Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
Man Sitting in Living Room Killed by Stray Bullet A stray bullet from gunfire outside a Chicago, Illinois home, fatally struck a 59-year-old man in the torso as he sat in his living room. Little information has been reported, and so far no one has been charged in this ongoing investigation. Source: Jo Marquez, “Chicago Man …
Woman Injured in Shootout Following Car Crash A 19-year-old woman was struck by stray bullets during a shootout following a car crash involving a white van and a gray car in Chicago, Illinois. Three men in the van got out and started shooting at the car. The two vehicles also crashed into an Uber driver …
Unintentional Shootings Wound Two People In Chicago, Illinois, a 12-year-old boy was taken to the hospital in critical condition after being unintentionally shot by an 18-year-old relative. The boy had multiple gunshot wounds, including to his chest, and was later upgraded to stable condition. According to police, the 18-year-old was “playing with a gun that …
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 Shoots Self with Gun Found in Drawer, and Two Other Children are Shot as Innocent Bystanders In Atlanta, Georgia, a 9-year-old shot himself in the hand playing with an unsecured gun he found in a drawer. Police interviewed the child’s grandmother, who was at home when the shooting occurred, and during their search of …
Delivery Driver Injured by Stray Bullet In Chicago, Illinois, a bullet came through the windshield of a DHL delivery truck striking the 50-year-old driver. He was sitting in the back of his truck when he was hit and was taken to the hospital in good condition. Police continue to investigate, and, so far, no one …
Two Boys Hurt in Self-Inflicted, Unintentional Shootings A 7-year-old boy is recovering from a gunshot wound in stable condition in Indianapolis, Indiana. Police are investigating, but believe that the boy unintentionally shot himself. And in Chicago, Illinois, an 11-year-old boy accidentally shot himself in the foot. He was taken to the hospital in good condition. …
Toddler is Killed and Man is Seriously Injured in Gun Accidents Two-year-old Jamal Robindson was accidentally shot in the face inside a home In Chicago, Illinois. He later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. A 32-year-old female relative found the child after hearing the gunshot. Police retrieved a gun at the scene, and no …
Boy Injured by Stray Bullet; Man Injured After Unintentionally Shooting Himself An 11-year-old boy was inside a residence in Chicago, Illinois, when he was struck in the leg by a stray bullet. The bullet came from a shooting on the next block that critically wounded a 24-year-old man. The boy was taken to the hospital …
Men Hurt in Three Gun Accidents In Chicago, Illinois, a 60-year-old off-duty Electronic Monitoring Unit investigator, unintentionally shot himself in the thigh and was taken to the hospital in good condition. Police are investigating. A man was taken to the hospital after being shot at an apartment complex in Mobile, Alabama. According to police it …
Toddler Accidentally Shot and Killed In Merrillville, Indiana, 3-year-old King Penro was accidentally shot inside a home, and later died at the hospital. Few details about the incident have been reported. Police recovered a gun at the scene that had fired one round and are continuing to investigate. It is unclear if charges will be …
Toddler Finds Mother’s Gun, Shoots and Kills Younger Brother A 3-year-old boy found his mother’s loaded gun in her purse, and shot and killed his 2-year-old brother in Gary, Indiana. The case is under investigation. The mayor and police chief released a joint statement. “Our hearts and prayers go out to the loved ones of …
One Dead, Four Wounded in Accidental Shootings A 5-year-old boy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, shot himself in the hand while playing with a gun. Police said one parent was home during the incident, but did not say who owned the gun. There is an ongoing investigation, and so far no charges have been filed. Ari T. …
Three People Unintentionally Shoot Themselves, Including 2-year-old Girl A 2-year-old girl found her father’s unsecured gun in a kitchen drawer and shot herself in the hand in Chicago, Illinois. She was taken to the hospital in good condition. Police charged her father, Demetrius Williams, 29, with child endangerment. Williams had a valid COID card and …
Accidental Shootings Leave One Man Dead and Four Others Wounded, Including Two Children Aric Riggins, 39, was in his car in Macon, Georgia, when he unintentionally shot and killed himself. The round struck his femoral artery. Investigators believe Riggins had a gun in his hoodie and it fired when he tried to retrieve it. A …
Five Unintentional Shootings Leave Six People Injured In Brunswick, Georgia, a 2-year-old found an unsecured gun and shot an 11-month old baby in the lower abdomen. The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment. A handgun was recovered at the scene, and Cedrick Herrington, 31, has been charged with reckless conduct and cruelty to …
Five-year-old Boy Kills Himself with Unsecured Gun and Two Law Enforcement Officers Unintentionally Shoot Themselves A five-year-old boy found an unsecured gun and unintentionally shot and killed himself in Gary, Indiana. A 32-year-old man was to check in on a 17-year-old girl and the boy while adults were away. He arrived at the home after …
Six Gun Accidents Today A 3-year-old Trenton, New Jersey boy is in stable condition after shooting himself in the head with a gun brought into the home by 30-year-old Chante Odom. Two other children and an adult male were at home during the incident. Odom has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child, …
Six Unintended Shootings of Children: Two Dead, Four Wounded Children playing with a gun resulted in an unintentional shooting that killed a 10-year-old girl in Roswell, New Mexico. Few details are reported other than that the incident is still under investigation. In Indianapolis, Indiana, 11-year-old Jordan Robertson was accidentally shot and killed in a home …
Eight-year-old Child is Shot and Killed with Unsecured Gun, and Four Other People are Hurt in Separate Unintentional Shootings A group of children found a loaded, unsecured gun in a home in Detroit, Michigan. It’s unclear what exactly happened once it was found, but the gun went off killing an eight-year-old. An adult has been …
IRS Agent Unintentionally Shot and Killed by Fellow Agent; and in Other Gun Accidents Today, Two Children and One Adult are Injured IRS Special Agent Patrick Bauer, 47, was accidentally shot and killed by another agent during a training exercise in Phoenix, Arizona. The incident happened at a federal gun range that was being utilized …
More Unintended Gun Deaths and Injuries to Children Jacari Brown of Chicago, Illinois, age eight, was visiting a neighbor when he and another boy found a gun. The gun went off, struck Jacari in the chest, and he was killed. No other injuries were reported and there is an ongoing investigation. In Kennett, Missouri, a …
Boy Unintentionally Shot with a Ghost Gun and Three Other Children Wounded by Stray Bullets In Gurnee, Illinois, a 15-year-old boy is in the hospital in critical condition after being accidentally shot in the abdomen. He was in the basement with two 16-year-old friends, when one produced and discharged a semi-automatic ghost gun, unintentionally striking …
An Accidental Shooting Kills One Boy and Injures Another, and Man is Caught in Crossfire While Bicycling An accidental shooting in Lutherville, Arkansas, killed a 9-year-old boy and wounded a 7-year-old. Both boys were taken to the hospital; the 9-year-old succumbed to his injuries, and the 7-year-old was treated and released. Several county and state …
Two Young Girls are Shot and Wounded with Unsecured Guns In Vernon Hills, Illinois, a loaded semi-automatic pistol that was left on a bed accidentally discharged striking a 2-year-old in her arm. She was airlifted to the hospital for specialized care for her serious, not life-threatening injury. It’s not clear how the gun fired, but …
A Two-year-old is Killed and Two Others are Hurt in Unintended Shootings In St. Petersburg, Florida, 22-year-old Aaron Creary accidentally shot and killed his son. Armani, one of his twin 2-year-olds. Creary was trying to break up an argument between his parents when the gun went off, striking the child. He has been charged with …
Third-Grader Shot and Killed in Illinois In Matteson, Illinois, 9-year-old O’Mauri Jones-Brown was unintentionally shot and killed when he got caught in a shooting between two groups of young people. O’Mauri was taken to a local emergency room where he died from a single gunshot wound to the abdomen. Police, along with the medical examiner’s …
Four People Injured in Gun Accidents In Vale, North Carolina, 7-year-old Mai Yang’s 11-year-old brother, accidentally shot her in the face with a rifle. Mai was airlifted to the hospital and is in serious but stable condition. The children’s father, Thay Yang, explained, “[h]e didn’t realized the gun was loaded. He thought it was on …
Nine-year-old Girl Killed by Unsecured Gun and Eight Others Wounded in Unintentional Shootings In Memphis, Tennessee, a 7-year-old boy found a gun in a car’s glove box and accidentally shot his 9-year-old sister, killing her. The gun belonged to James Bowen Jr., his mother’s boyfriend. Bowen is facing multiple charges after allegedly leaving his gun …
Ten Unintentional Shootings Result in Eight Injuries and the Deaths of Two Children A Ville Platte, Louisiana 3-year-old girl shot herself with an unsecured gun. She was airlifted to Baton Rouge because of the extent of her injuries, where she later died. Nineteen-year-old Nathan Ben was charged with criminal negligence and negligent homicide. Ben was …
Two Toddlers Shoot Themselves with Loaded Guns Found at Home Grace Rodriguez, age 2, of Portage, Indiana, found a loaded gun in her home and used it to accidentally shoot and kill herself. She was flown to a trauma center in Chicago, but died at the hospital. “The initial investigation shows that the child was …
This page is intentionally left blank to remember the dead and injured in the mass shooting in Monterey Bay, California on January 21 and in nine other mass shootings since then. Monterey Bay, California Shreveport, Louisiana Baton Rouge, Louisiana Tunica Resorts, Mississippi Half Moon Bay, California Chicago, Illinois Oakland, California Red Springs, North Carolina Lancaster, …
Gun Goes Off in a Man’s Pocket and His 12-year-old Son Is Shot In an incident caught on surveillance video at a Chicago, Illinois gas station, a man is shown putting his hand into his pocket and accidentally firing a gun he was carrying there. His son, age 12, was shot, but is expected to …
In Goldsboro, North Carolina, a seven-year-old child was shot by an eight-year-old relative, but is expected to recover. There has been no report about how the children got the gun. Michael Howard-Owens of Chicago, Illinois, was in bed with his girlfriend and her three-year old son, when his gun, which was in his waistband, accidentally …
January 1, 2023 does not bode well for gun safety in the New Year because there were too many gun accidents to meaningfully consider, including many that appear to have resulted from celebratory gunfire. Among the reported incidents: In Van Buren County, Michigan, 62-year-old Christopher Toppenberg was charged with murder Wednesday in connection with the …
In Chicago, Illinois, a ten-year-old girl found a gun in her home and accidentally shot herself in the hand. She is in good condition at the hospital and no arrests have been made. In West Valley City, Utah, a man shot himself in the leg while cleaning his gun. He is in stable condition at …
In Chicago, Illinois, a 50-year-old man sitting in his car in a local park was struck by a stray bullet and killed. He was an innocent bystander to a nearby disturbance according to the report. No one is in custody in connection with the shooting. In LaGrange, Georgia, a 15-year-old girl was struck in the …
A Memphis, Tennessee school was placed on lockdown after a 15-year-old accidentally discharged a weapon that he had brought to school. According to the report, another student went to the school nurse with a gunshot wound to his leg. The 15-year-old was arrested and charged with reckless endangerment. Apparently, the incident did not result in …
William Harston, a Hendersonville, Kentucky man is dead after he accidentally shot himself in the chest outside a local pawn shop. According to the report, he was loading a gun in his truck when it went off. Also today, a Chicago, Illinois man shot a three-year-old boy in the shin while attempting to holster a …
Seven-year-old Akeem Briscoe of Chicago, Illinois was killed by a stray bullet today when a gang fight erupted in the alley outside his home. Akeem, a second grader, is the 12th child, age 13 or younger, to be killed in Chicago this year, and his death comes just days after an 8-year-old Chicago boy was …
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, …
In Roanoke, Virginia, a “juvenile” was killed in a gun accident along a local street. Although circumstances of the accident have not been released, those involved are cooperating with the ongoing investigation. An Arkansas City, Kansas man shot himself in the leg while attempting to clean his 9 millimeter pistol. Such accidents often occur because …
A two-year old Joliet, Illinois child found a loaded gun in a bedroom at his home and shot himself in the head. He is in critical condition at the hospital. The boy’s mother was home at the time of the incident and is cooperating with police. In Grape Creek, Texas, police arrested Mathew South, 32, …
A 13-year-old boy was shot after he and at least three other people tried to break into a parked car in Chicago Illinois. The car’s owner, a woman with a concealed carry license, confronted the boys and shot the 13-year old boy in the neck. He is in fair condition at the hospital. Source: “16-year-old …
At least five children were shot and injured today in various circumstances, continuing to illustrate just how dangerous guns are around American children. Also today, four teenagers were killed in apparently intended gun violence incidents. Without taking away from the horrific nature of intended gun violence across the United States, the focus here remains on …
At least nine people appear to have been struck by random rounds that were fired in celebration of the Fourth of July. The consequences of celebratory gunfire continue to be felt most keenly by people other than those whose idea of a celebration is to use their guns in an unsafe way. In Chicago, Illinois, …
In Chicago, Illinois, Cecilia Thomas, a six-month old girl was shot and killed in her car seat when someone opened fire on her father’s car. According to the report, the shooter is believed to be a woman. Police are investigating. Source: “6-month-old Baby Girl Shot in the Head and Killed,” Chicago Journal (June 24, 2022).
A pair of three-year olds were injured as the unintended consequence of gun violence today. Both were shot when rounds were firing into cars in which they were traveling. In Chicago, Illinois, the toddler was shot in the leg and is in good condition. There are no suspects. In Goldsboro, North Carolina, Tyrik Joyner, age …
Trent Byerly, a Des Allemands, Louisiana 19-year old, was handling a gun inside a car when it accidentally fired. The round struck him in the chest and killed him. Two of his co-passengers were arrested for obstruction of justice. An eight-year old Chicago, Illinois girl was accidentally shot by a 12-year old neighbor in her …
In Chicago, Illinois, a seven-year old took a gun to school in a backpack and it “accidentally discharged while in a classroom.” The gun was reportedly still in the backpack when it discharged. Another child suffered a graze wound to the stomach. The child’s mother, Tatanina Kelly, was arrested and charged with three misdemeanor counts …
Two women were shot today as innocent bystanders in gun violence incidents initiated by men or boys. In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, a pair of teenage boys, one 17 and the other 13, got into a spat over insults on social media. When they later engaged in public gunplay, a woman was struck and injured. She has …
Two gun accidents were reported exclusively on Twitter today, making one wonder, once again, how many gun accident injuries are never made public at all. A tweeter apparently monitoring a police scanner reported that a Chicago, Illinois “security officer” apparently accidentally discharged his gun and shot himself in the leg. And, in Laurel, Maryland, a …
The unintended consequences of gun violence were felt across the country on Sunday, including incidents on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, three incidents in Chicago and single incidents in Georgia and Maryland. In New Orleans, Louisiana, Charles Hudson, a bar employee, was shot and killed in the Cat’s Meow, a crowded Bourbon Street karaoke bar, …
A Ripley, Tennessee three-year old found a loaded gun in his home and shot himself in the head. He was found dead at the scene. No arrests have been made, but there is an ongoing investigation. Also today, the father of a Dolton, Illinois three-year old who accidentally shot and killed his mother was arrested …
A 12-year old Chicago, Illinois girl was in a car with her family returning home from her birthday dinner when she was struck in the head by a bullet fired on the street. According to police, the shooters were firing at a different car. The girl was taken to the hospital in critical condition. And …
In Columbus, Georgia, a three-year old was shot and killed under circumstances that have not been described, but which authorities say are likely to be ruled accidental. No follow-up news stories appeared in the first five days following the incident. In Chicago, Illinois, a security guard who had been shot in the leg in a …
An eight-year old girl was shot in the head and killed on the street in Chicago, Illinois today. Police are clear that neither she nor her caregiver were the intended targets of gun violence, but rather that they were innocent bystanders. A pool of blood could was visible at the scene of the crime and …
Police reported accidental shootings today in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois, two American cities already notably suffering from the ongoing pandemic of gun violence. In Milwaukee, a 69-year old woman was struck by a random round fired outside her home. Her suffered serious injuries, but is in stable condition at the hospital according to a …
Bystanders were injured in three shootings today. In Chicago, Illinois, a one-year old was shot in the arm while sitting in a car outside a Walgreens store. Two men sitting in another car were also shot. “This is so sad. This s— has to stop, but nobody is doing anything,” said a woman who was …
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 …
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 …
In Chicago, Illinois, a 17-year old boy accidentally shot 13-year old Isaac Jordan in the back. The younger boy was pronounced dead at the hospital. The older boy was charged with “unauthorized use of a weapon,” although the shooting was found by prosecutors to be accidental. Neither boy has been identified. Source: “17-year-old Faces Gun …
Serenity Broughton, a seven-year old girl, was killed and her six-year old sister was injured in Chicago, Illinois when an unknown suspect fired shots at their family car. Both girls were shot multiple times. The younger girl is expected to survive. In the wake of the incident, a Community Peace Walk has been scheduled. In …
The epidemic of gun violence affecting the nation’s children continued unabated today. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a 6-year old found a loaded gun in his home and shot himself in the hand. He is in stable condition at the hospital. Also today, at least eleven teenagers were shot and injured in separate episodes of gun violence. …
In the latest incident in a rash of accidental shootings involving young children this week, Makayla McKay, a four-year old Chicago, Illinois girl was shot and killed by another child inside her home. “It was an accident,” a Police Superintendent said. “A visiting relative brought a gun to visit inside the home. It was in …
Once again, the focus today is on the rash of gun violence affecting American children. Three toddlers were shot in apparent gun accidents today. At least ten teenagers were also killed or injured in eight shootings across the country. Two four-year olds and a three-year old were involved in gun accidents that were barely covered …
At least eight teenagers were injured in eight separate shooting incidents in the United States today. In light of minimal reporting, the circumstances of most of the incidents remain murky. Teens were shot in Chicago and Decatur, Illinois. The other incidents occurred in Iowa, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and Delaware. As reported, the incidents …
In a chaotic incident, a Chicago, Illinois man appears to have accidentally shot his girlfriend, the mother of his two children, while futilely trying to defend himself after a minor traffic accident. The accident occurred during Chicago’s Puerto Rico day parade on June 19, but the circumstance are just being reported today. The man, Gyovanni …
As gun violence continues unabated across America, a 32-year old Chicago, Illinois man who was simply standing on a sidewalk in Humboldt Park was shot in the back. Also in the park, a 28-year old women was shot in the head while she was driving a car, causing her to crash. Both victims are hospitalized, …
For the second day in a row, a two-year old toddler got hold of and fired a loaded gun. In this instance, a Joliet, Illinois toddler shot herself. According to the local police, she “unfortunately succumbed” to her injuries. No other information is available. Source: “2-Year-Old Child Dies of Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound in Joliet, Police …
A 17-year old, a 12-year old and a four-year old were injured in gun accidents today. In Rigby, Idaho, a 17-year old was removing his gun from a vehicle while fishing with friends when the gun accidentally fired and he was struck in the chest. He was flown to the hospital and is expected to …
13-year old children in Illinois and Tennessee were innocent victims of gun violence today. Both were innocent bystanders when gunfights broke out between others on the street. These incidents are part of an epidemic of innocent bystander shootings associated with a national increase in gun violence. The Chicago, Illinois victim and a man he was …
In East Chicago, Indiana, a two-year old found an unattended loaded gun in his home and shot himself in the side of the head. The child was conscious when officers found him, a police deputy reported. Family members told police that the boy had located his father’s gun in the residence and shot himself with …
Two children were accidentally shot and killed today. In Merced, California today, a 5-year old girl was shot and killed by another child who found a loaded and unsecured gun in the home. Her father drove her to the hospital where she died. The girl’s father, Rodney Mathews, left her at the hospital and led …
Three children under age 10 shot themselves today. In Chicago, Illinois, three boys left home alone while their father was picking up their mother from the hospital found a loaded gun. One of the boys, a five-year old, accidentally shot his nine-year old brother in the head. The boy, Ashton Lipscomb, died at the hospital. …
Two more children shot themselves today with found guns, one in Illinois and one in Oklahoma. In Chicago, a 5-year old boy shot himself in the thigh and was rushed to the hospital after accidentally shooting himself with a gun he found in his home. In Oklahoma City, a 13-year old who was left alone …
In Chicago, Illinois, a mail carrier was the innocent victim of a drive-by shooting. She was accidentally shot four times while delivering the mail and is in critical condition. She was struck in the legs, stomach and back of her head by shots fired from one of two cars traveling past at a high rate …
A 5-year old and a 4-year old were victims of shootings today as innocent bystanders. The 5-year old was attending a birthday party in Fresno, California when she was struck by a stray bullet fired by one of several people arguing in the neighborhood. According to the report, police do not believe that the 5-year …
A four-year old Gary, Indiana girl found a gun at 5:00 AM this morning and shot herself in the foot. She is hospitalized in stable condition. Police are investigating the incident as a gun accident and no arrests have been made. Source: David Struett, “Unattended 4-year-old Shoots Self in Foot in Gary: Police,” Chicago Sun …
A two-year old girl who was caught in the crossfire when shots were fired is dead. A girl the police identified only as “Jo Jo” was in a car in Hammond, Indiana with her mother when the incident occurred. Jo Jo’s mother was unharmed. According to police, neither Jo Jo nor her mother had a …
In a continuing pandemic of gun violence in Chicago, 11 people were killed and 59 were injured in gun violence this weekend. One of the victims shot himself in the head, in an apparent gun accident, as he was showing off his gun via social media. The 25-year old is in “grave” condition at a …
For at least the third time this week, children were shot and killed by stray gunfire. Ten-year old Lena Nunez, of Chicago, Illinois, was struck by a bullet that entered through her apartment window and hit in the head. She was pronounced dead at the hospital. Police believe that a group of males outside were …
A five-year old Chicago, Illinois boy found a gun in his father’s pants pocket and used it to shoot himself in the hand. He was taken to a hospital where he is expected to recover. His father attempted to discard the gun and was later arrested. Charges are pending. Source: Molly Walsh, “5-Year-Old Boy Accidentally …
On Valentine’s Day, four young children were shot and injured in their homes by other children. Three children were shot in two incidents in Chicago, Illinois. The other incident occurred in Dallas, Texas. An eight-year old boy and a 12-year old girl were both shot in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side by another …
A bullet accidentally fired in Chesterton, Indiana, near Gary, passed through two adjoining apartments and narrowly missed a three-year old child. According to a police report, Samuel Duley, a 22-year old, was cleaning his rifle inside the apartment building when it went off. He had removed the gun’s ammunition clip, but “he must have spaced …
At a gun range in Oak Forest, Illinois, a boy was struck in the abdomen by a bullet. He was in a showroom at the range with his father when someone accidentally discharged a gun and the fired round ricocheted and hit him. The boy’s injuries are not expected to be life threatening. Source: Alice …