Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
Accidental Discharge From Stolen Gun Injures Woman A woman was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after being accidentally shot in Huntsville, Alabama. Responding officers determined that a gun had unintentionally discharged when some furniture was moved. They later discovered that the gun used was stolen, and arrested Rodrick Learnest Carson, 50, with receiving …
Two People Killed, and Four Others Injured, in Unintentional Shootings Today A five-year-old girl died in an accidental shooting in Seguin, Texas. Few details about the shooting were reported, and no charges have been filed. A two-year-old in Saint Louis, Missouri, was seriously injured after shooting themself in the abdomen with a gun left accessible by 19-year-old Jeremiah …
Twelve-year-old Shot by Younger Brother With Stolen Gun A 12-year-old boy was airlifted to the hospital with life-threatening injuries after being shot by his younger brother in a motel in Rogers, Arkansas. The gun used had been stolen from a vehicle just hours before the shooting. The 11-year-old brother was taken into custody on still undetermined charges …
Four People Wounded in Gun Accidents In their home in Corpus Cristi, Texas, a 17-year-old boy accidentally shot his twin brother with a shotgun, sending him to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Investigators found three firearms in the home, one that was reported stolen. No charges have been filed at the time. A juvenile unintentionally shot themself …
Teenager is Killed When Another Teen Plays with Gun A 17-year-old male was unintentionally shot and killed by a 13-year-old in a home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The victim was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. In the 911 call, it was reported that the victim’s injuries were self-inflicted, but officials …
Friends Playing with Guns; One Man is Killed In an Owensboro, Kentucky apartment, three friends were smoking marijuana and “playing with handguns in an unsafe manner” when one of the guns unintentionally discharged, fatally striking 22-year-old Dawone Howard in the head. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. The sheriff’s department recovered multiple guns at …
Man Shoots Self in Hand With Stolen Gun In Cedar City, Utah, James Edward Condon, age 43, was taken to the hospital and treated after accidentally shooting himself in the hand. During their investigation, police recovered the gun in Condon’s garage and found that it had been reported stolen in a vehicle burglary in October …
Teen Unintentionally Shot by Friend with Stolen Glock In Pinellas Park, Florida, a 13-year-old boy was taken to the hospital in stable condition after being accidentally shot by his friend while they played video games in the friend’s home. The suspect, also 13, had stolen a loaded Glock 44 .22 caliber handgun from a room …
Three People Wounded in Accidental Shootings In a farm field in Stone Creek, Ohio, a 12-year-old boy was wounded when a rifle unintentionally discharged after falling off the ATV he was riding. The .22 caliber rimfire bolt-action single-shot rifle, fired a round into the boy’s chest after hitting the ground. He was airlifted to the hospital for …
Four People Injured in Accidental Shootings A 17-year-old boy in St. Gabriel, Louisiana, was critically injured after shooting himself with a stolen gun. Charges will likely be filed once the investigation is completed. Little information has been reported about an accidental shooting in Marshalltown, Iowa, that injured one adult and one child. Both were taken to the hospital with …
Three Children are Victims of Gun Accidents, One is Dead Four-year-old Kaiden Everson was killed in an unintentional shooting in Huntsville, Alabama. Kaiden celebrated his 4th birthday earlier this month. His grandfather is mourning his first and only grandchild. “He loved playing with kids, he went to day-care and he played with the kids there. …
Two Boys Unintentionally Shoot Their Younger Brothers, One Fatally Amir Williams, an 11-year-old sixth grader, died in his home in St. Petersburg, Florida, after being unintentionally shot by his 14-year-old brother who was playing with a stolen gun he had found. School was out that day, and the two boys were home with their 13-year-old …
Toddler and Turkey Hunter Injured in Accidental Shootings A 2-year-old in Cincinnati, Ohio, found a loaded gun on a windowsill and shot himself in the leg. He was taken to the hospital in stable condition. The stolen gun belonged to his mother’s boyfriend who is a convicted felon. The mother was charged with child endangering, …
One Dead, Six Wounded in Unintentional Shootings In Saginaw, Michigan, 15-year-old Dominque Williams was accidentally shot and killed by his 16-year-old stepbrother with a pistol they were playing with. No adults were at home, but another juvenile was with the two stepbrothers when the incident occurred. The stepbrother has been charged as a juvenile with …
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 …
Self-Inflicted Gunshots Wound Two In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a 16-year-old accidentally shot himself in a fast-food restaurant and was taken to the hospital for treatment. His 15-year-old friend, Kaylon Hubbard Jr., then brought the gun with him to high school in a bag that belonged to the 16-year-old. It was found by police, and Hubbard …
Two Boys Injured in Accidental Shootings In Rocky Mount, North Carolina, three juveniles were in a home playing with a loaded, unsecured gun they found, when it unintentionally went off injuring a 10-year-old boy. Police seized the gun and determined that was stolen; later charging the boy’s uncle with possession of a stolen firearm and …
8-year-old Killed; Two Teens Injured in Unintentional Shootings In St. David, Arizona, 8-year-old Bradley John Shockley was accidentally shot in the chest with an air rifle while riding on the back of a friends’s four-wheeler. He was pronounced dead at the hospital a short time later. The vehicle went through an area where people were …
Four People Hurt After Young Children Find Unsecured Guns In Las Vegas, Nevada, a toddler shot themself with a gun found on the playground of a daycare center. Tshaun Rucker, 16, got into an argument with an adult on a public bus and allegedly pulled out and gun and shot the adult. Rucker then left …
Man Accidentally Shoots Himself in Vehicle In Lake Worth, Texas, a man accidentally shot himself while parked in his vehicle outside a Walmart. He was taken to the hospital for treatment. He told police he thought someone was approaching his vehicle, and when he pulled out his gun, he accidentally shot himself in the hand …
Eight-year-old is Killed, and Four Other Children are Wounded in Gun Accidents An 8-year-old is shot and killed in a home in Deer Park, Washington. A group of children ranging in age from 5 to 14 years old found a handgun that one of them unintentionally discharged, fatally striking the child. Deputies say no other …
Five-year-old Boy Kills Himself with Unsecured Gun and Two Law Enforcement Officers Unintentionally Shoot Themselves A five-year-old boy found an unsecured gun and unintentionally shot and killed himself in Gary, Indiana. A 32-year-old man was to check in on a 17-year-old girl and the boy while adults were away. He arrived at the home after …
A Nine-year-old and Two Women are Victims in Gun Accidents A 9-year-old Brooklyn Park, Minnesota boy is expected to survive after he was shot in the head by his younger brother. The victim’s 7-year-old brother found a loaded handgun in their home and was handling the weapon when it discharged, according to police. There is …
Six Unintended Shootings of Children: Two Dead, Four Wounded Children playing with a gun resulted in an unintentional shooting that killed a 10-year-old girl in Roswell, New Mexico. Few details are reported other than that the incident is still under investigation. In Indianapolis, Indiana, 11-year-old Jordan Robertson was accidentally shot and killed in a home …
Man Dies in Gun Cleaning Accident; Three People Injured in Unintentional Shootings Two men were cleaning a gun in New Orleans, Louisiana, when it unintentionally discharged, fatally striking one of them, a 22-year-old, in the chest. He died from his injuries later at the hospital. No other information is available at this time. A boy …
Two-year-old Girl Unintentionally Shot and Killed with Stolen Gun A 2-year-old girl was accidentally shot in the head and killed by her 14-year-old cousin in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The toddler was at home with four adult relatives and three other children, when her cousin, who has developmental disabilities, found an unsecured loaded gun. The DA’s office …
Four-year-old Boy Finds Loaded Gun Under Pillow, Shoots and Kills Himself Keith Jermal Jones Jr., a New Orleans, Louisiana 4-year-old, found an unsecured loaded gun and fatally shot himself in the head. His father, Keith Jones, Sr., told police he had put the handgun under a pillow on his bed without the safety on. The …
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 Children Dead, Four Wounded in Unintentional Shootings While recording a video with two friends, a 14-year-old boy in Detroit, Michigan, was shot and killed. One of the friends, a 16-year-old, was handling the 9mm pistol when it accidentally fired striking the victim. He died at the scene. The gun had been stolen from a …
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 …
Boy is Killed with Stolen Gun and Man is Injured after Friend Accidentally Shoots Him In Troy, Alabama, Jaquez Mirkel Wynn, 12, was accidentally shot and killed with a gun that was stolen from a vehicle the day before. Three teens have been charged with breaking and entering a motor vehicle and one of them, …
Seven People Wounded in Unintentional Shootings With a stolen handgun that he thought made him “look cool,” a 14-year-old in Struthers, Ohio, unintentionally shot a 16-year-old in the stomach. The victim was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition. The 14-year-old was showing the gun to the victim, pretending to shoot it, when …
Two Children and Two Hunters Injured in Gun Accidents A 2-year-old in San Antonio, Texas was playing with a 9-millimeter handgun when it fired, shooting them in the face. The child was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and police are continuing to investigate. Walking with her boyfriend near a middle school in Ladson, …
Three Children Injured as Innocent Bystanders Seven-year-old twins and a ten-year-old were shot and injured today as innocent bystanders to other people’s gun violence. In Atlanta, Georgia, ten-year-old Chase Martice was struck in the thigh by a stray bullet while playing basketball with other children outside his home. No arrests have been made. “We don’t …
Five Unintentional Shootings Result in Five Injuries At least five people were injured in gun accidents in the United States today. A 13-year-old Cincinnati, Ohio boy was critically injured when a friend shot him in the back. The police incident report indicates that the shooting was accidental, but police continue to investigate and are still …
Man Shoots Himself With Stolen Gun Abraham Macias was arrested in Big Bear Lake, California after accidentally shooting himself with a stolen gun at a local hotel. The gun had been taken in a residential burglary in a different California community. Police performed life saving measures until Macias could be transported to a local hospital. …
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 …
40-year-old Mathew Roach of Elgin, South Carolina was killed in a hunting accident today. The circumstances of the accident have not been released. His obituary says, “Matt loved his family with all his heart. He enjoyed spending time at the ocean, saltwater fishing, golf, Gamecock football, coaching baseball, grilling, ‘playing’ guitar, dancing in the living …
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 …
Two Clarksville, Tennessee teenagers were walking on the street and passing a stolen gun back and forth when the gun discharged. One of the boys was found by police with a gunshot wound to his upper abdomen. Investigators were initially told that the shooting was a drive-by, but, upon questioning, they learned that the shooting …
A Westminster, Colorado teenager involved in a high-speed chase in a stolen car unintentionally shot and killed himself when the vehicle crashed while making a turn at an excessive rate of speed. Police had identified the stolen car based on witness statements and were involved in a chase on local streets. They were aware that …
18-year old Tristan Kimes of Jackson, Mississippi, gave his loaded gun to a nine-year old to play with, perhaps unaware that it was loaded. Minutes later, the 9-year old shot and killed another 9-year old child — elementary school student, Lily Bracey. Kimes is charged with tampering with evidence, possession of a stolen firearm, contributing …
We recently posted on the likely impact of the Supreme Court’s decision in New York Rifle and Pistol Ass’n v. Bruen on gun safety. In Bruen, the Supreme Court ruled that all “law-abiding” Americans have a Second Amendment right to carry a gun outside the home for self-defense. Several states quickly responded by considering or …
In Guthrie, Oklahoma, a ten year old found a gun in his home. He shot and killed his 12-year old brother. The boy died at the hospital. There is no report that anyone has been charged in connection with the incident. In New Orleans, Louisiana, 18-year old Zyaire Cornelius was arrested after his two-year old …
Three more young people were unintentionally shot and killed today. In Detroit, Michigan, 14-year old Kaniyah Bryant was unintentionally shot and killed by her 13-year old boyfriend. According to police, the two children were among a group who were passing around and playing with a stolen gun when the 13-year old shot Kaniyah. She was …
Calvin Washington, a Bessemer, Alabama man, aged 30, told police that he had been shot in the leg by an unknown assailant. However, upon investigation, it turned out that he had accidentally shot himself with a stolen gun. The man was arrested and charged with illegal gun possession and giving false information to police. And …
A 12 year-old Valdosta, Georgia boy is dead and a 16-year old has been arrested after the two stole five guns from vehicles over the course of a single night. The two boys were apparently playing with their recently stolen guns when one of them went off while being held by the 16-year old. The …
Two women were shot today as innocent bystanders in gun violence incidents initiated by men or boys. In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, a pair of teenage boys, one 17 and the other 13, got into a spat over insults on social media. When they later engaged in public gunplay, a woman was struck and injured. She has …
Reports suggest that accidental shootings often happen during crimes. This is not surprising because guns obviously highly correlate with criminal activity and accidents happen frequently when guns are present. An example from today’s news: In Nashville, Tennessee, a teenager was driving a stolen car with a gun on his lap when it fired and struck …
Terrence Smith of Fredericksburg, Virginia fired several shots through the door of his mobile home and struck and killed his roommate, Dequan Thomas, whom he thought was a burglar. Thomas suffered a single gunshot wound to the upper body and was pronounced dead at the scene. The gun used in the incident was identified as …
Seattle, Washington police concluded that a man who accidentally fired a pistol shot into his leg had used a gun that was reported stolen in 1997. The man initially claimed to have been shot by people who were trying to sell him drugs. Other witnesses told police that the man was playing with the gun …
An Urbana, Illinois woman was shot in the neck when a person sitting behind her in a vehicle negligently discharged a firearm. The shooter, Devontre Newbill, was arrested on preliminary charges of discharge of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm by a convicted felon. Newbill and the injured woman were on their way …
In Salisbury, North Carolina, teenage boys were passing a gun around as they played video games. A 13-year old was holding the gun when it went off and a 14 year-old boy was killed. According to police, the gun was stolen. The mother of the 13-year old shooter told a reporter, “[n]one of them should …
In West Jordan, Utah, a 13-year old boy was accidentally killed by his 15-year old friend. According to police, the two had snuck out in the middle of the night with a handgun and were “messing around with it” in a church parking lot. “At some point, the 15-year-old accidentally pulled the trigger, shooting and …
In Wichita, Kansas, a three-year old found a gun and shot herself and her father while he was sleeping. The girl was struck in the hand and her father was struck in the leg. Both were treated at the hospital. Police are investigating how the firearm was stored. During the investigation, three other children have …
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 …
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 …
Two young men were arrested after accidental shootings that killed a four-year old and a 24-year old today. One accident occurred in Michigan, the other in Washington State. In Othello, Washington, Felipe Tapia-Perez accidentally killed his four-year old son when his stolen gun went off. The boy was hit in the head. Tapia-Perez, age 27, …
Brooklyn Terrell, a 17-year old Lockland, Ohio teenager, was accidentally shot and killed when she and two other teenagers were handling a stolen gun. A 16-year-old boy has been charged with reckless homicide, obstructing justice and tampering with evidence. The other suspect, a 14-year-old boy, is charged with obstructing justice, tampering with evidence and theft …
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 …
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 …
13-year old DeAdrian Walker of San Antonio, Texas died when a handgun he was playing with accidentally fired and hit him in the chest. The gun may have been stolen. Several other teenagers who were with DeAdrian at at the time of the gun accident are cooperating with an ongoing investigation. In Cincinnati, Ohio, 16-year …
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1-year old Zykier Young was killed inside his home by a bullet fired outside. According to investigators, the shot traveled through a window and then two walls before hitting Zykier. A Pittsburgh police press release stated, “[w]ith a police sergeant driving, two police officers held the baby in the backseat and worked …
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 …
Two people were shot and wounded today in separate accidents caused by friends who were in possession of guns illegally. In Joplin Missouri, a 48-year old man was cleaning a stolen handgun and accidentally shot his girlfriend in the abdomen. She is currently hospitalized in stable condition. Police are investigating the theft. In Murray, Utah, …
In St. Petersburg, Florida, Treyvon Maynor, a 16-year old, was arrested after he accidentally shot his 9-year old nephew with a stolen gun. The boy was hit in the arm and taken to a local hospital. According to witnesses, Maynor was handling the firearm when it accidentally fired. After the incident, Maynor fled the scene …
Arya Gray, a 15-year old Miami, Florida girl, was accidentally shot and killed by a 17-year old boy who was brandishing a stolen gun. According to an arrest report, 17-year old Thalys Olivera “recklessly brandished” a gun inside the apartment that Arya was visiting, and witnesses told the 17-year-old to put it away. Olivera did …
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 …
A 10-year old St. Louis, Missouri boy found a gun outside his apartment building, brought it inside and accidentally shot himself in the leg. The gun had earlier been stolen in Springfield, Missouri according to police. Source: “Boy, 10, Accidentally Shot Himself With Stolen Gun He Found Outside, Police Say,” KMOV4 (January 30, 2020).