Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
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 …
Two Ohio Teenagers Killed in Separate Unintentional Shootings Two small towns in Ohio are each mourning the unintentional shooting death of a 15-year-old boy in their community. In Wapakoneta, Ohio, Ayden Moorman was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, but died from his injuries. Police are still investigating but it appears to be an …
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 …
Woman is Innocent Bystander Injured During Shooting at Mall A mall in Arlington, Texas was evacuated after two people were injured by gunshots during an altercation between four teenagers. The teens were riding an escalator in the mall and arguing, when 17-year-old Careco Harris pulled out a gun. He didn’t fire the gun, but dropped …
Two Teens Accidentally Shot in Ohio Mall The discharge from a 16-year-old boy’s gun sent shoppers running for cover in a mall in Toledo, Ohio. The shooting happened near the food court. He accidentally fired one round into his leg that ricocheted, striking another teenager. He fled the scene, but was eventually found by police …
Three Children Accidentally Shot on the Day Before Christmas, One Fatally Jamycah Ramone Frazier-Turner, age 12, of Birmingham, Alabama was unintentionally shot and killed today while visiting friends and family. He was handling a gun when he accidentally fired it, according to police. No information was reported about how he came into possession of the …
Young Children Find Loaded Guns and Shoot Themselves and a Man is Accidentally Injured by Gunfire at the Shopping Mall A 2-year-old and a 5-year-old were injured today when they found loaded, unsecured guns and shot themselves. The 2-year-old found their grandparents’ hidden gun and shot themself in the foot in Greenwell Springs, Louisiana. It …
Three Unintentional Shootings Leave One Woman Dead, Three Others Injured In a Glendale, Arizona shopping mall, a man received minor injuries when a gun unintentionally fired inside one of the stores. Police haven’t yet located the person who discharged the gun, and few other details have been reported. In a residence in Fresno, California, a …
Man Killed in Gun Cleaning Accident In Prospect, Kentucky, 23-year-old Charl Hertzog was shot and killed by his roommate James Small, 20, who claimed he was drinking and smoking weed while cleaning a gun, when it accidentally discharged. Police say he left the scene after the shooting and got rid of the gun, then turned …
A Toddler is Dead and Another Child is Wounded After Finding Loaded Guns A two-year-old girl found a gun on a dresser and accidentally shot and killed herself in Lugoff, South Carolina. The sheriff said the incident is under investigation to find out exactly what happened, but nobody has been charged. “You know, unfortunately, sometimes …
Two Gun Accidents Involving Toddlers Leaves One Dead, the other in Critical Condition In Corbin, Kentucky, a 3-year-old shot 2-year-old Milo Brooks in the head, killing him. The 3-year-old apparently retrieved a loaded gun that was on top of the refrigerator by crawling on a stool and a cabinet. The sheriff pleaded with parents to …
Ohio Mom and Unborn Child Both Die When Two-Year-Old Discharges a Gun Laura Ilg of Norwalk, Ohio, age 31, was shot in the back, reportedly by her two-year-old son, who had found a loaded 9mm pistol on a nightstand in his parents’ bedroom. Neither Ms. Ilg, nor the unborn child, survived. Norwalk police responded 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 …
Young Boys Find Loaded Assault Rifle at Home and Both are Injured It took two days for Desiree Felder, a 26-year-old Baton Rouge, Louisiana mom, to acknowledge a gun accident that injured her son and her nephew. One of the children is three and the other is six. Police were called to a hospital Monday …
Unsafe Target Shooting Leads to Gun Accident Injury of Eight-year-old Boy In Campbell County, Virginia, the sheriff’s office says an 8-year-old boy suffered an accidental gunshot wound this weekend. According to the report, two men were shooting rifles at “improper” backstops when the boy was struck. Both men were arrested for “improper handling of a …
Three-year-old Finds Gun Under Couch, Shoots and Kills Himself Jaxon Truitt, a three-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina boy, found a loaded gun under a couch in his home and shot and killed himself. The boy’s father, Richard Allen Truitt, age 36, was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter and failure to secure a firearm. Truitt is …
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 …
Six Reported Unintended Shootings Today, Including the Death of an Innocent Bystander Hundreds of people fled a mall in Holyoke, Massachusetts after a fatal shooting inside a nail salon. Kenneth Santana-Rodriguez, who claimed to be firing in self-defense after being confronted by a former boyfriend of his girlfriend, fired two rounds, one of which struck …
Police in Edina, Minnesota found a trail of blood at the Southdale Mall. The report indicates that police have concluded that someone at the mall accidentally fired a round into the floor that ricocheted and struck the shooter in the leg. They have yet to identify the shooter and the mall was fully reopened after …
For the second day in a row, unintentional gun violence killed an Indianapolis, Indiana teenager. In today’s incident, Michael Mason, Jr., a 16-year old, was shot and killed in the parking lot of a local mall when he and a friend mistakenly approached a white Chevy Impala that was identical to his own. When Mason …
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.” …
Stonecrest Mall in Stonecrest, Georgia was closed for 90 minutes on Saturday when a 14-year-old boy was found with a gunshot wound to his lower leg. Based on an initial investigation, Police believe that the boy unintentionally shot himself. It is unclear how he got a gun or why he brought it to the mall. …
Four people accidentally shot themselves with their own guns today. All are expected to survive. The incidents happened at a Pocatello, Idaho mall, in the bathroom of a Nashville, North Carolina Domino’s pizza store, in a car traveling on I-94 near Detroit, Michigan, and in a remote conservation area near Tioga, New York, where a …
Two men were injured while attending a wine-tasting event at a restaurant in Miami, Florida. One of the men, a homeland security officer, dropped a gun during the event. The gun fired when it hit the floor and the round passed both through the officer’s leg and the leg of a friend. Neither man suffered …
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 …
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: …
A Stone Mountain, Georgia 17-year old, Dimitri Hayes, was accidentally shot by his twin brother, Xavier, when the two were playing with a gun in their bedroom. Dimitri was taken to the hospital where he later died from his injuries. Xavier was charged with felony murder and aggravated assault. There is no report at this …
In Union County, Tennessee, a “small child” found a handgun in their parent’s car and used it to shoot one of their parents. The injured parent was taken to the hospital for treatment. No other details were reported. Source: “Union Co. Deputies: Parent Hospitalized After Small Child Accidentally Shot Them,” wbir.com (July 16, 2022).
Torqavious Johnson, age 18, of Greer, South Carolina, was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter when he picked up a handgun that had fallen on the floor and attempted to return it to 17-year old Dalorian Tyler. According to witnesses, the gun was pointed at Tyler and discharged as Johnson handed it to him. Tyler …
Kismet Sengdan of Akron, Ohio, a ten-year old died today after another child picked up an unsecured gun and accidentally discharged it. Kismet was visiting at the time. Police are investigating to determine who owned the gun. The Akron Public schools issued the following statement after the incident: “It is with a heavy heart that …
In Columbia, South Carolina, a woman with a gun in her pocketbook or in her pocket accidentally shot herself while shopping at a local mall. Other shoppers heard a loud bang and rushed from the premises. The woman’s injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, but her precise condition is unknown. Police are investigating whether …
A pair of three-year old children found loaded guns in their homes and accidentally shot themselves today. In Birmingham, Alabama, a three-year old found a family member’s loaded gun in his home and shot himself in the leg. He is expected to survive. The report notes that it was the second incident in Jefferson County …
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. …
Kyler Small, a Hueytown, Alabama two-year old, died today after finding a family member’s loaded gun and shooting himself. Coroner’s officials called the shooting “accidental.” An investigation is ongoing, but no further information about the shooting is being released. Source: Associated Press “Police: 2-year-old Killed After Discharging Relative’s Gun,” apnews.com (January 12, 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 …
There were at least four incidents of accidental gun violence today. Two of the incidents involved guns firing when they were dropped, a common gun defect. The other two incidents were accidental shooting in vehicles, which often occur because people attempt to store guns that they are carrying before entering a store or another public …
A ten-year old innocent bystander was one of three people injured when gang-related gun violence broke out on the day after Thanksgiving at a crowded Durham, North Carolina mall. His injuries are not considered life threatening. The shooting led to a mass evacuation, but no suspects were arrested. The shooting was one of two triple …
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 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 …
15-year old Kamm VanGilder of Jeffersonville, Indiana was riding with a former Jeffersonville police officer when the man’s rifle accidentally discharged and VanGilder was killed. The former officer was not identified. An autopsy has confirmed that the shooting was accidental, but the investigation is ongoing. In an incident at a San Antonio, Texas mall, two …
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 …
When shooting broke out at a mall in Danbury, Connecticut, the injured girl, age 15, was an innocent bystander. She was shot in the chest and is in stable condition at the hospital. No other people were injured. Police report that at least eight people were involved in an altercation at the mall, but that …
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 …
For the second time this month, a Sumner County, Tennessee child was killed in a gun accident. In this case, which occurred in the small town of Westmoreland, the sheriff’s office announced only a fatal accident involving the death of a six-year old child. The office stressed that the incident was “purely accidental” and declined …
Jason Smalley of Athens, Texas accidentally shot and killed his friend Stoney Conley in the mistaken belief that he was acting in self-defense. The two men were smoking meth together when they heard a suspicious noise. Smalley went to fetch his .22 caliber rifle and aimed at a person he could only see from the …
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 …
Seven children under the age of six were killed or injured by gunfire today. All of them were innocent bystanders to adult gun violence. In Memphis Tennessee, a one-year old child was shot and killed inside a vehicle. “Our kids are scared to death out there,” a local community group leader said. The other incidents …
At Desert Sky Mall in Phoenix, Arizona, a 17-year old boy was shot as an innocent bystander to an argument between others about a pair of sneakers. Alejandro Martinez, a high-school student, was shot and killed on the anniversary of the Parkland High School murders. According to the report, gunfire erupted at a kiosk inside …
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 …
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 …
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 …
At Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta, Georgia, a city plagued with recent gun violence, police responded to shots fired inside the Neiman Marcus store. Police concluded that “the gunfire was the result of a person walking through the store and adjusting his pants when the firearm he had in his waistband went off.” No one …
In Detroit, Michigan, an altercation concerning a stolen Uber Eats delivery led to the accidental shooting of a 21-month old girl who was sitting in her mother’s car. The girl’s mother believed that chicken she had ordered had been stolen by her neighbors. In the ensuing argument, one of the neighbors apparently brought out a …
Two young children were innocent victims of gun violence on Halloween. Both were bystanders when arguments broke out and shots were fired. In New York City, an 8-year old, her father and a third bystander were wounded by gunfire outside a supermarket. All three victims are in stable condition. According to a witness, three gunshots …
In Birmingham, Alabama, a 5-year old child was injured after shooting himself in a car with his father’s gun. The boy’s father told police that he left the child in the vehicle while he went back inside, and when he returned “he found the child covered in blood and drove him to the hospital.” He …
In Miami, Florida, Pastor Gregory Boyd was an innocent bystander killed when caught between two arguing groups of men firing guns. Pastor Boyd “was known for the high-energy messages he would deliver at New Birth Harvest Outreach Ministries Churches of Deliverance.” Boyd was walking in front of a shoe store at a local mall when …
In Charlotte, North Carolina, 2-year old Amor Cureton shot and killed himself with a loaded handgun in a motel. His father Antonio Cureton was arrested and charged with “involuntary manslaughter, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a stolen firearm and failure to secure a firearm to protect a …
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 Pensacola, Florida, 7-year old Aniyah Nettles was shot and killed, likely by another small child. She was on her grandmother’s front porch at the time she was shot. Police continue to investigate and are not yet certain how the child who shot Aniyah got the gun. Source: Brianna Hollis, “State Attorney will Review Evidence …
There were two gun accidents involving AR-15 style rifles today, each illustrating a combat-designed purpose of the weapon. In the first incident, a Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania man was sleeping in a chair in a wooded area by a pond when he was accidentally shot with a small caliber round fired by one of two men …
Criminalizing the Negligence of Caregivers May Let Manufacturers Off the Hook It is quite clear from any rational child safety perspective that manufacturers should be discouraged or prevented from designing guns that children can easily fire. Better designs can be achieved with effective external manual safeties, magazine safety disconnects, heavier trigger pulls or trigger designs …
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. …
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. …
In Richmond, Virginia, 19-year-old Chynekqua Walker was arrested and charged with reckless handling of a firearm after shooting her 15-year old brother in the shoulder in their home. According to a report “she thought that she was handling a BB gun when she accidentally shot her brother… with a real gun.” It was the fourth …
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 …
Three-year old Keegan Vasquez shot himself in the face with a .25 caliber pistol he found on a TV stand in his great-grandmother’s home. The Callaghan County, Texas boy was taken to a hospital in Fort Worth, where he later died. The boy’s great-grandmother said that she had forgotten that the gun was there. The …
In another fatal gun accident involving a child in Pataskala, Ohio, a town of less than 16,000 people near Columbus (see December 14, 2019), 15-year old Noah Bigham shot and killed his best friend, Hunter Cooper, a high school freshman, while attempting to distract him from playing a video game. Noah was using the laser …
In Prestonburg, Kentucky, a messenger for an armored car service was shot when his gun accidentally discharged while he was making a drop at a Big Lots store in a strip mall. “His weapon became lodged between himself and items he was carrying,” according to Prestonburg police detective Ross Shurtleff. “While it was lodged between …
At the Fashion Square Mall in Saginaw Township, Michigan, a 29-year old man accidentally shot himself in the leg. According to police, the man was shopping at Victoria’s Secret. When he went to put his wallet in his back pocket, his pistol discharged. Source: Michael Percha, “Accidental Shooting at Fashion Square Mall Injures One” NewsRadio …
A Pataskala, Ohio girl was shot and killed by her 6-year old brother on the day after her second birthday. The boy had found a loaded gun in the home. A newspaper obtained the transcript of the call to 911: “There’s been an accident with a weapon. … My daughter’s been shot with a gun,” …