FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2024

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 …

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2024

Reporter Injured by Metal Fragment at Campaign Shooting Event While covering a Senate campaign event at a private firing range in Holt, Missouri, reporter Ryan Gamboa was struck in the arm by a metal fragment. The candidate Lucas Kunce and supporters were shooting at metal targets with AR-15 style weapons. Only Kunce was shooting at …

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2024

Gun Accidents Injure Two Men A 46-year-old man accidentally shot himself in the leg at a shooting range on the private property of a home in Bellingham, Massachusetts. His injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening. Police are investigating. And a 24-year-old man was shot in the neck while watching television in his Atlanta, Georgia apartment. …

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2024

Police Officer Shoots Self During Firearms Training A firearms instructor with a local police department was injured by an accidental discharge while attending a week-long rifle course at a shooting range in Paterson, New Jersey. The officer shot himself in the leg during a drill, and was taken to the hospital in serious, but stable …

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 2024

Innocent Bystander Killed Trying to Break Up Fight In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, police believe that a 41-year-old woman was trying to break up an argument between two people, when one of them tried to shoot the other and unintentionally shot and killed the woman. She was shot in the arm at close range and pronounced dead …

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2024

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 …

WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2024

Man Shoots Self at Gun Range A man accidentally shot himself in the chest at a Sarasota, Florida gun range. First responders came to his aid before he was taken to the hospital. It is expected that he will recover from his injury. Sources: “Deputies: Man Shot at Sarasota Gun Range,” mysuncoast.com (July 31, 2024). News …

SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2024

13-year-old Boy Paralyzed After Unintentional Shooting During Sleepover In Port Orange, Florida, 13-year-old Nathaniel Green was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition after he was accidentally shot while sleeping over at a friend’s house. The bullet went through his throat and spinal cord, and he remains in an induced coma paralyzed from the waist …

WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 2024

Four-year-old Shoots Self With Gun Found in Home In Middleburg, Florida, a four-year-old shot themself with the family’s unsecured handgun. The child was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. It was not reported how the four-year-old got the gun. No arrests have been made, but there is an ongoing investigation. Source: Meghan Moriarty, “Four-year-old Child …

FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2024

Man Killed in Accidental Shooting at Gun Range At a shooting range in Nampa, Idaho, a rifle unintentionally discharged, killing 26-year-old old Evan Michael Chase. Another man was attempting to unload the rifle when it fired, striking Chase who died at the scene. Because the sheriff’s office determined that the shooting was an accident, no …

MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2024

Two Children are Victims of Unintended Shootings; One Shot Himself in the Head An eight-year-old boy in Peoria, Illinois was rushed to the hospital after shooting himself in the head.  His injuries are considered life-threatening.  The boy’s father, Micah D. Stitts, left a gun unattended when several children were home and was charged with a …

SUNDAY, JUNE 16, 2024

Three Unintended Shootings, One By a Three-year-old Child A three-year-old Petersburg, Virginia child found a semi-automatic pistol at home and shot himself in the arm.  “A three-year-old shouldn’t have access to a gun,” one neighbor said.  According to the report, a friend of the family left the gun on a table with “some articles” on …

THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2024

Two Toddlers Find Guns in Vehicles, and Two Accidental Shootings Involving Law Enforcement Officers Two toddlers in Alabama shot themselves with guns they found in vehicles today. A 2-year-old boy shot himself with a gun he found in a vehicle in a Birmingham, Alabama trailer park. He was with his mother and another man, and was taken to the …

MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2024

One Killed, Four Injured in Gun Accidents In Yuma, Arizona, 19-year-old Raymond Ruiz was accidentally shot and killed with a rifle. A 23-year-old man told police that he was cleaning the firearm when it discharged, but it was later determined that another man, 19-year-old Angel Campa, was handling the gun when it fired. Campa fled the scene, but later turned …

TUEDAY, JUNE 4, 2024

Four People Wounded in Gun Accidents, Including a 3-year-old Girl In a condominium in Montgomery Village, Maryland, a 3-year-old girl is expected to survive after shooting herself with an unsecured .40 caliber ghost gun. A 15-year-old boy was with other juveniles where the shooting occurred, and has been charged with possessing ammunition and a gun clip. “…[W]e’re …

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2024

More Children Unintentionally Injured by Guns In Hampton, Virginia, a one-year-old was shot and injured today by another child who found an unsecured gun in their home. The baby is hospitalized but expected to survive. “It’s kind of strange because, it’s kind of quiet around here. Well, very quiet, I was just shocked and surprised,” …

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

One Person Killed and Three Others Injured in Accidental Shootings A man was accidentally shot and killed by his friend in Miramar, Florida. The suspect is cooperating with police and not facing charges although police continue to investigate. In Memphis, Tennessee, a woman who became aggressive and refused to leave a convenience store at closing, …

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2024

Corrections Officer Killed in Training Accident On the firing range at the prison training facility in Orient, Ohio, Lt. Rodney Osborne was killed after being accidentally shot in the chest during training. Details about the incident have not been reported, and the ongoing investigation will be carried out by the state highway patrol that has …

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2024

Three Juveniles and Police Chief Injured in Separate Unintentional Shootings In Savannah, Georgia, a 9-year-old boy accidentally shot himself. Few details have been reported, but police say the boy was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A juvenile in Nashville, Tennessee, was accidentally shot through the arm and taken to the hospital for treatment. …

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2024

Infant Killed, and 4-year-old Injured in Unintentional Shootings A 1-year-old girl died at the hospital after being accidentally shot in a residence in Knox City, Texas. It is unclear how the infant was shot, and at least one other child has been taken into the custody of child protective services. The Texas Rangers are assisting …

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2024

Six People Injured in Accidental Shootings, including an Infant In an extended stay hotel in Whitestown, Indiana, a 1-year-old boy was unintentionally shot in the stomach by his 22-year-old father. The father was handling the gun when it fired, sending the child to the hospital in critical, but stable condition. All people involved are cooperating …

SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 2024

Five People Injured in Gun Accidents, Including a 2-year-old At a gas station in Gulfport, Mississippi, a 2-year-old found an unsecured, loaded gun and shot themself. The child was seriously injured and airlifted to the hospital. It is unclear how the child got possession of the gun, and no other information has been reported at …

MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2024

Gun Accidents Injure Three People In Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania, a man accidentally shot himself in the leg while he was disassembling his handgun. His injuries are not life-threatening. During the investigation, police discovered that the man’s firearm was a “ghost gun.” No charges have been filed at this time. While handling a pistol in Libby, …

SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 2024

One Dead, Four Injured in Unintentional Shootings In Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Dcorius Wilkins, 19, died after he was accidentally shot during a car crash. Few details have been reported about the incident, as officials continue to investigate. In Wichita, Kansas, a man and woman, both in their 20s, were shot when the man mishandled …

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2023

Men Wounded in Two Accidental Shootings When firefighters responded to a call at a shooting range in Newhall, California, they found a 34-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his chest. It is believed the wound was accidentally self-inflicted, and he was transported to the hospital. Few details have been reported as the sheriff’s department …

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2023

Three Accidental Gun Deaths A San Angelo, Texas man playacting with his friend’s loaded Radical Arms AR-15 rifle, which he believed was unloaded because the magazine was removed, accidentally shot and killed a relative. According to the report, Benjamin Ibarra was “conducting a fake ‘sweep’ … of the house after the thought-to-be unloaded rifle was …

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2023

One Killed, Two Injured in Gun Accidents David Shane Nance, 46, was killed in what appears to be an accidental shooting at a makeshift gun range in Mooresville, North Carolina. The suspected shooter and the victim knew each other. The suspect called 911 and is cooperating with deputies in their investigation. Few details are reported, …

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2023

3-year-old and Two Deputies are Wounded in Unintentional Shootings A 3-year-old in Richmond, Virginia, was hospitalized with a gunshot wound that is not life-threatening. Few details reported, but police believe this was an accidental shooting and are currently not looking for suspects, though they will continue to investigate. At an outdoor gun range in Lemoore, …

MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2023

Corrections Officer Accidentally Shot During Target Practice A corrections officer was accidentally shot in the leg in a prison in Beacon, New York. The 45-year-old officer was wounded during target practice at the weapons firing range, and was treated by responding EMS personnel. It’s not clear who fired the round, and no other details have …

THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2023

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 …

SATURDAY, JULY 22, 2023

Five Unintentional Shootings, Including Two in Vehicles In Jupiter, Florida, a teenage passenger in a vehicle was handling a gun when it unintentionally discharged, fatally striking the driver. The teenager is facing a charge of negligent manslaughter. Police recovered the firearm as they continue to investigate. Another reported shooting in a vehicle, this time in …

WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2023

Two Dead and One Wounded in Shooting Accidents Maden Thapa, a 30-year-old Columbus, Ohio man, was unintentionally killed in his truck by another man who was handling a gun.  According to the report, 25-year-old Lok Nath Acharya, had been alerted to the presence of the gun in a bathroom at a local newsstand. He removed …

TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 2023

Two Teens and a Woman are Injured when Guns are Mishandled Two 13-year-old boys in Columbus, Ohio, were accidentally shot by a 12-year-old boy. The two injured teens are expected to survive. The 12-year-old boy was arrested and charged with assault and obstruction. Police continue to investigate. In Homestead, Florida, Jaydin Babb, 22, was playing …

SATURDAY, JUNE 17, 2023

Three More Unintended Child Victims; One Dead Two Wounded  K’Von Morgan, age 10, of Petersburg, Virginia was shot and killed while preparing for bed today. He was struck by a bullet fired outside the apartment where he lived with his family and died on the way to the hospital.  “It makes no sense that a …

MONDAY, JUNE 12, 2023

Three Boys Have Access to Guns and Shoot Themselves An 11-year-old Brunswick, Georgia boy is hospitalized today after shooting himself in the chest. Police do not know if the shooting was accidental.  Although the gun owner’s name is redacted from the police report, the report says that the boy’s father told police that they visited …

MONDAY, JUNE 5, 2023

Four Tennessee Teens Injured in Gun Accidents, One While Making a Snapchat Video While recording Snapchat videos in Covington, Tennessee, a 17-year-old was accidentally shot. He was taken to the hospital and there is no word on his current condition. Logan Wall, 18, identified as the shooter, turned himself in and was arrested on a …

FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2023

Teens Playing with Guns Injure Three; Two Others Hurt in Separate Accidental Shootings A group of teenagers were “carelessly” handling a gun in LaGrange, Georgia, when one of them, a 15-year-old, was accidentally shot in the face. He was airlifted to the hospital in serious condition. No other information is available at this time. Another …

SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2023

Mishandling Guns and an Unsecured Storage Leave One Dead and Three Wounded In St. Albans, West Virginia, Steven Loftis, 53, accidentally shot himself in the abdomen and died. The discharge allegedly occurred because the firearm was not handled safely and was stored in Loftis’s pants pocket instead of a holster. The case will be reviewed …

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2023

Deadly Accident After Cleaning Gun; Officer Injured When Backup Weapon Accidentally Fires In Columbus, Ohio, 16-year-old Elisha Judd was killed by 20-year-old Tejuan Stanley when he accidentally fired his gun striking her in the forehead. Stanley had taken apart his gun to clean it, and didn’t realize when it was reassembled that there was a …

MONDAY, MAY 8, 2023

Two-year-old is Killed in Drive-By Shooting; 3 Others are Injured in Separate Gun Accidents Two-year-old Mackenzie Hernandez Garcia was standing outside the front door of a home when she was unintentionally shot and killed in a drive-by shooting in San Antonio, Texas. She was one of 6 children in the home and not believed to …

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2023

Three Unintended Gun Injuries A Memphis, Tennessee child was struck by a bullet that “fell out of the sky” today.  The child’s father told Memphis Police that his son was picking up trash in the front yard, when a bullet “fell from a tree, causing his head to hurt.” The child was taken to the …

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2023

Three Children Dead in Unintended Shootings In Salinas, California, Natalie Romero Puente, an 11-year-old fifth-grade student, accidentally shot and killed herself with her 18-year-old brother’s Glock pistol. The gun had been illegally modified to function fully automatically.  A classmate’s parent said, “”My daughter’s taking it pretty hard. They were all classmates, teammates on volleyball and …

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2023

Three People Injured When Guns Accidentally Go Off in Public Places An 18-year-old Anniston, Alabama High School student was injured by shrapnel when another student accidentally fired a gun inside the high school.  The student was reportedly manipulating the gun in a backpack when it went off.  The round struck the floor and the 18-year-old …

FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023

17-Year-Old Dies in Accidental Shooting Brandt Glover, a 17-year-old Orlando, Florida high school student died in a gun accident at home today.  While it is still working out how the teen was accidentally shot and killed, the sheriff’s office said: “Guns inside homes should be secured, and they should not be accessible to anyone who …

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2023

Two Men Injured in Gun Range Incident Two Middletown, Ohio men were injured in an accidental shooting at a private gun range when a gun fired while they were unloading it.  One of the men was hit in the hand and the other in the leg. The men attempted to get medical treatment but could …

FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 2023

Teen Killed While Drinking and “Messing Around” with Gun In Rogersville, Missouri, a teenager was killed in a gun accident that occurred when he and two adults were drinking and playing with a pistol.  The local sheriff says “three people, the teenage male, a man in his early 20s, and a woman in the similar …

THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023

Follow Up: Boy Scouts Seek to Avoid Liability for Death of an 11-year-old at a Hawaii Shooting Range More details have recently emerged in the death of an 11-year-old boy scout who was accidentally shot and killed on August 28, 2022 while sitting in a chair at a boy scout shooting range in Hawaii.  According …

SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2023

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 …

MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 2023

Woman Injured by Her Father Demonstrating How to Use a Gun Safely In Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, a man accidentally shot his adult daughter while giving her lessons in gun safety.  “If you are going to use them, you should do it at a gun range, not in your own home,” the local Police Superintendent said …

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2023

Man Accidentally Shot and Killed While Moving a Shotgun To Make Room Inside His Vehicle In Bullhead City, Arizona, a 56-year old man who was moving his shotgun in order to make room for a passenger in his vehicle, accidentally fired the gun into his abdomen and killed himself. Another person was also shot and …

LESSONS LEARNED FROM THREE YEARS OF CATALOGING GUN ACCIDENT REPORTS

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 …

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2022

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 …

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022

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 …

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2022

In Kent County, Michigan, a 71-year-old part-time deputy shot himself in the hand during a firearms training session at the sheriff’s office gun range.    His injuries are not considered life threatening and the sheriff’s office says, “there is no threat to the public.” Source: “Deputy Accidentally Shoots Own Hand During Training at Kent Co. …

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2022

Two women, aged 64 and 38, were injured when  a 75-year-old man accidentally fired a shotgun round at a Texas City, Texas shooting range. According to the report, the man was attempting to clear a gun, when he accidentally fired a round that struck a concrete floor. Shotgun pellets ricocheted and struck the two women. …

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2022

In Miami, Florida,  a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer was accidentally shot and killed at  shooting range during a training exercise. The office was identified as 40-year-old Jorge Arias. He was acting as instructor at the time of the accident. However, other details have not been released. “He had that passion for firearms, so …

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2022

An Athens, Georgia woman was seriously injured when she was unintentionally shot while lying on a couch in her apartment. According to police, multiple rounds were fired in a domestic violence incident in a neighboring unit.  One of the rounds apparently passed through an apartment wall and struck the woman in the back. A Vermont …

SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2022

In Anchor Point, Alaska,  Kenneth Defrancesco, 80, appeared to have been killed while getting out of his vehicle. “[A] firearm he was carrying came out of the holster and fired a round, fatally wounding him,” Alaska State Troopers reported in a press release on Sunday.  A friend found Defrancesco in his driveway after he had …

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 2022

A teenage boy in Meriden, Connecticut was accidentally shot by his father while being shown how to use a handgun today. The boy’s father was showing him the weapon while trying to get his son acclimated with firearms. “The teen was going to start firearm training at a local gun range soon,” according to authorities. …

THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022

Maria Nealy, age 34, of San Antonio, Texas, was sitting on a bed in her apartment playing with a gun according to witnesses, when the weapon discharged.  The round passed through a wall and struck and killed April Longoria, age 33, in the next room.  Longoria reportedly said “that hurt” before “bleeding out from her …

TUESDAY, JULY 26, 2022

A Muncie, Indiana six-year old shot his five year old sister in the head today with a loaded handgun that he had removed from his parents’ gun safe.  The girl died at the hospital.  According to the report, the child found the key to the safe and removed the gun while his mother was napping; …

SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2022

In Charlotte, North Carolina, man “negligently discharged” his weapon inside his vehicle outside a local shooting range. He was transported to a hospital for treatment.  In Mashpee, Massachusetts, a man negligently shot himself in the hand and was flown to a Rhode Island hospital for treatment. And in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, a man who was …

FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022

Many people were injured in gun accidents today, with mostly minimal press coverage. Two of the accidents occurred in the Philadelphia area.  On the Drexel campus in West Philadelphia, a man accidentally shot himself in the leg inside a Shake Shack restaurant. Given the number of recent mass shootings, it is not surprising that the …

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2022

In Piqua, Ohio, three police officers returning from the range after qualifying with their service weapons were struck by shrapnel when a gun discharged while it was being cleaned. All three officers were taken to the hospital.  The officer who was cleaning their gun apparently did not know the gun was loaded. According to the …

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2022

 Several types of common American gun accidents were on display today in cities across the country.  In Memphis, Tennessee, a man died in an apparent shooting range accident. Two children found loaded guns at home and shot themselves.  Again, in Memphis, Tennessee, a toddler is in critical condition after a self-inflicted shooting. Memphis officials say …

MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2022

Lynette Billeter, age 58, a cherished teacher at a school in Sandy, Utah for adult special education students was shot and killed in a hunting accident today. She was returning to a utility terrain vehicle after hunting with family members when “a gun fired” and she was struck in the mid-section.  First responders arrived at …

SATURDAY, JANUARY 15, 2022

Eight-year old Tiana Huddleston or Milwaukee, Wisconsin was shot and killed today by random gunfire.  The Acting Mayor of Milwaukee referred to the incident as “mistaken gunfire,” perhaps ignoring that almost all gunfire, other than at practice ranges, is mistaken or worse. He added, “[p]lease, put down the guns. If you have a gun in your …

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2021

A customer of the Shoot Point Blank gun range in Shorewood, Illinois was injured today when his gun malfunctioned.  Several police officers and an ambulance responded.  The injured man was then taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The report of the accident says that it was at least the third gun accident this …

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2021

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a two-year old boy found a gun next to a bed in his home and shot himself in the stomach.  The bullet exited through the boy’s back.  The boy’s parents drove him to hospital, where he is listed in stable condition. “Yet another one of our precious children has suffered a critical …

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2021

In West Point, Georgia, a 17-year old and her 23-year sister were playing with a pistol when it fired.  They didn’t know the gun was loaded.  The 17-year old died of a single gunshot wound to the head.  Although there is an ongoing investigation, Police have concluded that the shooting was accidental. There is no …

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2021

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 …

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2021

An Orlando, Florida man shot himself in the leg in a shooting range parking lot today while clearing his gun.  He was inside a vehicle outside “Shooter’s World” when the accident occurred. Source: “Police: Man Clearing Gun Shot Self in Leg Outside Orlando Range,” Fox 35 (October 8, 2021).

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

A $5.5 million settlement was reached in connection with a gun accident that occurred at a Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania shooting range two years ago today.  The shooting occurred during a training exercise organized by a variety of organizations and individuals who were then named as defendants in the lawsuit.  The shooter, who was supposed to be …

TUESDAY, JULY 20, 2021

In Westport, Massachusetts, an off-duty police officer shot himself in the thigh with a .40 caliber round while training with his gun at a local firing range.  According to the report, the incident occurred while he was “putting in or taking his gun out of the holster.” The officer’s injury was described as “minor” but …

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 2021

In Surry County, North Carolina, two Sheriff’s deputies were injured due to “accidental discharge of a firearm” during a training exercise at a local firing range.  Both deputies were treated for minor injuries and the Sheriff’s department has opened an internal investigation. Source: Paul Choate, “2 Surry County Deputies Injured by ‘Accidental Discharge of a …

MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021

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 …

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 2021

In an incident caught on video and later broadcast on local television, a Newbury, Ohio man accidentally shot himself in the face with a pistol at a local gun range.  His injuries apparently were not life threatening.  In Crowley, Louisiana two teenagers were handling a gun when it discharged.  One of them was shot in …

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 2021

In Americus, Georgia, a 16-year old boy was listed in critical condition after being accidentally shot.  He and a group of boys were horsing around with a gun on the back deck of a local home.  One of the boys, Jordan Hamilton, age 17, was arrested and charged with reckless conduct. In Waterbury, Connecticut, a …

SATURDAY, MAY 15, 2021

At a shooting range in Archbald, Pennsylvania, a man was killed when his handgun exploded.  Robert Hamm, age 61, handed his pistol to someone else to fire. The other man fired, but the loading mechanism exploded and piece of shrapnel hit Hamm in the chest. Hamm later died at the hospital. Officials believe that Hamm …

FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 2021

At a Ceres, California gun range, a firearms instructor was holstering a gun during a training session when it fired.  The 69-year old was struck in the thigh and taken to the hospital where he is in stable condition. Perhaps if the gun had an external manual safety that the instructor demonstrated for the class, …

THE TAURUS PISTOL DEFECT

In 2017, the Brazilian company Forjas Taurus (“Taurus”)1 recalled nearly a million of its popular pistols2 in the United States as part of the settlement of a class action lawsuit.3 The guns involved have a defect that sometimes causes them to fire even when the gun’s safety was in its “on” position and/or when the …

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2020

In Greenville, South Carolina, there is an ongoing investigation of a gun accident at City Arsenal, a gun store and shooting range, that injured two people. An individual inside the store accidentally fired a shot that struck his hand and then struck a second person, according to the Sheriff’s Office.  Both men are hospitalized in …

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2020

Two people were hurt today in another accident that could have been prevented by a magazine safety disconnect. Two cousins, ages 16  and 21, in Holly Hill, South Carolina were parked in a car when the older boy removed a pistol from his backpack and removed the magazine.  Shortly afterward, the mother of the 16-year-old …

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020

At the St. Lucie Shooting Center in Port St. Lucie, Florida, a bullet pierced a barrier and struck a shooting range employee.  An off-duty police officer was present at the time.  She and another officer applied a pair of tourniquets. The injured man was taken to the hospital where he was treated and released. A …

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020

For the second day in a row, a man was killed in a range accident.  In today’s incident, an unidentified 67-year old NRA-certified range officer was killed during a shooting competition in Penfield, New York.  The range officer “was serving as a safety officer in a United States Practical Shooting Association competition and was struck …

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2020

18-year old James Noel Zamora was killed during training in Fort Jackson, South Carolina.   Zamora, a private, was a California soldier in combat training at the base.  The accident occurred at the rifle range. Training was stopped for 36-hours to attend to the needs of soldiers and to evaluate relevant procedures.  “Our hearts are heavy …

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2020

In Batavia, New York, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were qualifying at the local shooting range when one person was accidentally shot in the leg. The local Sheriff’s department is investigating. Source: Scott Desmit, “Person Shot in Leg at Emergency Training Center,”  The Daily News (October 22, 2020).

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2020

At a virtual arraignment in New York City on Thursday, prosecutors described a gun accident in a Bronx apartment and its consequences: “The defendant carelessly assumed the firearm was unloaded and discharged the firearm, causing a bullet to strike a sleeping child in the abdomen, ripping through her torso and exiting her body through her …

MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2020

In Albert Lea, Minnesota, a man was injured Monday morning in an accidental shooting. He  was reportedly shot in the leg in what police describe as a “negligent firing of the gun.” Police logs show that at the time of the accident, the injured man and another person were preparing to go to the gun …

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2020

In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, two friends had returned home from a visit to the shooting range when 19-year old Brandon Spratley accidentally shot 20-year old Jermaine Sampson.  Spratley was attempting to unload his handgun when the accident occurred.  Sampson died at the hospital. Spratley was arrested and charged with negligent homicide. Source: “20-year-old Killed in …