Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
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 …
For the second time this week, a man who believed he was acting In self-defense shot and killed someone in error. In today’s incident, 37-year old Matthew Sharpf shot and killed his best friend, Jonathan Hankins, also 37, in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. Hankins was knocking on a window of Sharpf’s home when the fatal shot …
Thomas Marrinan, a retired New York transit police officer was shot by a friend, a former corrections officer, when the two attempted to subdue an unruly man during a street fight in Brooklyn, New York. Robert Velasquez, the former corrections officer, accidentally shot his friend when he pulled his gun to end a scuffle with …
In Miami Beach Florida, a Georgia woman accidentally shot her sister in the head while they were filming a video for Instagram. The sisters were riding in a Jaguar SUV at the time of the accident. The woman, Taniyria Akias Holt, age 24, was arrested “on charges of culpable negligence inflicting personal injury and improper …
A good deal has been written about the risks of paint ball weapons and toy guns that are designed to look real. The marketplace has far too many facsimile weapons that can be mistaken as potentially lethal. Police officers frequently report being unable to tell the difference between individuals armed with real guns from kids …
A Mission Bend, Texas woman who went to her daughter’s home after an argument with her husband was shot multiple times by her son-in-law. He believed she was an intruder. According to the report, the 43-year old woman, who had been drinking, was banging on the back door when her son-in-law fired multiple shots through …
In Dallas, Texas a five-year old boy was shot and killed by an eight-year old who found a loaded gun. Authorities announced that they are investigating how the 8-year old got access to the gun. No other details have been released. Source: Jozelyn Escobedo, “5-year-old Boy Dies After Being Shot by Another Child in Dallas …
A Myrtle Beach, South Carolina man showing off a new gun holster to his friend shot himself in the hand while dropping the magazine out of his gun. The man was treated at the hospital. Police found the gun in a filing cabinet and a shell casing on the floor. In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a 21-year …
For the second day in a row, a two-year old toddler got hold of and fired a loaded gun. In this instance, a Joliet, Illinois toddler shot herself. According to the local police, she “unfortunately succumbed” to her injuries. No other information is available. Source: “2-Year-Old Child Dies of Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound in Joliet, Police …
A nine-year old Canton, Mississippi child is in stable condition at the hospital after his two-year old sister found a loaded gun in the family truck and shot him in the head. Police say that the children’s parents had gone inside a home and had left the children in their truck unattended. The Canton police …
In Wichita, Kansas, two boys were playing with a loaded handgun they had found when it went off, striking both of them. A 12-year old was struck in the hand and a 15-year old was struck in the hand. Both boys are recovering. Wichita police reminded residents that most gun accidents are preventable. They provided …
In Dallas, Texas, a woman who was 8-months pregnant was struck by gunfire while leaving church today. She was an innocent bystander as two groups of men began firing at each other across the parking lot outside the church. The woman was rushed to the hospital where she was treated for a gunshot wound and …
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, a man was accidentally shot through an apartment wall when the people next door tussled with a gun. The victim later died at the hospital. The deadly incident originated in domestic violence. Corry Lykes told authorities that he had threatened his girlfriend with a taser. When she then tried to take Lykes’ …
In Dallas, Texas, a ten-year old boy who found a gun in his home accidentally shot himself. His father originally claimed to police that the boy had been struck by a bullet fired by someone else while he was playing in the yard. Police say that there is a chance that charges will be filed …
Details are sketchy about a gun accident that left a person dead in Waterloo, Iowa today. No information about the circumstances of the accident or the age or identity of the victim have been released. The report of the shooting has only the following odd details: “The accidental shooting happened just days after the home …
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 …
After an Oxnard, California 9-year old found a gun in his home and accidentally shot himself, a 17-year old was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment and unsafe storage of a firearm. Officers said the child thought the gun, which was easily accessible, was a toy. The boy is in stable condition at the hospital. …
A 15-year old girl died and two children, age 6 and 8, were injured as unintended victims of gun violence today. Destiny Greene, an Albany, New York high school student was an innocent bystander when gunfire erupted at a social event organized via social media. She died at the hospital. “Destiny is the tenth person …
Erik Keith Wood of Fortuna, California, age 42, was arrested and charged with attempted murder today after shooting a teenager who apparently was playing Ding Dong Ditch at Wood’s home. The game involves ringing someone’s doorbell and then running away. The teenager was treated at a hospital for a shotgun wound and released. Source: “Fortuna …
Seven children under the age of six were killed or injured by gunfire today. All of them were innocent bystanders to adult gun violence. In Memphis Tennessee, a one-year old child was shot and killed inside a vehicle. “Our kids are scared to death out there,” a local community group leader said. The other incidents …
In Lakeland, Florida, a man unsuccessfully hid a loaded gun in a couch to keep it away from children while he and a friend watched a basketball game. A 3-year old found it and used it to shoot his two-year old sister. The girl is in critical condition at the hospital. The gun’s owner was …
Day’Shawn Bills, a 12-year old Indianapolis, Indiana boy playing Fortnite was shot and killed today when a bullet passed through a window into his grandmother’s house. The police suspect a drive-by, but have no information about who fired shots or about the intended victim. “I mean it’s just silly for someone to shoot inside a …
In Akron, Ohio, a 13-year old boy accidentally shot a 15-year old girl. The boy was handling a gun in the back seat of a car when it fired. The round passed through a seat and struck the girl who suffered non-life threatening injuries. Also today, more than 10 innocent bystanders were shot in gun …
At a Desoto, Texas Walmart, one person was injured when a concealed weapon carried by another Walmart customer accidentally discharged. The victim was treated at the hospital for injuries that were not considered life-threatening. According to police, the person whose weapon fired left the premises before they arrived. When they tracked down the shooter, they …
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 …
Two young girls were accidentally shot and killed today, one in Arizona and the other in Michigan. In Tempe, Arizona, a four-year old girl found an older sibling’s loaded gun hidden under a piece of furniture and shot and killed herself. The girl’s sibling apparently told police that the gun was placed out of sight …
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 …
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 …
In Union, Missouri, a four-year old founded a loaded gun under the couch where his father was sleeping. The boy shot and killed himself. According to the local sheriff, the boy’s father, Scott E. Hilton, Jr., was restricted from having a gun in the home. Hilton was arrested and charged with second degree murder during …
Three people were injured when a Bath, Maine two-year old found a loaded 9 mm pistol on a nightstand in his parent’s bedroom. According to a report of the incident, the boy’s mother “sustained a ‘clean gunshot wound’ to her leg and the father, 25, sustained a minor injury to the back of his head. …
Police in Orlando, Florida are investigating an incident in which a four-year old child found a loaded gun and fired it. These are the available details according to a tweet by the Orlando police: “Upon investigating, officers determined that a 4-year-old child picked up a firearm and accidentally discharged it. The child suffered a non-life-threatening …
In Saint Joseph County, Indiana, a two year-old found a gun and shot himself. Police say the child suffered multiple non-life-threatening injuries to his right foot, left leg and left hand and is being treated at the hospital. Police did not say how the child found the gun, but they are seeking at least one …
Six-year old Saryah Perez of San Antonio, Texas was shot and killed in her car seat when “a disturbance happened and shots were fired.” The car that Saryah was sitting in was struck and Saryah, an innocent bystander, was killed. Andrew Elizondo, age 23, was arrested and charged with murder. “It’s a random act by …
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 …
In Escambia, Florida a two-year old was accidentally shot and killed by his mother’s friend, Quentin Wright. At the time of the accident, Wright was putting the gun away at the request of the boy’s mother. They boy, Sebastian Mooney, was struck by a single 9 mm round. Wright was arrested and charged with manslaughter. …
A 17-year old, a 12-year old and a four-year old were injured in gun accidents today. In Rigby, Idaho, a 17-year old was removing his gun from a vehicle while fishing with friends when the gun accidentally fired and he was struck in the chest. He was flown to the hospital and is expected to …
A 34-year old Burlington, North Carolina woman was arrested for failing to secure a firearm “to protect a minor” after a 15-year old boy was accidentally shot. The incident involved three children who gained access to the woman’s gun. The boy was taken to the hospital with unspecified injuries. In Helena, Montana, a 68-year old …
Police in Statesville, North Carolina announced that a two-year old child found a loaded gun on a bed in their home and shot themselves. The child is in stable condition. The owner of the gun and the child’s mother were arrested. The gun owner, Erin Vanderburg, was charged with failure to secure a gun to …
An 11-year old child was shot and killed by another child inside an East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania home. “A single gunshot discharged from a handgun being handled by another juvenile in the residence,” was how the fatal shot was described in a news release issued by the state police. No information about how the children had …
In Keyes, California, Evan Robinson, age 16, was killed as an unintended victim of a shootout near a local taco truck. Friends say Evan was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. “I miss you so much,” his younger sister said when asked if she had something to tell Evan. Police are investigating. …
A 14-year old Dothan Alabama boy was accidentally shot in the back inside a local residence. The 9 mm bullet passed through the boy’s body and exited in the area of his stomach. Police are investigating, including by interviewing several witnesses, but foul play is not suspected. The shooting continues a pattern of recent gun …
A 14-year old was killed and a 16-year old was injured in separate gun accidents today. The 14-year old died after accidentally shooting himself in a residence on Butter and Egg Road in Madison County, Alabama. There is no reporting about how he got his hands on a gun. He was found dead when paramedics …
Two six-year old children and a five-year old were injured in unintentional shooting incidents today. Both six-year olds were innocent bystanders to the disputes of others and the five-year old was accidentally shot by her own father. In Yonkers, New York, a six-year old boy who was answering the door of his home was shot …
A Hampton, Virginia press release issued by the Hampton Police Department provides the following report which leaves unclear whether the gun was discharged intentionally or unintentionally: At approximately 9:31 p.m., Public Safety Communications received a call in reference to a shooting that just occurred in the 100 block of Hamlet Lane. Upon arrival, officers located …
In Elkhart, Indiana, a five-year old boy found a loaded gun in his family’s mobile home and shot himself in the chest. Police have confirmed that the shooting was accidental. The boy went to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, although after surgery, he is expected to survive. “My child. That’s what ran through my mind,” …
At a backyard barbecue in Grand Prairie, Texas, Darwing Gloria, age 37, displayed a handgun and accidentally shot and killed an acquaintance, Antelmo Carrizales-Ramos, age 47. Gloria was arrested and charged with manslaughter. Texas is a state that is moving toward authorizing permitless public carry, which would inevitably mean more guns would be present in …
In Federal Way, Washington, a man was handling a gun inside his home when it fired. The bullet passed through three walls and struck his 8-year old daughter in the stomach. The girl is not expected to survive. Her father was arrested at the hospital on unspecified charges. In December of 2020, a Federal Way …
In Des Moines Iowa, a man who was cleaning his gun accidentally shot and injured a neighbor. The man’s injuries do not appear to be life threatening. Sources: “Police: Man Accidentally Shoots Neighbor While Cleaning His Gun,” weareiowa.com (April 24, 2021).
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 …
Three children were seriously injured in separate gun accidents today, one in Florida, one in Tennessee and one in Georgia. A 14-year old boy in Miami, Florida was preparing to start working out with his father in the family garage. When he went to move his father’s gun, it went off. The boy was airlifted …
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 …
Gabrielle Jones, a seven-year old Gastonia, North Carolina girl died today after being accidentally shot by her uncle, Jeremy Lewis, while he was making a music video last week. According to the report, the video-making process included several guns. During the taping, another person handed Jones a gun, which fired. The bullet passed through a …
A 15-year old Tucson, Arizona boy is charged with negligent homicide after a gun he was handling discharged and struck his 16-year old friend. The 16-year old, Carlos Chavarria Gonzalez, died at the scene. It was unclear how the younger boy came into possession of the gun. In a similar incident in Huntsville, Alabama, 18-year …
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 …
In another accident involving a nine-year old child, a Louisville, Kentucky boy was rushed to the hospital after unintentionally shooting himself while playing with a relative’s gun. Police say the boy’s injuries are not considered life-threatening. The incident is nearly identical to one that occurred in Alabama just two days ago on April 15. A …
A Houston, Texas man may lose his leg after accidentally shooting himself. Police say the man was cleaning his gun when it went off. Source: “Man May Lose Leg after Accidental Shooting,” News 4 SA (April 16, 2021).
In Fairfield, Alabama, a nine-year old boy is fighting for his life after finding a gun and shooting himself. He is at the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating and the boy’s name has not been released. Nor if there information about how he came into possession of the gun. …
A 12-year old innocent bystander was shot and killed in Leavenworth, Kansas today. One adult and two juveniles have been arrested in connection with the incident. The adult, Darvon Thomas, age 25, is charged with felony murder. Police reported that gunshots also struck a vehicle occupied by a 30-year-old woman and a 6-month-old child. Source: …
18-year old Breanna Porter of Grayson, Kentucky was accidentally shot in the stomach by one of her friends as she and a group of three others were handling a gun. Some members of the group initially told police that an unknown person “ran up to the woman, shot her in the stomach and then ran …
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 …
Another Texas child died today in an unintentional shooting after being shot by a child who had found a loaded gun. In Dallas, a 9-year old boy found the gun in a car and shot an 11-year old child who was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The two boys were left unattended in the …
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 …
In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Trevion Cole, a 5-year old, was shot and killed by another child. The two children had found a loaded gun. An adult who was home at the time was not in the room when the accident occurred. On the same day, Sara Collins, a 14-year old Oklahoma City girl, was also …
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 …
In Clendenin, West Virginia, Heather Marie Allen, age 30, was coyote hunting when she placed her loaded rifle up against her SUV. The rifle fell and discharged without a trigger pull, striking Allen in the leg. Her injuries are not expected to be life threatening. As a recent Violence Policy Center gun safety study noted, …
In Fort Mojave, Arizona, a man was accidentally shot and killed when a firearm discharged as it was being “transferred” to him. No other details of the incident are available. Near Fresno, California, ten sheriff’s deputies and a police helicopter participated in the investigation of a report that a 17-year old made after being shot …
In an accident that appears to have been related to use of alcohol, a Cedar Falls, Iowa man was found on the street with a gunshot wound to his leg. Police applied a tourniquet until medical help arrived. Two other men were arrested at the scene of the accident, one on weapons charges and the …
At least two gun-owners accidentally shot themselves today in separate incidents. The first accident, in Columbus, Ohio, occurred when a man was cleaning his gun. He was taken to the hospital in stable condition. The other accident occurred at the Hawg Pen bar in Raleigh, North Carolina, where a man shot himself in the …
Ken Thomas of Wichita, Kansas was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated battery after what appears to be a property-defense situation gone awry. Two teenagers were apparently trespassing at TreatCo, a pet treat factory that had been shuttered at some point in the past. Thomas, the business’s owner, fired a shotgun toward them, …
Returning once again to central Ohio, a 7-year old Columbus girl found a gun in her home and accidentally shot herself. She was rushed to the hospital for surgery and is expected to survive. After officers spoke with those who took the child to the hospital, detectives said they will continue to treat the shooting …
In Greenville, North Carolina, an 8-year old boy found a loaded gun in the glove box of his family’s car and accidentally shot himself in the abdomen. He later died at the hospital. A police spokesperson said, “[g]uns can be very appealing to young children particularly children of this age and words cannot express the …
Candace Chrzan, a senior at Jonesboro High School in Georgia was accidentally shot and killed during target practice in the backyard of her friend’s home. “At some point, Candace did have possession of a .22 pistol that they were using for target practicing,” the Sheriff’s Office later announced. “The gun jammed.” The Sheriffs’ Office added …
The Burnett County sheriff’s department responded today when a Siren, Wisconsin man was shot inside a bar. The Siren police and the St. Croix tribal police also responded. Investigators determined that the shot that injured the bar patron had been accidentally fired in a house across the street. The round apparently pierced both the wall …
A man’s gun fell out of his pocket today while exiting a vehicle in a parking lot on Tiny Town Road in Clarksville, Tennessee. It drop-fired and struck him in the leg. He was taken to the hospital in unknown condition. The potential for any gun to be dropped is, of course, foreseeable. Some guns …
In Fort Worth, Texas, an 8-year old found a loaded gun in his uncle’s home and shot himself in the leg. The boy’s injuries are not considered life-threatening and no charges have been filed at this time. Source: Jack Howland, “Boy, 8, Accidentally Shoots Himself in the Leg in Uncle’s Fort Worth Home, Police Say,” …
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 …
Two teenagers and a child were injured and hospitalized in separate gun accidents today. A 35-year old man and a 32-year old woman were also hospitalized after a fourth accident. In yet another unintentional shooting in central Ohio, an 18-year old who was playing with a gun was rushed to the hospital with life threatening …
Two men shot themselves in the leg today while holstering their guns, one in Nebraska and one in Ohio. Neither injury is considered life threatening, but both accidents would have been prevented by guns with external manual safeties, had they been deployed. A 33-year old Scottsbluff, Nebraska man was placed in a tourniquet by police …
In Tallahassee, Florida, an innocent bystander was killed when two groups of people opened fire at each other in a local gas station parking lot. Police later arrested two suspects and charged them with felony murder. Source: “Update: Two Men Arrested in Connection to Fatal Circle K Shooting,” WCTV.tv (March 24, 2021).
In Elk Creek, Missouri, children playing outdoors got access to a rifle from inside a parked vehicle. A nine-year old was shot and killed by a younger sibling in the incident. “With the age of the child we are talking about I don’t think they can fully grasp the consequences of what has happened,” the …
One man accidentally shot himself and another shot a teenager while cleaning their guns today. Typically, such accidents can be prevented with load indicators, magazine safety disconnects, manual safeties or cleaning protocols that do not require a trigger pull. Remarkably many guns, including Glocks, require that the trigger be pulled for disassembly and cleaning, leading …
In Louisiana today, there were two different innocent bystander shootings. Three people were injured, and a five-year old child has died. In Shreveport, Louisiana, one of two men arguing in a hotel parking lot fired a gun. The bullet penetrated the wall of the hotel and struck a five-year old in the head and grazed …
A 19-year old Kingston, New York teenager who accidentally shot himself in the neck in New York City yesterday died today at the Mid-Hudson regional hospital in Poughkeepsie. He had been airlifted there for surgery after the accident. According to police, the investigation shows that the teenager, Raymond Robinson, had mishandled a friend’s gun. The …
In Four Oaks, North Carolina, a child riding in the back seat of a vehicle found a loaded gun and accidentally shot his mother in the face while she was driving. A Sheriff’s deputy called the shooting a “horrible accident” and “not a deliberate act.” The mother was rushed to the hospital, but her injuries …
Kevin Niyibizi, an Antioch, Tennessee 16-year old was accidentally shot and killed by a 17-year old friend, Eric Ishimwe. Niyibizi had brought a gun to his friend’s home that the two were playing with. Ishimwe told police that “he and Niyibizi were both handling and playing with a gun that Niyibizi brought into the home …
Teon Burwell, a 10-year old Richmond, Virginia boy found a loaded gun in his home and accidentally shot himself to death in front of his 12-year old brother. “They said he had been shot in the arm and it went through to his other arm. It hit a main artery,” his grandmother said. It remains …
A 77-year old Fond du Lac, Wisconsin man accidentally shot himself in the hand while cleaning a gun. Police were alerted by a call from the hospital emergency room where the man was treated and released. Source: “FDL Man Injured In Gun-Cleaning Accident,” KFIZ AM 1450 (March 17, 2021).
13-year old children in Illinois and Tennessee were innocent victims of gun violence today. Both were innocent bystanders when gunfights broke out between others on the street. These incidents are part of an epidemic of innocent bystander shootings associated with a national increase in gun violence. The Chicago, Illinois victim and a man he was …
One woman was killed and another injured in innocent bystander incidents today. There have been three such incidents in the last two days. In Waco, Texas, a woman was inside her apartment when she was struck and killed by a bullet fired in an incident outside her home. She was found later by her roommate. …