A 48-year old woman was shot while sleeping on a couch in a Nashville, Tennessee apartment near Music Row. Jonerica Johnson, age 28, had fired her gun in the air after being told to leave a bar across the street. Johnson was taken into custody and charged with reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, disorderly contact, public …
Author: Gary Klein
FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 2022
19-year old Donovan Meinke was arrested after accidentally shooting himself in a domestic violence incident. Elyria, Ohio police announced that the incident also resulted in injuries to the 19-year old woman that Meinke lived with. Although Meinke was already facing felony weapons violation charges from a prior incident in February, in this matter he was …
THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2022
In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, a woman who was attempting to shoot at an intruder instead accidentally struck her husband, Brent Barnes. Barnes was struck in the arm and the stomach. According to the report, the intruder got away. Source: Jennifer Pierce, “Woman Accidentally Shot Husband Multiple Times Instead Of Home Intruder,” news9.com (March 4, 2022).
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2022
In Denton, Texas, two friends were drinking and handling a firearm when it went off, injuring one of them. They say they didn’t know the gun was loaded. The injured friend was taken to the hospital and released. Source: Zaira Perez, “Friends Alleged Drinking, Negligence Led to Shooting at Denton Apartment,” Denton Record-Chronicle (March 2, …
TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2022
A 12-year old Chicago, Illinois girl was in a car with her family returning home from her birthday dinner when she was struck in the head by a bullet fired on the street. According to police, the shooters were firing at a different car. The girl was taken to the hospital in critical condition. And …
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2022
For the third day in a row, a four-year old boy found a gun in his home and used it to shoot himself. Today’s accident involved a four-year old named Roman in Coatesville, Pennsylvania who shot himself in the face. Although investigatory details have not been released, a neighbor said, “”[h]e played around with a …
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022
Four-year old Miyell Hernandez of Lithonia, Georgia, found a loaded gun in his mother’s car while she was at the grocery store and shot and killed himself. Miyell was waiting for her with two other children when the accident occurred. “We talked all the time,” said Miyell’s grandmother, April Griffin. “I never felt that kind …
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2022
In Hickory, North Carolina, a four-year old boy suffered serious injuries after shooting himself with a loaded gun he found in his home. “This is a tragic situation and our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time,” the police department said in a statement. The boy remains in critical condition at …
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022
Today’s story is another example of a gun accident that occurred in the context of a confusing crime scene, this one involving a man confronting a group of children with a gun: In Wichita Falls, Texas, a man grabbed a gun to confront a group of teenagers who he believed were stealing his car. He …
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2022
Two young people, a ten-year old boy and an 18-year old girl, died in gun accidents today. The ten year-old, Charlie Patton, of Milledgeville, Georgia, died of a pellet gun wound after being accidentally shot by 17-year old Jamarius Walls, a friend of his family,. “All the evidence and witness statements we have from the …
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2022
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 …
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022
Nydia Wynn, a Virginia Beach, Virginia mother was arrested and charged with felony child neglect after leaving her ten-year old child alone in a hotel room with a gun. The child found the gun and shot themselves in the leg. Additional criminal charges are pending. Source: “Woman Charged with Felony Child Neglect After 10-year-old Shoots Self …
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2022
A man who was playing with a gun while walking near the freeway in San Clemente, California accidentally shot himself in the chest. He was found by police lying on the highway. He initially told police that he had been attacked by two men in a car, but later admitted that he had shot himself …
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2022
A gun accident in Mobile, Alabama led to hospital treatment for two teenagers. The younger of the two was attempting to disassemble the gun when it fired. He was struck in the hand and the other teen was struck in the knee. They arrived at the hospital separately and police later concluded that the incidents …
Adult Arrested Adult Death Alcohol and Guns Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Georgia Juvenile Arrested Texas
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2022
A Robstown, Texas man was charged with manslaughter after he accidentally shot and killed 47-year old Patricia Blanco. The man, Arturo Gonzalez, age 50, admitted to officers that he was very drunk when his revolver “went off.” In Cumming, Georgia, a teenager was arrested on multiple charges after he shot another boy in the chest …
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2022
A 22-year old Philadelphia, Pennsylvania woman was accidentally shot in the face when a man pulled a gun to attempt to shoot a dog that had attacked a five-year old child. The man fired a round that ricocheted and struck the woman rather than the dog. The child suffered bite wounds to the face and …
Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Michigan Ongoing Investigation South Carolina
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022
Gun accidents involving children appear to have become so routine that they are sometimes barely reported. In Florence, South Carolina, there was an accidental shooting involving a child that resulted in hospitalization. No other information was reported. And in Detroit, Michigan, a five-year old was shot and taken to the hospital. Either he or another …
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility is investigating a gun accident in which off-duty border agent Stevan Djordjevic shot and killed a relative who was visiting his home. The victim, Jacob Sellors, age 26, was visiting Sierra Vista, Arizona from out of town and was found on a bedroom floor in …
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2022
A Payette County, Idaho 64-year old was airlifted to the hospital after his 70-year old friend accidentally shot him during target practice. The 70-year old was unloading his rifle when it went off. The round struck the younger man, whose condition is unknown. No arrests have been made. Source: “Middleton Man Shot in Target Practice …
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2022
A 15-year old Bessemer, Alabama girl was shot and killed in a Valentine’s Day gun accident involving her 18-year old friend. According to authorities, the two children were playing with a gun at the home of a relative of the shooter at the time of the incident. The 15-year old, Janiyah Simmons, was a high …
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2022
In Johnston, Rhode Island, the local police chief announced that the gun death of a 15-year old boy was not a suicide and is being treated as an accident. No other details have been released. And in Siler City, North Carolina, Patricia Stanley, age 38, died in an apparent gun accident in an RV. A …
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2022
A Detroit, Michigan 14-year old has lost his life as the result of an incident that appears to have involved “horseplay” with a gun. A weapon was found “near the child,” according to police. There may have been a second person involved and police are investigating. Source: Hani Barghouthi, “Saturday Evening Shooting That May Have …
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022
A Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin man shot himself in the hand while cleaning his gun. His wife drove him to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Authorities point out that “[i]t is always advised to ensure a firearm is not loaded when cleaning it.” It might also make sense to buy a gun with a prominent …
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2022
An Anderson County, South Carolina 9-year old was shot today when his mother’s gun fell out of her purse, struck the floor and discharged. His injuries are not considered life-threatening. The sheriff’s office is investigating. Source: Anne Newman, “Child Shot at Anderson County Home, Deputies Say,” wyff4.com (February 10, 2022).
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022
Harold James of Washington, DC was lying in watching TV when a bullet came through the ceiling and struck him in the leg. It ended his life. According to authorities, the man living the apartment upstairs from James was cleaning his gun when it discharged. “I don’t think any of us can ever imagine a …
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2022
In Sunny Valley, Oregon, a man took his own life after accidentally shooting and killing his brother. According to the source, the man called 911 to report that he had accidentally shot his brother while loading a gun after discovering a bear on their property. When police arrived, they found both brothers deceased and concluded …
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2022
In Brackettville, Texas, a 19-year old Texas National Guard soldier died in a gun accident today. The soldier, Dajuan Lester Townes, was in a parked car with fellow guardsman when he handed his gun to a soldier sitting behind him. The gun went off, pierced the seat, and struck Townes in the back. Townes was …
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2022
Two St. Louis, Missouri girls, aged 3 and 4, were injured after finding a loaded gun in a parent’s coat pocket and accidentally firing it. One of the girls is in critical condition at the hospital and the other has non-life threatening injuries. There is an ongoing investigation. Source: Kelsee Ward, “2 children, Ages 3 …
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2022
A familiar story from Port Arthur, Texas today where a juvenile had access to a gun. He was playing with that gun in a group of kids when it fired and struck Jordan Reed, aged 18. Reed was later pronounced dead at the hospital. Despite an ongoing investigation, police released the juvenile who fired the …
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2022
A Houston, Texas woman is in critical condition after her boyfriend unintentionally shot her in the neck. He was playing with a gun that he did not know was loaded when it went off. No report on whether the gun had a loaded chamber indicator. At the Seventh Day Adventist Headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, …
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2022
In San Antonio, Texas, police are searching for three suspects who opened fire on a woman that they had been chasing by car. The woman was not injured. Rounds instead struck and killed Paul Wilson, age 47, who was going to his car to go to the grocery store. “He was at the wrong place …
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022
In Jackson, Mississippi, 19-year old Shakira Gatlin was shot in the head and killed on the street when a teenager she was with mishandled a gun. Police are investigating. Gatlin is a former member of the Dancing Dolls, a Jackson dance group made famous on the reality TV series, Bring It. Her father, Derrick Robinson …
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 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 …
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 …
Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Florida Georgia Kentucky No Charges Filed Ongoing Investigation Texas
SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, 2022
Three children, aged 4, 7, and 11 were shot and injured or killed when they found loaded guns today. A fourth child, age 14, was shot and killed with a ghost gun he had built. In Lexington, Kentucky, a four-year old was injured in a gun accident that police have determined was accidental. However, the …
Adult Death Alabama Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Ongoing Investigation Texas Washington
SATURDAY, JANUARY 29, 2022
Three people were unintended victims of gun violence today, including an off-duty police officer who was mistakenly shot at his home by another officer who mistook him for an armed robbery suspect. In Athens, Texas, an 8-year old was shot in the head with a bullet that came out of a wooded area behind his …
FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022
A Toledo, Ohio man was charged with child endangerment and tampering with evidence after a toddler found a loaded gun in the man’s pocket and used it to shoot himself in the chest. The man was lying down in bed when the incident occurred. The toddler is in critical condition at the hospital. In Miami, …
THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 2022
Trampas Penny, age 44, of Benson, North Carolina was shot and killed in a gun accident at the pawn shop where he worked. Penny was a gunsmith there. Although police have concluded that the incident was accidental, no information about the circumstances of the accident has been released. Shatiyah Johnson has been charged with manslaughter …
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2022
In Oxon Hill, Maryland, a 15-year old girl was arrested and charged with manslaughter after she accidentally shot and killed her 16-year old friend. Police say she was handling the gun when it went off. The names of the teenagers have not been released. Source: Sonia Dasgupta, “15-year-old Girl Charged in Accidental Shooting Death of …
TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2022
An Ankeny, Iowa man was arrested after accidentally shooting his roommate in the face. The man’s roommate has been hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. According to the report, the unidentified shooter was intoxicated and handling a .9mm pistol in a reckless manner when it went off. He was released on bond after being charged with reckless …
MONDAY, JANUARY 24, 2022
In Atlanta, Georgia, a 6-month old child was killed in the crossfire of an incident in which two people were shooting at each other outside a local Food Mart. A bullet fired on the street passed into the car where the child was strapped into the back seat. According to a report, the death of …
SUNDAY, JANUARY 23, 2022
At a housing complex for the elderly in Mansfield, Massachusetts, an elderly man accidentally shot himself in the leg at 2:00 AM. Officers called to the scene applied a tourniquet to the man’s leg and took him to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Source: Stu Skerker, “Man at Mansfield Apartment Complex Accidentally Shoots Self …
SATURDAY, JANUARY 22, 2022
An eight-year old girl was shot in the head and killed on the street in Chicago, Illinois today. Police are clear that neither she nor her caregiver were the intended targets of gun violence, but rather that they were innocent bystanders. A pool of blood could was visible at the scene of the crime and …
FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022
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 …
THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2022
18-year old Fernando Akins of Nashville, Tennessee mishandled a gun in his home and accidentally shot and killed his 17-year old half-brother, Elton Maupins. After the accident, Akins went to get his grandmother and the two of them rendered aid, but Maupins later died at the hospital. The gun used in the incident has not …
Adult Arrested Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Georgia Iowa New York Ongoing Investigation
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2022
A Storm Lake, Iowa nine-year old was struck in the lower body by an accidentally fired handgun round today. Another child living in the home had found an unsecured gun and fired it. The child is expected to survive. Two children, an 11-month old in the Bronx, New York and a five-year old in Atlanta, …
TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2022
Tanner Graap of Merrill, Wisconsin, age 27, was arrested and charged with “homicide by negligent handling of a firearm by a felon” after he accidentally shot and killed 28-year old Kayla Frank today. Frank was sitting in Graap’s kitchen when the accident occurred. Details in the criminal complaint include that Graap had used heroin before …
Adult Arrested Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Florida Georgia North Carolina Ongoing Investigation
MONDAY, JANUARY 17, 2022
Three children, age 2, age 4, and age 15, were shot and injured in gun accidents today. The two year-old, of Spring Lake, North Carolina, was shot with a semi-automatic pistol as he was sitting in his mother’s car, while she was speaking with someone through the window. Police have declined to say whether he …
SUNDAY, JANUARY 16, 2022
An 11-year old girl was struck in the arm by a bullet as an innocent bystander when a dispute erupted at a family gathering at her grandmother’s home in St. Louis, Missouri. She is recovering at the hospital. Also today, an eleven-year old and three teenagers were killed in gun violence incidents in various American …
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 …
Adult Arrested Alabama Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Michigan Ongoing Investigation
FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2022
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 …
THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2022
During an argument at an Atlanta, Georgia CVS, a man accidentally shot himself with his own gun. He had apparently pulled the gun during an argument with another pharmacy patron about misuse of the victim’s cell phone. According to a somewhat confusing report, the other man had borrowed the victim’s phone purportedly make an emergency …
Adult Arrested Arizona Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Children and Guns Florida Ongoing Investigation Tennessee
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2022
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. …
TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2022
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).
MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 2022
In Middlebury, Indiana, a 10-year old boy accidentally shot his 12-year old sister in the leg with a rifle round. The girl was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No other information was reported. Source: “Police News: Middlebury Girl Accidentally Shot in the Leg,” The Goshen News (January 10, 2022).
SUNDAY, JANUARY 9, 2022
Heather Sitton, an Indiantown, Florida mother of three, was struck in the shoulder by a stray bullet fired by neighbors who were using their backyard for target practice. The bullet passed through her collarbone and exited the other shoulder. She was flown to the hospital and is expected to survive. Heather, her children, and others …
SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 2022
Children were shot as innocent bystanders in three separate incidents today. In Kenner, Louisiana, a 10-year old was shot while he was sleeping. He is in stable condition at the hospital. Police are investigating the connection between today’s incident and an incident in July, in which a 15-year old was killed in the same home. …
FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2022
A Detroit, Michigan mother accidentally shot her 4-year old daughter while cleaning her gun. The child is at the hospital with critical injuries. Her mother has been taken into custody. The woman involved in the gun accident initially told police that she and the girl had been attacked by an intruder who was attempting to …
THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 2022
In Dunwoody, Georgia, a man shot himself in his car while in the parking lot at a local Walmart. Although he first told police someone else shot him, he later acknowledged that he had shot himself while adjusting his own gun. He was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. This is the second …
Adult Injury Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Kansas North Carolina Ongoing Investigation Texas
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5, 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 …
TUESDAY JANUARY 4, 2022
A 20-year old New York City man driving a Tesla on First Avenue shot himself in the leg. He discarded the gun on the street before pulling over. Police then found him with a gunshot wound to the thigh. He is in stable condition at the hospital. Source: Dean Moses, “Man Shoots Himself in Leg …
MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2022
Near Dixon Mississippi, “a 15-year-old and [a] 12-year-old were in a room with a gun safe and were handling a single-barrel 20-gauge, breach-loading shotgun with the hammer exposed when the gun went off in the 12-year-old’s hands and shot the 15-year-old in the back,” according to investigating authorities. The 15-year old died as his friends …
SUNDAY, JANUARY 2, 2022
Tony Ebarb, age 16, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was handling a gun with his younger brother in the back seat of their father’s car when the gun discharged. Tony was struck and killed. The accident occurred while the family was waiting in the drive-through lane at a local fast-food restaurant. The boys’ father, Jeffery Ebarb, had …
SATURDAY, JANUARY 1, 2022
No charges will be filed after a teenage girl participating in dog drive hunt in Darlington County, South Carolina fired a shotgun round at a deer and struck an adult male who has also a participant in the hunt. The man was struck by a pellet in the torso. According to authorities, the man was …
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2021
For at least the third year in a row, police have linked at least one random death on New Year’s Eve to celebratory gunfire. Among this year’s incidents is one that occurred in Durham, North Carolina. A witness says that he saw two women pull up in a car when one of them fell to …
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021
In Bismarck, North Dakota, local law enforcement reported that a 15-year old boy accidentally shot himself to death today. “Initial findings demonstrate that the wound was accidentally self-inflicted,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. No other information about the circumstances of the accident have been reported. Source: “Williams County Sheriff Says Teen Killed in …
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2021
A Columbus, Ohio man mistook his 16-year old daughter, Janae Hairston, for an intruder at 4:30 A.M. today. He accidentally shot and killed her. She was in the family’s garage when the accident occurred. Authorities say the girl’s mother called 911 at 4:30 A.M. In a recording of the 911 call, the father asks “his daughter …
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2021
A Reno, Nevada 16-year old was arrested and charged after accidentally shooting a 10-year old boy. The 16-year old admitted that he fired the gun at the boy’s older cousin and that he hit the ten-year old by accident. The victim’s cousin had apparently insulted the 16-year old on social media, after which the shooter …
Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) North Carolina Ongoing Investigation Texas
MONDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2021
A Jacksonville, North Carolina police officer accidentally shot his 15-year old son in the head. The injury is considered life-threatening. Reported details are scarce other than a statement that preliminary indicators suggest that the shooting was accidental. There is an ongoing investigation. Tiffani Tant, age 18 of Gladewater, Texas was accidentally shot and killed by …
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2021
Dillan Burton, age 7, of New Orleans, Louisiana was struck and killed by gunfire while in the back seat of her mother’s car. The family was driving through an intersection at the time of the incident when gunfire broke out on the street. Dillan, an innocent bystander was struck by a bullet passing into the …
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2021
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 …
Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Missouri Ongoing Investigation Texas
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2021
On the day of Christmas Eve, a two-year and a five-years old were victims of gun accidents. The two-year old killed himself and the five-year old was injured. In Independence, Missouri, the two-year old was handling a gun when it fired. The child was pronounced dead several hours later. Police were initially told that there …
Adult Arrested Adult Death California Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Georgia Law Enforcement Action (At Time of Report) Texas
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2021
In North Hollywood, California, Valentina Orellana-Peralta, a 14-year old girl who was shopping for a quinceañera dress, was accidentally shot and killed in a department store dressing room when a bullet passed through a wall during a police action at the store. She died at the scene. Los Angeles police were shooting at an assault …
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2021
Lehemiah Simon, age 7, of Jeanerette, Louisiana, was accidentally shot in the head and killed by a 15-year old cousin today. He was pronounced dead after being airlifted to the hospital. “Full of hugs. Full of Love. Just as humble as he could be for a seven-year-old,” remembered Minister Carnell Wiles who is Lehemiah’s grandfather. …
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2021
Jeremiah Pruitt of Birmingham, Alabama, age 13, was shot and killed by one of his 11-year old twin brothers in a gun accident today. The boys had found a gun in a drawer and were playing with it when the accident occurred. The boys’ mother, Starcrease Pruitt, was at one of her two jobs when …
MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2021
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 …
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2021
In Columbia, South Carolina, a 13-year old and his friend were handling a loaded gun when it went off. The 13-year old was struck and killed. “Where did they get the gun? That’s my biggest question as a parent. Where did they get the gun from? Why were they playing with it? Why was it …
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2021
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 …
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2021
A man in a parked vehicle at a Monticello, Arkansas Walmart accidentally fired a gun inside his car. He was taken to the the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The report does not explain why the man needed a loaded gun at the local WalMart on a Friday afternoon. Source: Joe Burgess, “Accidental Shooting on …
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021
A 23-year old in Port Lavaca, Texas shot and killed himself today in an incident that police believe was accidental. He and a group of other young men were playing with a gun that had had its magazine removed. Presumably, he aimed the gun at his head without knowing that there was a round in …
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2021
Florida A&M University baseball player Dalton Harrell, age 21, was accidentally shot in the chest and killed today in Bainbridge, Georgia. He was with friends in the parking lot of the local country club when a rifle discharged in what authorities called a “freak accident.” After investigation, no arrests were made. The circumstances of the …
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2021
A teenager was killed and a young man was seriously injured today by rounds fired from guns that were believed to be unloaded. As always, this raises the question of why guns are manufactured without prominent loaded chamber indicators. Although safety protocols should always include checking the chamber for a live rounds, many gun users …
Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Juvenile Arrested Louisiana Michigan No Charges Filed
MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2021
A 12-year-old Michigan boy was seriously injured Monday when he was accidentally shot by his 17-year old brother after being mistaken for a deer. Sheriff’s deputies said the older boy was hunting from a tree stand when his younger brother came into the woods to call him to dinner. The 12-year old is in serious …
Adult Injury Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Georgia Nebraska Ongoing Investigation
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2021
In Columbus, Nebraska, two people were injured when a dog in a pick-up truck discharged a shotgun that had been left unattended in the back seat. The shotgun had previously jammed, according to authorities. Two people were struck as they exited a nearby business. Another vehicle was also damaged. In Oakwood, Georgia, a teenager accidentally …
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 …
Adult Injury Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Georgia No Charges Filed Ongoing Investigation Virginia
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2021
In Atlanta, Georgia, a one-year old who was left alone with her pre-school age brother and a loaded gun was accidentally shot. She is in critical condition at the hospital. A police lieutenant said though it was “a tragic accident,” charges could be filed. “Please put guns away. This is now the second time in …
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2021
Shane Gholston, a 36-year old Lawrence County, Alabama man, was accidentally shot in the shoulder while fighting with a neighbor over a garbage can. According to witnesses, Gholston and his neighbor were in a dispute about the trash can and were struggling over a.9mm Taurus pistol when it went off. Gholston was flown by helicopter …
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2021
On Lazy Acres Circle in Dallas, Texas, Wendy Godoy, age 26, was accidentally struck and killed when a neighbor fired a gun in a nearby apartment. The gunshot passed through at least one apartment wall before striking her. Ms. Godoy was found lying face down just outside of her apartment. Police have issued a probable …
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2021
A six-year old and a nine-year old were killed as innocent bystanders in Columbus, Ohio when unidentified men opened fire on a car in which they were sitting. The 22-year old driver was also killed. “There is a mother now who will have to go on in her life with two young babies that she …
MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021
Alexander Alvarado, a 12-year old boy, and a 12-year old girl were shot today when men opened fire on a parked car near a Los Angeles, California elementary school. Alvarado later died at the hospital. The 12-year old girl, who was participating in the afterschool program, was wounded. “She was in the schoolyard just playing. …