Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
Nurse is Killed in One of Two Texas Hunting Accidents In Corpus Christi, Texas, investigators say that a 23-year-old hunter, Hailey Jasso, was killed by an accidental discharge from her father’s gun. They had been out hunting, and were walking back to camp when the accident happened. Jasso was a registered nurse, honored by multiple …
Two People Injured in Unintentional Shootings A 13-year-old boy sustained a gunshot wound to his hand in an accidental shooting in Waterloo, Iowa. He was treated at the hospital for the injury. Police found blood and a spent .380-caliber shell casing at the boy’s home, as they continue to investigate. And in Houston, Texas, an armed …
Two Children Accidentally Shot and Killed by Relatives A six-year-old girl from Eutawville, South Carolina, died after she was unintentionally shot in the head by her seven-year-old brother. It is not known how the brother found the gun, and whether the parents were at home or will face charges. Officials are investigating. “We are broken-hearted …
13-Year-Old Killed, Two Women Injured, in Unintentional Shootings in Houston In an apartment in Houston, Texas, a 13-year-old boy was killed when a gun he and two other teens were playing with unintentionally fired. The boy was hit in the stomach and died at the scene. A 15-year-old who fired the gun has been charged …
Man Killed and Boy Injured in Unintentional Shootings In Enterprise, Oregon, Emanuel “Bill” John Ziegler was killed after unintentionally shooting himself while hunting ground squirrels. He was hunting with friends on private property when the incident occurred. And in the backyard of a home in Houston, Texas, several teenagers were playing with a gun when a 15-year-old …
Two People Injured in Gun Accidents A fire rescue officer in Miami, Florida, was taken to the hospital in “good, stable condition,” after unintentionally shooting himself. Police have not released the victim’s name or any other details about the shooting. And in a high school parking lot in Houston, Texas, an 18-year-old girl was unintentionally …
Celebratory Gunfire Injures At Least Eleven Many people were injured by celebratory gunfire on this New Year’s Day. During a small gathering of friends and their children, an 8-year-old boy in Missouri City, Texas, was grazed by a bullet from celebratory gunfire that came through one of the home’s living room windows. The boy was …
Teen Accidentally Shoots Sister with Parent’s Unsecured Gun, and Store Clerk Injured by Stray Bullet In Houston, Texas, a 14-year-old girl was accidentally shot in the backseat of a car by her 16-year-old sibling with special needs. The girl was taken to the hospital, but her condition is unknown. The 16-year-old found their parent’s gun …
Eight Unintentional Shootings Leave Two Dead and Six Wounded In Houston, Texas, an 18-year-old was shot and killed by a relative who was trying to take a gun away from him. According to police, the relative was upset the 18-year-old had brought a gun into the apartment, and during the struggle for it, unintentionally shot …
Two Texas Teens Shot in Separate Gun Accidents A 15-year-old in Houston Texas, was accidentally shot in the arm and transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Two men face charges of making a firearm accessible to a child. Few details have been reported as the investigation continues. And in San Antonio, another teenager in …
Two People Killed in Gun Accidents In Sylacauga, Alabama, a clerk in a convenience store, 21-year-old Pankaj Pankaj, accidentally shot and killed himself with a firearm owned by the store’s owner. Store video reviewed during the investigation showed that Pankaj was examining a gun the owner kept behind the counter for self-protection, when it discharged, …
Four People Hurt in Gun Accidents, Including One Child A 7-year-old girl was outside in Camden, New Jersey, when she was hit by a stray bullet. She was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition. No other information has been released, but police say the girl was not the intended victim. In Houston, …
One Man Dead and Two Boys Injured After Accidentally Shooting Themselves A 33-year-old man in Houston, Texas, was found by police in the driver’s seat of a car with a fatal gunshot wound. According to a witness, who was also in the car, the man was putting the gun away in the console or glove …
Two Dead and Three Wounded in Today’s Unintentional Shootings In Houston, Texas, an eight-year-old girl died after being accidentally shot. She was in an apartment with her grandfather and it is unclear who fired the gun. Police believe the weapon used was a revolver that was later found on a bed and they continue to …
Two Children are Dead and Two are Wounded in Accidental Shootings In Summerville, South Carolina, a 3-year-old died after accidentally shooting himself while handling a loaded gun. He was taken to the hospital when his mother found him unresponsive in a bedroom. The police report said that there were “multiple firearms accessories strewn across the …
Two Young Children Find Loaded Guns: One Kills Themself, The Other Accidentally Shoots an Adult An investigation is ongoing after a 3-year-old in Trenton, New Jersey found a gun and shot and killed themself. Trenton’s Mayor said, “[t]his horrific act calls to mind the senselessness of gun deaths and innocent children in harm’s way. The …
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 …
Four-year-old Finds Relative’s Loaded Gun and Shoots One-year-old Brother In Houston, Texas, a 4-year-old boy found an unsecured gun in his home and unintentionally shot his 1-year-old brother. The victim underwent surgery for a gunshot wound to his leg and is expected to survive. The gun’s owner is a relative staying at the home and …
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 …
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 Kansas City, Kansas, police are investigating an incident in which a four-year-old boy shot himself after finding a loaded gun. He later died at the hospital. No other details are available. In Memphis, Tennessee, a three-year-old boy is in critical condition after finding and pulling the trigger on a loaded gun. Police say the …
A Houston, Texas 11-year-old was struck in the leg while taking out the trash at his apartment complex. Noe Fernandez, 22, discharged the round that struck the 11-year-old from inside his apartment. Fernandez was arrested and charged with causing injury to a child. Source: Houston Police Department, “Suspect Arrested, Charged in Shooting at 11655 Briar …
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 …
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 …
In Houston, Texas, 17-year old Dominque McCoy was unintentionally shot and killed today. According to authorities, he was shot by another 17-year old, Reginald Smalls, who says he was startled by McCoy and was firing in self-defense. Smalls has been arrested and charged with manslaughter. It is not clear how Smalls got a gun. Source: …
At a park in Houston, Texas today, a two-year old boy was able to get hold of a gun and use it to shoot himself in the hand. Police said there were several men sitting at a table in the park. “At some point, one of the men pulled out the gun and placed it …
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 …
In Denver, Colorado, a 38-year old man unintentionally discharged a gun which fired and injured his 8-year old son in the next room. The boy is at the hospital, but is expected to survive. There is no report of an arrest at this time. In Houston, Texas, a woman accidentally shot and killed her partner …
In a complicated scenario, a Houston, Texas teenager, Julio Arnoldo Orsorio Saca, age 18, is charged with murder and aggravated robbery after he accidentally shot his co-conspirator at the outset of a planned robbery. The report of the accident is as follows: Investigators were advised that the deceased male and Osorio Saca were in the …
Five more children were killed or injured in gun accidents today. In Katy, Texas, a four-year old boy died after being shot in the head by his nine-year old brother today with his uncle’s Glock. The uncle, Franciso Lupian, had brought the gun into the home and showed the boys how to use it. He …
In Houston, Texas, 18-year old Nariah Champion was accidentally shot and killed by 17-year old Zakorion Batiste, who was playing with a gun. The two were among a group of kids hanging out together. Batiste has been charged with manslaughter and is being held on $50,000 bail. According to the report, if bond is made, …
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 …
Surveillance footage confirmed that a man accidentally shot himself in the leg in a white Porsche outside a Houston, Texas hookah lounge today. The man was alone in the vehicle in the parking lot of the Hush Hookah Lounge when the incident occurred. According to police, the injured man’s cousin unsuccessfully attempted to drive him …
In Houston, Texas, a man shot himself in the testicles at the St. Regis hotel. He was either unpacking the gun or pulling it from his pants when the incident occurred. Source: John Tedesco, “Man at St. Regis Hotel Accidentally Shoots Himself in Testicles.” Houston Chronicle (March 25, 2022).
A Houston, Texas woman is in critical condition after her boyfriend unintentionally shot her in the neck. He was playing with a gun that he did not know was loaded when it went off. No report on whether the gun had a loaded chamber indicator. At the Seventh Day Adventist Headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, …
An innocent bystander in Houston, Texas was accidentally shot and killed today in a 2:00 AM firefight between security guards and a reckless driver. It is unclear if the driver was armed. He was reportedly driving dangerously in a parking lot and had injured two people. The women was killed when security guards confronted …
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 …
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 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 …
A Houston, Texas 23-year old was accidentally shot and killed by her boyfriend today. Houston police concluded that the man had removed a pistol from his waistband and was unloading the gun when it went off. Their determination was apparently based on witness statements. There is no report about whether the trigger was pulled in …
Negligence with guns appears to have been the cause of at least two deaths today. In both incidents, the shooter is likely to be prosecuted. In Thibodaux, Louisiana, a teenager was shot and killed when he and a friend were playing with a handgun. An unidentified 15-year old is charged with negligent homicide. And in …
A 22-year old was killed and three children were seriously injured in gun accidents today. In Dunmore, Pennsylvania, 22-year old Tyler Sitar was accidentally shot in the stomach by his friend Luigi Lorusso, who was handling a gun. Sitar died of his wound and Lorusso was arrested and charged with manslaughter. Another Columbus, Ohio child, …
Michelle Cummings, a Houston mom visiting Annapolis, Maryland to drop off her son at the Naval Academy was killed as an innocent bystander when someone opened fire near the hotel where she was staying. She was on the patio of the hotel at the time of the shooting. Apparently the round that killed Ms. Cumming …
In Houston, Texas, a gunshot struck and injured a six-year old boy inside his home, according to the Houston sheriff. He is in stable condition at the hospital. “They’re just shooting for fun,” said a neighbor. “That’s amazing to me, because they’re shooting to these houses. As a mother, it broke my heart … because …
All over the country today, people were injured, in some cases critically, in gun accidents. The available news reports make it difficult to separate those who were engaged in unsafe practices from those who were injured based on lack of safety features on their guns. In most cases, accidents can presumably be attributed to both …
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 …
Two teenage boys and a 24-year old woman were killed today in separate gun accidents. In Houston, Texas, 16-year old Chase Swain was killed while he and his friend were playing with a gun that had been stolen the day before. A 17-year old has been charged with manslaughter. In Nashville, Tennessee, 19-year old Juerno …
A Houston, Texas man may lose his leg after accidentally shooting himself. Police say the man was cleaning his gun when it went off. Source: “Man May Lose Leg after Accidental Shooting,” News 4 SA (April 16, 2021).
Police believe that a Houston, Texas three-year old found a loaded gun in his home today. He shot and killed his 8-month old brother, Royal Gordon. Four adults were home at the time. Police say it is unclear how the child got ahold of the weapon as they continue to investigate. As usual, there was …
In a complicated incident today, Houston, Texas police accidentally shot a one-year old child in the head. They were reportedly attempting to prevent a carjacking at the time of the incident. The baby is in stable condition at the hospital. Police report that they were chasing an armed suspect, wanted for several aggravated robberies. At …
Two children found guns and injured other children today, once again in Texas and Ohio. In Houston, Texas, a boy described as 6- or 7-years old, found a loaded gun and shot his five-year old sister in the leg. She was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. Several family members were home at the time of …
In Houston, Texas, Gerald Peavy was relaxing in his bed when he was killed by a shot accidentally fired by a friend staying in his living room. Peavy’s wife was with him at the time of the accident. The friend, Norez Hargrove, was examining a gun he had found in Peavy’s home. He told authorities …
In Houston, Texas, 25-year old Karina Montelongo was shot in the face when she was attempting to show her roommate how to use a gun. The roommate told officers that Montelongo was showing her a gun she owned. She had never handled a gun before and did not know it was loaded. According to the …
Across the country, people young and old were injured or killed by celebratory gunfire on New Year’s morning. The incidents are too numerous to fully describe. Returning to Texas, the site of one of last year’s worst celebratory gunfire tragedies, at least four people, including a sleeping eight-year old Houston boy, were struck by celebratory …
In Houston, Texas, a man who was watching T.V. in his living room was accidentally shot in the face by a neighbor who was cleaning his gun. The bullet went through a wall and a window before it struck. The victim was flown to the hospital where he remains in critical condition. “There’s two pistols …
An unidentified three-year old in Porter, Texas found a gun and shot himself in the chest at his own birthday party. He later died at the local fire station. The boy’s family members were playing cards at the time of the accident. The gun had fallen out of the pocket of someone present at the …
A 16-year old Houston, Texas teenager was killed when a gun accidentally fired while in his pocket. The boy was playing basketball with friends when he went indoors to rest. The gun went off when he slapped his leg. According to a Houston police officer, “[s]omehow that juvenile was shot and he has passed away …
Police accidents are sometimes reported with a remarkable lack of agency. Here is the entire substance of the report: “An officer is hospitalized after he shot himself in the leg while he was off-duty in west Houston, according to the Houston Police Department. Authorities say his gun went off, and the officer was shot in …
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 …
An unidentified Houston, Texas boy who was playing with a gun in front of his friends, accidentally shot himself in the stomach. He later died of his wounds at the hospital. According to authorities, it is unclear who owned the gun. This is the ninth tragic gun accident in the Houston area that we’ve reported …
Four accidental shooting victims are taking up hospital beds amidst the coronavirus medical crisis, after gun accidents in Louisiana, Texas, Alabama and California today. In Jeanerette, Louisiana, a boy was accidentally shot in the neck during “horseplay.” The adult shooter was arrested and charged with illegal discharge of a weapon. A man in Lake Jackson, …
A man was killed today in an accidental shooting on a Houston, Texas street. According to authorities, a group of friends had congregated despite coronavirus related social distancing concerns and were playing with a gun when it when off. The deceased man was in his 20’s. Source: “Man May Have Been Playing with Gun When …
There was a fatal gun accident today in Katy, Texas. An unidentified woman was accidentally shot and killed when two friends were handling a gun. According to a report, the women asked to see the gun and it went off while it was being handed to her. The men remained on the scene and attempted …
A Liberty County, Texas man was cleaning a 9-mm semi-automatic pistol when it accidentally fired and struck his 15-year old son in the lower back. The boy was flown to a hospital in Houston and is expected to survive. The gunshot was reported to have caused a “through and through wound.” Source: “Father Cleaning Gun …
For the second day in a row, a child was accidentally shot by an older relative in Houston, Texas. According to sheriff’s deputies, 19-year old Caitlyn Smith accidentally shot her 10-year old nephew while she was taking selfies with a gun. The Sheriff announced that Ms. Smith was arrested and charged with “Injury to a …
A 15-year old in Houston, Texas turned himself in to police after accidentally shooting his 5-year old sister in the stomach. The accident occurred while his parents were asleep. The boy panicked and ran from the home when his parents woke up to the sound of the gunshot. The 5-year old was rushed to a …
19-year old Cesar Cortes was accidentally shot and killed today at Bellaire High School, just outside of Houston, Texas. The shooter was his 16-year old friend, a boy who has not been identified because of his age. According to authorities, both the shooter and Cortes were members of the High School’s JROTC program. The younger …
As the clock struck midnight on New Years eve, 61-year old Philippa Ashford was struck and killed by a stray bullet in Harris County, Texas. Police believe that the round was fired in celebration of the new year by an unidentified person in the neighborhood. The shooter was not a member of Ms. Ashford’s family. …