Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
Infant and Toddler Killed in Separate Accidental Shootings Eleven-month-old Khamari Lang, was shot and killed in a car in San Antonio, Texas, by one of his siblings. The siblings, a two-year-old and a three-year-old, were in the vehicle along with Khamari and an adult woman, whose relationship to the children was not reported. One of …
Three Gun Accidents Involving Children Eight-year-old Phillipé Woodward shot and killed himself while playing with a loaded shotgun he found in his grandmother’s home in Nashville, Tennessee. He was alone in the home with his 10-year-old brother and a 16-year-old family friend. There is a continuing investigation into the shooting. In a Texarkana, Arkansas home, an eight-year-old found …
Four-year-old Killed by Sibling Handling Mother’s Gun One of four siblings left alone in a St. Louis, Missouri home, was handling their mother’s gun, when they shot and killed four-year-old Harley Hosein. Harley was a twin, but police didn’t say if her twin fired the gun, or if one of the other children, a nine-year-old and …
Two-year-old Boy Shoots Self with Babysitter’s Unsecured Gun In Warren, Michigan, a two-year-old boy shot himself in the stomach with a handgun he found while in the care of his babysitter. The toddler underwent surgery at the hospital and is now in stable condition. April Green, age 42, was watching the boy and his seven-year-old …
Three Children Unintentionally Shot, One is Dead 14-year-old Jett Ballard of Irvine, Kentucky was accidentally shot and killed by a 13-year-old child outside of a home there today. Life-saving measures were attempted on the scene, but Ballard was later pronounced dead. The police investigation into what happened is ongoing. A five-year-old Oklahoma City, Oklahoma boy …
Gun Accidents Involving Young Children; Three-Year-Old is Killed In Columbia, Maryland, a three-year-old was killed with an unsecured handgun in what police say was an accidental shooting. The child was at home with their parents and five-year-old brother. It has not been determined who pulled the trigger, as police continue to investigate. A three-year-old shot a 33-year-old …
One Person Dead, Two Critically Injured in Gun Accidents In Mooresville, North Carolina, Jody Allen Leazer, 55, was fatally shot in the arm when he and another man were moving a gun into a car. They were cleaning out a home, and as they were putting the gun into the car, it unintentionally discharged. Leazer …
Children Injured in Gun Accidents Today A 10-year-old in Toledo, Ohio, was accidentally shot by a 15-year-old and is in stable condition after undergoing surgery. The 15-year-old said he found the gun, but police say it’s unclear how he got it. He has been charged with felonious assault. While hunting rabbits in Ovett, Mississippi, an …
Two Toddlers are Shot by Siblings with Guns Found in Vehicles The 3-year-old son of a pastor in Morganton, North Carolina, found his father’s gun in the side door of the family van and shot his 2-year-old brother in the head. The 2-year-old, Daniel Vines, is recovering in stable condition after surgery. The family was …
Another Child Accidentally Shot by a Sibling In Tallahassee, Florida, a 14-year-old boy was accidentally shot by his eight-year-old brother today at a local hotel. The boys’ family was staying at the hotel while fleeing Hurricane Idalia when the incident occurred. It is unclear how the eight-year-old got the gun. The older boy died at …
12-year-old is Accidentally Shot and Killed During Birthday Celebration In St. Paul, Minnesota, 12-year-old Markee Jones was accidentally shot and killed by his older brother during what would have been a celebratory birthday weekend for their cousin. Fourteen children were gathered in their grandmother’s house and were planning to go go-karting. According to the family, …
Three-year-old Finds Loaded Gun; Shoots and Kills Baby Sister In Fallbrook, California, a 1-year-old girl was unintentionally shot and killed by her 3-year-old sibling. The older sibling found an unsecured loaded handgun at home and fired it, striking the infant in the head. She was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. The …
Two 4-year-old Girls: One is Shot and Killed by a 5-year-old Sibling and the Other Shoots Herself Deor Nita, a 4-year-old girl in Indianapolis, Indiana, was shot and killed by her 5-year-old sibling. Two other siblings were with them when the gun they were playing with unintentionally discharged. It is unclear who owns the gun …
Teen Unintentionally Shoots His Brother and Once Again Many People are Injured by Celebratory Gunfire on Independence Day In Choctaw, Oklahoma, two brothers, 12- and 14-years-old, were waiting in a minivan in a Walmart parking lot when the older brother accidentally shot his sibling once in the chest. The 12-year-old was responsive and taken to …
One Dead, 7 Wounded in Gun Accidents Parsa Danesh, 19, was accidentally shot and killed in Austin, Texas. Police, after consulting with the District Attorney’s Office, say no charges will be filed at this time, but the case remains under investigation. An 11-year-old girl in Houston, Texas is in stable condition after being hit by …
Three People Killed in Gun Accidents Kentrell Pouncey of Calumet City, Illinois, age five, was shot and killed after one of his siblings found a loaded gun somewhere outside and brought it home. Pouncey was at home with his three siblings, all under 15, and his mother at the time of the shooting. Which of …
One-year-old Shot and Killed by Five-year-old Sibling Returning to Indiana, which has seen far too many recent gun accidents involving children, a Lafayette one-year-old was accidentally shot and killed by his five-year-old brother today. According to police, the five-year old gained access to the loaded gun inside their apartment. An adult was home at the …
Six-year-old Shot by Older Brother Lanett, Alabama police are investigating after a 6-year-old was shot in the stomach by an older sibling resulting in serious injuries. The child was airlifted to a trauma center. According to the report, the child’s adolescent brother had gained control of an unsecured firearm in the residence and fired it. …
Houston Toddler Shoots Her Four-Year-Old Sister In Houston, Texas, a three-year-old girl found a gun and shot and killed her four-year-old sister. Investigators said, “the preliminary investigation showed that the two children had been inside an apartment with five family members and friends and each of the two children’s parents believed the other was watching …
Three Children and an Adult Hurt in Gun Accidents In Fresno, California, a man beat up his friend after the friend accidentally shot the man’s three-year-old child in the leg. The man was both arrested and taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries suffered in the beating. A Tulsa, Oklahoma 17-year old was …
3-Year-Old Shot by Sibling After Finding Loaded Gun in a Drawer Two St. Louis, Missouri siblings found a loaded handgun in a dresser drawer in their home. One of the children shot the other, age 3. Police took the injured child to the hospital, where he is reported to be in serious condition. Markeith Mayo, …
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 …
A Bluefield, West Virginia 2-year-old and two siblings, age 4 and 6, were playing in a bedroom of their home when the 2-year-old found a loaded .40 caliber pistol and shot himself in the leg. “The hollow-point bullet went through his thigh,” according to a police spokesperson. Although the child lost “a substantial amount of …
Michael Ben Mendoza, of Gastonville, North Carolina, age 4, died today after he and a sibling found a loaded gun in their home. Michael’s parents, Savannah Leigh Brehm, 22, and Hector Manuel Mendoza, 22, as well as another relative, Keith Deshawn Sturghill, 19, were booked on charges of felony involuntary manslaughter, felony child abuse and …
Eleven-year-old She’Marion Burse of Miami, Florida was shot and killed today by a 13-year old sibling. The boy was airlifted to the hospital where he died. Police said there were five siblings home alone in the apartment at the time of the shooting, ranging from 9 to 15 years old. Investigators said that the boy’s …
In Niles Ohio, an 11-year old girl was accidentally shot at a house party. Local police say that underage drinking and negligence factored into the incident. Three people were arrested and charged in the shooting, including two juveniles. The victim was not drinking and “the negligence pertains to other juveniles present and the adult that …
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 …
In Tampa, Florida, a 3-year old got ahold of a loaded handgun and shot his 5-month old sibling in the hip. The baby’s injuries do not appear life-threatening. The children’s mother, Paula Concepcion Santos, was arrested and charged with child neglect with great bodily harm. “While we’re incredibly thankful this infant was not fatally injured, …
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 five children were killed or injured today as unintended consequences of other people’s gun violence. The grim toll: Mariyah Lacy, age 5, of Jackson, Mississippi, was killed when her mother’s ex-boyfriend shot into her mother’s car in an argument over money. Mariyah’s two siblings were uninjured, but her mother was grazed by a …
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 …
Janiyah Jenkins, an Atlanta, Georgia four-year old, found her uncle’s loaded and unsecured gun in her home and shot herself in the leg. The round passed into her intestines and Janiyah died at the hospital. Janiyah’s uncle, LeVante Cummings, age 26, was arrested and charged with second degree murder and cruelty to a child. He …
Three children, aged 4, 7, and 11 were shot and injured or killed when they found loaded guns today. A fourth child, age 14, was shot and killed with a ghost gun he had built. In Lexington, Kentucky, a four-year old was injured in a gun accident that police have determined was accidental. However, the …
18-year old Fernando Akins of Nashville, Tennessee mishandled a gun in his home and accidentally shot and killed his 17-year old half-brother, Elton Maupins. After the accident, Akins went to get his grandmother and the two of them rendered aid, but Maupins later died at the hospital. The gun used in the incident has not …
Three more two-year olds were shot and killed today after small children found unattended loaded guns in their homes. Four American two-year olds have died from unintended gun violence in just two days. In Callaway, Florida, a four-year old shot a two-year old sibling, according to the Sheriff’s Office. “We’ll be evaluating and gathering evidence. …
In Middlebury, Indiana, a 10-year old boy accidentally shot his 12-year old sister in the leg with a rifle round. The girl was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No other information was reported. Source: “Police News: Middlebury Girl Accidentally Shot in the Leg,” The Goshen News (January 10, 2022).
In Granbury, Texas, a one-year old child accidentally shot an infant sibling and their mother in a Walmart parking lot. Both mother and child are expected to survive. The 23-year-old mother of the children “was standing outside of the driver’s door of their vehicle,” according to witnesses. The childrens’ father was behind the truck. “[T]he …
Jeremiah Pruitt of Birmingham, Alabama, age 13, was shot and killed by one of his 11-year old twin brothers in a gun accident today. The boys had found a gun in a drawer and were playing with it when the accident occurred. The boys’ mother, Starcrease Pruitt, was at one of her two jobs when …
Three children were killed in unintended gun violence on Thanksgiving Day. In Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, a group of kids were making a social media video with a gun on Thanksgiving Day, when one of them accidentally pulled the trigger. A five-year old was shot and killed and a 13-year old has been taken into custody. …
Two Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania children, a four-year old and a five-year old, were shot and killed in separate gun accidents today. The four-year old, apparently found a loaded gun in his home and shot himself in the face. He died at the hospital. “My prayers go out to the family. I feel so bad for them. …
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 …
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 …
Garrick Baker,an intoxicated Westfield, Indiana man shot and killed his stepson, age 18, who was sleeping on a couch at the time of the incident. According to the report, the man was handling a gun in his living room while “presumed to be intoxicated.” It went off. Baker was arrested and charged with criminal recklessness. …
For the second time in just over two years, a Horn Lake, Mississippi child was shot and killed in a gun accident. In both cases, the child was shot by an older sibling. Horn Lake is a city of just 27,000 people. In today’s incident, few details have been released other than that police have …
Two Memphis, Tennessee girls were shot and killed in separate gun accidents today. In the first incident, at 2:30 A.M., William Oliver accidentally shot and killed his own eight-year old daughter, believing she was an intruder. He has been arrested and charged with reckless homicide. In the other incident, a Memphis six-year old was shot …
Two children were accidentally shot and killed by older siblings in their homes today. A third child, age 8, found a loaded gun in his home and shot himself. A 12-year old Baton Rouge, Louisiana child was arrested and placed in juvenile detention after admitting that he accidentally shot and killed his four-year old sister. …
In Southport, Florida, a five-year old child shot a seven-year old sibling with a 20-gauge shotgun while their mother slept in another room. Sheriff’s deputies found the seven-year old bleeding on the bathroom floor in her mother’s arms with “severe and life-threatening injuries.” According to the report, the injured girl told investigators that her brother …
A four-year old and a three-year old apparently found guns and shot themselves to death today. In Colorado Springs, Colorado, a four-year old found a gun in the family car and shot himself in the head. He died at the scene. At the time of the incident, which occurred in a parking lot, the boy’s …
A nine-year old Canton, Mississippi child is in stable condition at the hospital after his two-year old sister found a loaded gun in the family truck and shot him in the head. Police say that the children’s parents had gone inside a home and had left the children in their truck unattended. The Canton police …
At the home of a Helena, Alabama police officer, a three-year old child found a loaded gun and shot and killed a six-year old sibling. The officer was not home at the time of the incident. “This was a truly tragic morning for Shelby County. Our agency grieves with the family of this child. I …
Two young girls were accidentally shot and killed today, one in Arizona and the other in Michigan. In Tempe, Arizona, a four-year old girl found an older sibling’s loaded gun hidden under a piece of furniture and shot and killed herself. The girl’s sibling apparently told police that the gun was placed out of sight …
Two three-year olds were killed in gun accidents today. In Monroeville, Pennsylvania, a three-year old girl was shot by a five-year old sibling who had apparently found a loaded gun in their home. The child was identified as Braya Sanders. Police are investigating, but have stated that the girl’s parents are cooperating and that the …
In Elk Creek, Missouri, children playing outdoors got access to a rifle from inside a parked vehicle. A nine-year old was shot and killed by a younger sibling in the incident. “With the age of the child we are talking about I don’t think they can fully grasp the consequences of what has happened,” the …
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 Detroit, Michigan, a 13-year old and a three-year old were hurt in separate gun accidents. The three year old was shot by a four-year old sibling while they were playing with a gun. They were being supervised by another sibling, age 13, while their parents were at work. The injured child was in stable …
An 88-year old woman was killed and a three-year old child was seriously injured in separate gun accidents today. In Warren, Ohio, 88-year old Ruth Lewis was planning a funeral with family members when someone shot through a window and killed her. “This was a senseless death caused by a random bullet. Obviously, she wasn’t …
At least three children were accidentally shot and injured today. They were aged 14, 15, and 7. The incidents occurred in states that have been regular sites of gun accidents involving children: Florida, Ohio and North Carolina. The most fully reported of the accidents was in Jacksonville, Florida. Ayva Guthrie, age 14,was accidentally shot by …
A pair of two-year old children were shot and critically injured today, one in Kentucky and the other in Maine. Police are investigating both incidents. In Louisville Kentucky, a two-year old girl found a gun and shot herself. She is expected to survive. Police are investigating how she got the gun. In Waterville, Maine, a …
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 …
In New Castle, Pennsylvania, at a business called New Castle Brothers Market, a 17-year old accidentally shot his brother in the chest. The victim suffered “serious bleeding” and was taken to a hospital. According to police, the investigation is ongoing. This is the second gun accident in two days involving teenage siblings. Source: Pete Sirianni, …
A six-year old boy was shot by a sibling while sitting in the parking lot of a Family Dollar Store in Dutchtown, Louisiana. He is in critical condition after being taken by MedEvac helicopter to a nearby hospital . No information is available other than that the siblings were sitting together in a car. Presumably, …
In San Angelo, Texas, another 2-year old was shot by a young sibling who had found a gun. It is unclear whether the injuries are life threatening. Police and the local child services agency are investigating. No arrests have been made. Source: “San Angelo Police Respond to an Accidental Shooting Incident Involving a 2-year Old …
In Lorain, Ohio, Edward Suggs was struck and killed by a stray bullet while on the front porch of a local home. Several members of the Sophisticated Gents Motorcycle Club were gathered on the porch when they heard gunshots down the street. Mr. Suggs was attempting to get off the porch by entering the home …
In separate incidents, two young children found unsecured handguns today and accidentally shot and injured a sibling. In Beulaville, North Carolina, a 6-year old girl found a handgun in her home and shot her 12-year old sister in the back. The 12-year old is at the hospital in critical condition. An 18-year old was charged …
The reports for May are consistent with expectations for a time when families are home together in a society that overvalues the need for guns in the home. Children unexpectedly home from school found guns, and shot themselves, their siblings or others far too often. Reports describe accidents in which at least 14 children died. …
Two toddlers died in gun accidents today. One found a gun and shot himself, the other was shot by a young sibling. Three-year old Bryson Skinner died after finding in a handgun in his home and shooting himself by accident. A related 22-year adult and his girlfriend were arrested and charged with felony child abuse. …
Two-year old, Chevy Carroll, an Elizabethtown, Kentucky boy, was shot and killed today. The child was home with both parents and two young siblings at the time he was shot. Few other circumstances of the shooting are available at this time. “So this is going to be a challenging investigation, but one that we want …
For the second day in a row, a child was shot in a gun accident in Central Alabama. Today, a Fairfield four-year old was shot in the back of a car by a younger sibling. The accident occurred in the parking lot of a local mall. The child remains in critical condition. Police are investigating. …
Sadly, in this month of 29 days, we reported on gun accidents that killed 12 children. Serious injuries to at least one child were described in another 9 reports. Children frequently found guns and shot themselves or other children. They were accidentally shot by parents, caregivers, siblings, partners and friends. In connection with many of …
In Titusville, Florida, a nine-year old girl was shot by an older sibling during target practice in the woods. A 34-year old relative of the girl was arrested and charged with aggravated child neglect, apparently because he had left guns and ammunition with the children when he was not present. “Definitely an unusual case, because …