Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
Two More Children Killed in Unintentional Shootings A three-year old Collierville, Tennessee boy, who found a loaded gun while with a family member in a car in a local parking lot, shot himself. He later died at the hospital. Tennessee is a state with notoriously weak gun safety laws. Alea Briones of San Antonio, Texas, …
Three-Year Old Shoots Himself with Found Gun Jared Green, Jr., of Hamilton, Ohio, age 3, found a gun in his home and accidentally shot himself to death today. He picked up a firearm,” a caller told the 911 operator. “So, he did shoot himself, is that right?” the operator asked. “Yes, we believe so, yes,” …
In Goldsboro, North Carolina, a seven-year-old child was shot by an eight-year-old relative, but is expected to recover. There has been no report about how the children got the gun. Michael Howard-Owens of Chicago, Illinois, was in bed with his girlfriend and her three-year old son, when his gun, which was in his waistband, accidentally …
In Algood, Tennessee, a three-year old girl found a loaded gun in her home. She shot and injured herself. The girl was airlifted to the hospital and there is no report on her condition. Two parents were home at the time of the incident. According to the report, there is an ongoing investigation, but no …
Three-year old Dmarian Siempre was shot and killed today in Cincinnati, Ohio. Deangelo Davis, 37, was arrested Monday in connection with the shooting and was charged with endangering children. According to the report, Davis left his loaded gun where his kids, ages six and three, had access to it inside a home on Roe Street. …
In Spartanburg, South Carolina, Cora Lyn Bush, 33, was shot and killed by her three-year old son who had found a loaded gun in their home. Police are investigating how the child gained access to the gun. Source: Bill Bates, Bethany Fowler, “3-year-old Accidentally Shoots, Kills Mother in Spartanburg Co.” Queen City News (September 23, …
In Gainsville, Florida, a three-year old child who was home with two other children and an adult who was not his parent, took a loaded gun from an unlocked case and shot himself. The child later died at the hospital. “Well, the case is still under investigation, but what we know at this point, it …
In Rosebud, Missouri, a 10-month old baby was shot in the stomach by a three-year old child. The toddler had taken the gun from a purse on the counter in their home. According to the report, there is an ongoing investigation. Source: Zachary Farwell, “Investigators Determine Shooting of Baby in Gasconade County as Accidental,” ABC 17 …
There were at least five gun accidents involving children across the United States today, four of them fatal. In Forestdale, Alabama, a 12-year old accidentally shot and killed his mother. The child initially made up an implausible story but then admitted his role in the shooting. “This offense is a tragedy for the … family …
Jesus Miguel Gamboa, age 24, of Chaparral, New Mexico was charged with child abuse after his three-year old daughter found a loaded handgun in his home and shot herself in the neck. Gamboa was reportedly in the bathroom at the time of the incident. The girl is in stable condition at the hospital. Police are …
In North Charleston, South Carolina today, Micah Simmons, a 13-year old, was fatally shot when another child tried to grab a loaded gun from him. Micah died at the hospital. Police say that no charges are likely to be filed and there is no reporting on why Micah had the gun in the first instance. …
A Kouts, Indiana two-year old died today after finding a loaded gun at home and shooting himself. The boy, Wyatt Luczak, died at the hospital. After a month-long investigation, no charges were filed. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family,” the prosecutor said. In Baldwin, County, Alabama, a four-year old faces surgery after he …
In Campbell County, Wyoming, a three-year old found a loaded gun “lying around” in a bedroom and accidentally shot himself in the stomach. The boy was taken by air ambulance to a hospital in Casper and is expected to survive. Wyoming has no safe storage or child access prevention law and no arrests were made. …
A two-year old New Orleans, Louisiana boy found a loaded gun and used it to shoot and kill himself. His parents have been detained for questioning but no charges have been filed. “Everyone has a constitutional right to carry a weapon of course, but we need to do so responsibly,” said New Orleans’ police chief. …
At least three children were injured in gun accidents today. In Wichita, Kansas, a ten-year old boy was hospitalized in critical condition when his father accidentally fired his new gun when he was unloading it to put it in a gun safe. There is an ongoing investigation. Police are looking for a Waterbury, Connecticut man …
A pair of three-year olds were injured as the unintended consequence of gun violence today. Both were shot when rounds were firing into cars in which they were traveling. In Chicago, Illinois, the toddler was shot in the leg and is in good condition. There are no suspects. In Goldsboro, North Carolina, Tyrik Joyner, age …
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 …
In St. Louis, Missouri, a three-year old is in critical condition at the hospital after he grabbed his babysitter’s gun from a mattress and shot himself in the head. The child’s mother was at work at the time of the incident. A 22-year old was arrested and charged after the incident. “It was the irresponsibleness. …
In Denver, Colorado, police are investigating the shooting of a three-year old who was taken to the hospital in a private vehicle in critical condition. “Investigators said the shooting appears accidental and self-inflicted.” The boy died five days later. It became clear that the accident happened in a parked vehicle. The boy’s mother, Celina Duran, …
A three-year old and a six-year old died at the hospital in separate incidents involving unsecured loaded guns found in their homes. The three-year old, a Meigs County, Ohio boy, shot himself in the chest. “I just couldn’t imagine the pain and the hurt and the suffering they’re going through at the time, and …
A three-year old Jacksonville, Florida boy found a loaded and unsecured gun in the bedroom of his home today. He shot himself in the head and died. Alexander Sibley, a 36-year old man, was later arrested and charged with illegal gun possession based on a prior felony conviction. A neighbor told a reporter, “I do …
Bryson Jackson, a Memphis, Tennessee three-year old, shot himself to death today with an unsecured and loaded AR-15 that he found in his home. The guns belonged to his mother’s friend, Tedrick Butler. Bryson’s mom, Tinesha Jackson, had left Bryson and another child at home in the care of an uncle while she and Butler …
A two-year old and a three-year old were victims of unintended gun violence today. In Talbott, Tennessee, a two-year old is in critical condition after finding a loaded gun in his home. Investigators believe the gun went off in the boy’s hands as he was playing with it. “If you’re a gun owner, you got …
A Ripley, Tennessee three-year old found a loaded gun in his home and shot himself in the head. He was found dead at the scene. No arrests have been made, but there is an ongoing investigation. Also today, the father of a Dolton, Illinois three-year old who accidentally shot and killed his mother was arrested …
Three children found loaded guns in their homes today and injured themselves, two of them in Baton Rouge Louisiana. The two incidents make three accidental shootings in Baton Rouge in just two days. Deetroy Watkins, 26, of Baton Rouge was arrested after he left his gun in a couch cushion. His three-year old son found …
A three-year old Nashville, Tennessee child took his mother’s loaded gun from her purse while she was sleeping and shot himself in the abdomen. The child was airlifted to the hospital for emergency surgery. No charges have been filed. Source: Lucas Wright, “3-year-old Shoots Self with Mother’s Gun, Metro Police Say,” wkrn.com (March 8, 2022).
In Columbus, Georgia, a three-year old was shot and killed under circumstances that have not been described, but which authorities say are likely to be ruled accidental. No follow-up news stories appeared in the first five days following the incident. In Chicago, Illinois, a security guard who had been shot in the leg in a …
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 …
A Hendersonville, North Carolina three-year old found a loaded gun on Christmas day and shot herself. She was airlifted to the hospital where she initially was undergoing treatment. A later news story reported that the girl, Aylee Gordon, died at the hospital. Her father, a retired sheriff’s captain, told police that Aylee had found the …
From a Facebook post made by the sheriff’s office in Nagadoches County, Texas, we learn today that two young boys were playing in a bedroom with a .380 semi-automatic pistol that had been left unattended. The boys, one ten and the other 13, had been shooting earlier in the day under adult supervision. When the boys …
A Covington, Virginia three-year old found a gun in his home and shot himself to death. His grandfather acknowledged that the gun was his, but told police it was hidden under some clothes. The boy died at the hospital after being airlifted to a trauma center. According to the news report investigators are “searching for …
Three children were killed in unintended gun violence on Thanksgiving Day. In Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, a group of kids were making a social media video with a gun on Thanksgiving Day, when one of them accidentally pulled the trigger. A five-year old was shot and killed and a 13-year old has been taken into custody. …
A three-year old in Columbia, South Carolina shot and killed herself today. No other details are available. Authorities have not said how the child got the gun. Nor do they question why there are no laws or regulations that would prevent gun designs that make it simple for a toddler to pull a trigger. Source: …
In Bradley County, Tennessee, a two-year old child found a loaded gun at home, shot themself in the chest, and was later pronounced dead at the local hospital. “A preliminary investigation discovered that the firearm had been left unsecured and the child was able to have access to the weapon.” The child’s father, Matthew Jenkins, …
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Jeffrey Carter, age 65, was struck in the head and killed by a stray bullet while driving near a local high school. He crashed his SUV off the road at the time of the shooting. A 16-year old boy was also struck in the head by gunfire and taken to the hospital …
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 St. Louis, Missouri three-year old asleep in her bed was shot in the head and rushed to the hospital in critical condition today. The shots were fired outside. No other details were reported. Source: Jason Maxwell, “Three-year-old Shot While Sleeping; Shot Fired Outside Home,” Fox 2 Now (September 6, 2021).
In the second incident affecting a local child this week, an Indianapolis, Indiana three-year old was struck by random gunfire near his home. He is expected to survive. Police do not know who fired the shot that injured the toddler. No other details are available. Source: “Child Struck by Stray Bullet on East Side of …
In Shreveport, Louisiana, a 16-year old boy was shot in the head as he and a friend were playing with a gun. He is said to be “fighting for his life.” And in St. Louis, Missouri, Marquis Bishop, age 30, was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child after a three-year old …
Frantic rescue attempts were unsuccessful when a 5-year old boy accidentally shot a three-year old girl in Bena, Minnesota. According to the report, first responders intercepted a vehicle in which family members were rushing the girl to the hospital in order to provide emergency medical attention. Their life-saving attempts were unsuccessful. Law enforcement officers are …
Gastonia, North Carolina police are investigating the death of Markovia Durham, a 29-year old man who was shot and killed by his two-year old son. “It’s a horrible tragedy. It’s a horrible situation for everyone involved,” said the Gaston County District Attorney. The child thought the Glock pistol was a toy according to family members. …
Shamyrion Alexander of Dayton, Ohio, age 11, was shot and killed by an 11-year old relative today. The boys had “gained access” to a .40 caliber handgun when it fired and killed Shamyrion, according to police. “It is a huge concern when young people gain access to firearms. Obviously, we see the tragic result that …
Once again, the focus today is on the rash of gun violence affecting American children. Three toddlers were shot in apparent gun accidents today. At least ten teenagers were also killed or injured in eight shootings across the country. Two four-year olds and a three-year old were involved in gun accidents that were barely covered …
In Little Rock, Arkansas, a three-year old found a loaded gun and shot himself in the eye. The boy is in critical condition at the hospital. There was no discussion in the article about how the boy obtained an unsecured loaded gun or about why manufacturers are allowed to design guns that a three-year old …
In Hickory, Mississippi, a three-year old found a loaded gun in the glove compartment of his family car and shot and killed himself while his parents were inviting people to a revival meeting. The boy’s parents were not charged. The local sheriff called the incident a “horrible accident.” No other details were reported. Sources: “Newton …
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 …
A four-year old and a three-year old apparently found guns and shot themselves to death today. In Colorado Springs, Colorado, a four-year old found a gun in the family car and shot himself in the head. He died at the scene. At the time of the incident, which occurred in a parking lot, the boy’s …
In Manhattan, New York, a newly commissioned off-duty New Jersey trooper accidentally fired a round on a Penn Station train platform while adjusting his holster. He shot himself once in the leg and was treated at the hospital. No word about whether the gun had a manual safety and whether it was deployed. There …
A three-year old and a ten-year old died in gun accidents on opposite sides of the country today when they found loaded guns in their homes. In Fresno, California, 3-year old Bryson Vang found his father’s loaded gun and shot and killed himself. His parents and siblings were home at the time. The gun was …
An Atlanta, Georgia three-year old shot himself in the hand when he found a loaded gun in his home. The boy’s mother was in the next room at the time of the incident. The boy is in stable condition at the hospital. And no decision has been made about whether his mother will be charged. …
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 …
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 …
At the home of a Helena, Alabama police officer, a three-year old child found a loaded gun and shot and killed a six-year old sibling. The officer was not home at the time of the incident. “This was a truly tragic morning for Shelby County. Our agency grieves with the family of this child. I …
For the second time in a week, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin toddler found a loaded gun and shot himself. This time a two-year old is in critical condition. A news report states that a 28-year old woman was arrested in connection with the incident. Just last Saturday, a Milwaukee three-year old found a gun and killed …
A three-year old child in Milwaukee, Wisconsin found a loaded gun in his home and shot himself to death. When the boy’s uncle sought emergency help, a medical assistant who was visiting next door responded. She said the boy’s mother was incredibly distraught. “I can still hear her screaming so I just hope it’s a …
Two three-year old boys gained access to loaded handguns in separate accidents and shot themselves. Available reporting suggests that the parents were treated differently after the two incidents. Neither report suggests that police are asking why gun manufacturers are allowed to make guns that a three-year old can fire. In Bakersfield, California, 29-year old Shawndel …
In Fort Worth, Texas, three-year old Lauryn Barrett found a gun in the door of the family car during a trip to Oakland Lake Park. She fired the gun and killed herself. A witness said he looked out the window of his home to see a family begging for help. “I saw the woman on …
Three-year old Jamayla Marlowe of Nashville, Tennessee was shot and killed when she was caught in the crossfire of a shootout that erupted between several individuals. Her sister, Antania Butler, age 2, was injured in the incident. The two girls were in a parked car when the shooting started. Afterwards, police identified several men who …
In Hartford, Connecticut, a three-year old boy died today when someone fired into the car in which he was riding. The boy’s mother and two other young children were in the car at the time of the incident. A male passenger was also present, but he ran off after the shooting. According to police, the …
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 …
A three-year old in Baker, Louisiana, found and pulled the trigger on his father’s loaded gun while his father was making lunch. The gun had recently been purchased for the family’s protection. The boy is now dead. It was unclear whether the boy’s father will face charges. “I believe in gun ownership. I grew up …
Two three-year olds were killed in gun accidents today. In Monroeville, Pennsylvania, a three-year old girl was shot by a five-year old sibling who had apparently found a loaded gun in their home. The child was identified as Braya Sanders. Police are investigating, but have stated that the girl’s parents are cooperating and that the …
In Detroit, Michigan, a 13-year old and a three-year old were hurt in separate gun accidents. The three year old was shot by a four-year old sibling while they were playing with a gun. They were being supervised by another sibling, age 13, while their parents were at work. The injured child was in stable …
An 88-year old woman was killed and a three-year old child was seriously injured in separate gun accidents today. In Warren, Ohio, 88-year old Ruth Lewis was planning a funeral with family members when someone shot through a window and killed her. “This was a senseless death caused by a random bullet. Obviously, she wasn’t …
In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a three-year old boy found a loaded gun in his home and shot himself. Police were alerted to the incident by a call from the hospital. Although the child is expected to survive, there is an ongoing investigation. Source: “Toddler Expected to Survive after Accidental Shooting, Police Say,” Fox 8 Live …
There was another accidental gun death of a young child today. A three-year old in Owosso, Michigan found a gun in his home and shot himself. He later died at the hospital. “Owosso Public Safety offers its condolences to any family or friends who have been impacted by this tragic event,” the local public safety …
Two three-year old children and a five-year old were injured in gun accidents today. Reported facts about each incident are minimal. A five-year old Columbus, Ohio boy was playing with his mother’s loaded handgun when it fired. He is expected to survive. A Wichita, Kansas teenager was handling a handgun when it fired accidentally and …
For the second day in a row, a three-year old boy found a gun at home and shot himself. Today’s accident occurred in Isbell, Alabama. The boy was airlifted to a hospital where he is in stable condition. Authorities have not said whose gun the boy found or why he was able to fire it. …
On Thanksgiving Day, a three-year old in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan found a gun in a bedroom at his home and shot himself in the head. He is in critical condition at a local hospital. “There’s really no words to describe it in most cases like this,” said Grand Blanc Township Police Chief Ron Wiles. …
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 …
In Montgomery, Michigan, a group of curious toddlers found a loaded gun while their parents were in the kitchen making dinner. One of the kids used the gun to shoot another child, age three, in the neck and face. The three-year old was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition. The Michigan State …
James Kenneth Lindquester, a Beaverton, Oregon three-year old, found a gun in his home and shot himself in the head. According to authorities, the loaded gun was in a bedside table. James was pronounced dead at the hospital. In Hemet California, a 75-year old woman was accidentally shot and killed by her caregiver as he …
Three individuals shot themselves in the lower body today in various handgun accidents. A toddler is severely injured, a man is dead, and another appears to have lost his ability to reproduce. A three-year old in Jupiter Inlet, Florida gained access to his uncle’s handgun and shot himself in the thigh and hand. He is …
For the third day in a row, a child injured himself with a gun found in his home. In this instance, it is a three-year old in Baltimore, Maryland. He was treated at the hospital for a wound to the hand. We continue to need clearer legal requirements for safe storage, better child access prevention …
A three-year old in Springfield, Illinois apparently found a loaded unsecured firearm and shot himself. The child’s injuries are not believed to be life threatening. This gun accident occurred in the home of a relative who is not the child’s legal guardian. According to the report, the relative was the legally licensed owner of the …
A three-year old Arlington, Texas boy died today in yet another tragic gun cleaning accident. According to police, an “adult relative” was cleaning a gun when it fired and shot both the boy and the person who had been cleaning the gun. That person suffered non-life threatening injuries. The toddler died at the hospital. No …
For the third day in a row, a young child was killed in a gun accident. In Commerce City, Colorado, a three-year old boy was found shot to death in an incident that involved “mishandling” of a gun. Two siblings, ages 12 and 13, were present in the home at the time of the incident, …
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 …
A three-year old boy died after a gun accident in Lima, Ohio. The circumstances of the accident are not available. The accident brings to mind the accidental shooting of Aubrie Moore, a four-year old Middle Point, Ohio girl who shot herself with a found gun in April. On June 11, her parents were charged with …
For at least the sixth time this month and the third time this week, a toddler died in a gun accident. This time a three-year old in Flint, Michigan found a gun in his home and shot and killed himself. Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley said, “[t]his is a tragedy and a loss no one should …
A three-year old in St. Louis was shot and killed with a gun. Although the police did not confirm that he shot himself, they did call the shooting an accident. “This is a heartbreaking and horrific tragedy,” St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said in a statement. “It’s also a serious reminder of the responsibility that …
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. …
Three children and an adult were killed in gun accidents today. The adult was shot to death by his two-year old child. Each of the news stories marking these deaths was brief: In Ooltewah, Tennessee, Jermaine Vincent, a three-year old, found a gun that a family friend had brought to his home and fatally shot …
Two more young children died in gun accidents in their homes today. In Westminster, Colorado, a three-year old girl, Ruby Jackson, was shot and killed while playing with her seven-year old brother. She was shot in the chest as the children played ‘swords.’ “Ruby was using a broomstick, but at some point her brother picked …
A three-year old girl and her father were both injured in Atlanta, Georgia, when the father’s gun accidentally went off while he was handling it inside their apartment. The father, Sahir Duvall, was shot in the hand and his daughter was shot in the neck. Duvall drove them both to the hospital where they were …
A three-year old Louisville, Kentucky girl is dead. According to a report, Fayth Graham found a loaded gun in her home and shot herself. “We’re still in the very early stages of the investigation, and really, at this point, that’s way down the line,” a police spokesperson responded when questions were raised about whether the …
A three-year old shot himself in the head today in Columbia, South Carolina with a gun he found in a bedroom in his home. He is hospitalized in critical condition. His mother was later charged with “unlawful conduct toward a child.” In Bolivar, Missouri a two-year old child shot his four-year old brother in the …
A family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is mourning the death of three-year old Chassity Clancy who was shot to death in a gun accident in her home. According to reports, 51-year old Marlin Pritchard was babysitting and fell asleep next to Chassity with a loaded pistol grip shotgun under his pillow when the gun went off. …
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 …
Four young children accidentally shot themselves today with found guns in separate incidents. Two are dead. Two are hospitalized. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania a four-year old found a Glock pistol in a closet and shot himself in the head in his bedroom. His three-year old brother was in the room at the time. Police say the …