipley had taken the magazine out …
In Wichita, Kansas, two boys were playing with a loaded handgun they had found when it went off, striking both of them. A 12-year old was struck in the hand and a 15-year old was struck in the hand. Both boys are recovering. Wichita police reminded residents that most gun accidents are preventable. They provided …
Once again, multiple children were unintentional victims of gun violence today. One 7-year old was shot by a 9-year old relative. The other three victims were innocent bystanders to intentional gun violence. In Houston, Texas, a 7-year old child was shot by a 9-year old relative who found a loaded gun on the bed in …
In another accident involving a nine-year old child, a Louisville, Kentucky boy was rushed to the hospital after unintentionally shooting himself while playing with a relative’s gun. Police say the boy’s injuries are not considered life-threatening. The incident is nearly identical to one that occurred in Alabama just two days ago on April 15. A …
At a Richmond, Utah manufacturing facility, a 23-year old employee accidentally shot himself in the leg while cleaning his Glock during a break. He did not realize that the gun was loaded when he attempted to break it down. Police and paramedics responded at the scene. “This individual had fired his firearm about two weeks …
A four-year old in Columbus, Ohio was in stable condition at the hospital after rolling over onto a loaded gun on a bed in his home. A “911 caller told police that the child rolled over onto a gun that way lying on the bed, causing the gun to go off, shooting the child in …
At a baby shower in Gaines Township, Michigan, a 26-year old man was killed when a “small cannon-like device” exploded. The man, Evan Thomas Silva, was struck by shrapnel from the explosion. He was ten to fifteen feet away at the time of the accident. The authorities are still “piecing together how the celebratory event …
In Washington Terrace, Utah, a 47-year old man and a 25-year old woman were examining a gun they believed was unloaded when it fired. Both were struck. The bullet first passed through the man’s leg, just below the knee, the Sheriff’s Office reported. It then entered the woman’s thigh where it lodged, breaking her femur …
More than a year after an incident in which University of Central Missouri University student Jeremy Allen Manley accidentally shot and killed his friend, Stephon Abron, Manley pled guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter. At the time of the incident, which occurred in University housing, Manley had been arrested but not charged. Manley told …
In what appears to be the third gun accident involving a San Antonio, Texas teenager this month, a 16-year old accidentally shot himself in the head. Two teenagers were playing with an AR-15 at the time of the accident, believing it to be unloaded. The boy was taken to the hospital with injuries that were …
Children in Michigan, Indiana and Idaho died in gun accidents today. The Michigan accident occurred in Canton Township. Eight-year old Jack Bennett, an only child, died when a bullet discharged as his father was cleaning a gun. According to his mother, Tammy Snyder, “[i]t was a freak accident. It was supposed to be an unloaded …
Two young people were accidentally shot and killed by friends today while playing with guns. 18-year old Armani Hall of Louisville, Kentucky was shot and killed by her 21-year old friend Adrianna King. King admitted that she had been playing with the gun. She was arrested and charged with one count of reckless homicide. In …
In Detroit, Michigan, a nine-year old boy was accidentally shot and seriously injured as his father was checking the chamber on his gun to make sure it was unloaded. Police arrested the father even as the boy remained hospitalized. “What we know about this story so far is no doubt it’s tragic and it’s unfortunate …
Four teenagers were accidentally shot today in separate incidents. Three of the teens shot themselves. Two of the incidents, though unrelated, occurred at the same apartment complex in Atlanta, Georgia, just blocks away from where another teen had been accidentally shot last week. In Augusta, Georgia, a 14-year old boy shot himself in the hip …
In Luther, Oklahoma, a 74-year old grandmother was shot in the back and killed in an accidental shooting. Her name has not been released. According to police, five people were inside the home were the accident occurred. A family member was holding a gun that was believed to be unloaded. The gun accidentally discharged. There …
At a virtual arraignment in New York City on Thursday, prosecutors described a gun accident in a Bronx apartment and its consequences: “The defendant carelessly assumed the firearm was unloaded and discharged the firearm, causing a bullet to strike a sleeping child in the abdomen, ripping through her torso and exiting her body through her …
In Lincolnton, North Carolina, 18-year old Mathew Combs was arrested and charged with second degree murder after the shooting death of 13-year old Gabriel Teems. Teems was shot in the living room of his home and died at the scene. Surprisingly, Teems’ brothers rallied around Combs, a close family friend. They say the shooting was …
In Fairview Township, Pennsylvania, a 17-year old boy died in a gun accident at his home today. He was visiting with two friends, age 14 and 15, who were showing him a gun when it discharged. None of the three children apparently knew that the gun was loaded. There is an ongoing investigation. This is …
A nine-year old Grand Rapids, Michigan boy “somehow accessed a gun” in his home and accidentally shot himself in the arm. He was taken to a hospital for treatment. No arrests were made. The Michigan Department of State Police publishes a pamphlet which says, in part: Firearm ownership carries with it a responsibility of safeguarding …
In Orlando, Florida, 20-year old Deontay Haynes was arrested and charged with manslaughter after he accidentally shot and killed his best friend. The charge is a first degree felony with the potential for up to 30-years in prison. He is being held without bail. According to police, Haynes pointed a gun that he believed was …
Two children were killed in gun accidents in their homes today. In New Haven, Connecticut, an 8-year old was unintentionally shot in the head. Police concluded that the death was accidental, but did not provide specific information about the circumstances of the accident, including whether the child shot himself. They seized a loaded handgun , …
In Idaho Falls, Idaho, a teenager accidentally shot and injured himself with a gun he found in a local canal. The Sheriff’s Office says a 16-year-old and 14-year-old were handling a gun when it accidentally fired, hitting the 14-year old. He was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A statement issued by …
In Evansville, Indiana, 16-year old Rylan Conway was shot to death in an incident that occurred in a home where a group of kids were playing with a gun. The shooter, 19-year old Eriyon Gibson, says he unloaded the gun, then pointed it at Conway while they were joking around. He asserts he wouldn’t have …
Two men were shot and killed at gatherings today where someone present was handling a gun. One of the gun accidents occurred in Cleveland Ohio. The other was in Houston, Texas, continuing a depressing pattern of unintentional shootings in and around that city. In Cleveland, a 25-year old man was shot in the chest and …
19-year old Anthony Padilla, an Albuquerque, New Mexico man, accidentally shot and killed his 13-year old cousin while arming himself for protection against the Covid-19 scare. The boy, Patrick Arroyo, was shot in the torso and pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. According to a report of the shooting, “Padilla told police he was …
The clearest lesson that emerges from the tragedies reported in this journal is that we all can do more to make guns safe. Some recommendations: Better and More Frequent Safety Training. Many gun advocates and gun organizations like to say that all gun accidents are caused by the shooter. According to these activists, the …
To the extent that data does exist, it does not tell the whole story. Even if researchers could gather and study every relevant death certificate and hospital record, we would still be unable to fully understand the nature of the safety problems that cause the reported deaths and injuries. It would be impossible to tell, …
Every day in the United States, there are many media reports about unintentional shootings that cause injury or death. Such incidents are often reported in sources that would not come to the attention of even the best informed among us. Each day, I run a straightforward internet search for “gun accident” news. I also periodically …
According to a Riverside, Ohio police sergeant, “a 3-year-old got ahold of his father’s weapon and accidentally shot himself in the leg.” The boy found the gun in a bedroom and brought it to the living room where he was playing with it when it went off. The boy’s father was home at the time. …
In Buna, Texas, “a tragic end to Christmas left the town shaken.” 15-year old James Johnson was shot and killed when a 9 mm pistol was accidentally fired by his 10-year old brother. A cousin, 19, had brought the gun to Johnson’s home and the teens were passing it around, believing it to be unloaded. …
A Waycross, Georgia police officer was suspended for 84 hours after he accidentally discharged his gun inside his apartment. The fired round passed through an apartment wall into the living room of his next door neighbor and then through two additional walls in that apartment. Two children were playing in the living room at the …
At a house party in Bedford County, Tennessee, a 19-year old man shot and killed his teenage friend, Riley Hancock, while they played with a gun. According to witnesses, the shooter thought a recently purchased pistol was unloaded and pointed it at his friend. He fired the gun, striking and killing Hancock. The 19-year old …
Jaeden Livingston, a 14 year-old Abilene, Texas boy, died at Cook’s Children Medical Center today after accidentally shooting himself at a friend’s home on Friday night. He and two boys found a gun in the home and were passing it around, believing it to be unloaded. Jaeden’s mother later said, “I explained about the dangers …