Bystanders were injured in three shootings today. In Chicago, Illinois, a one-year old was shot in the arm while sitting in a car outside a Walgreens store. Two men sitting in another car were also shot. “This is so sad. This s— has to stop, but nobody is doing anything,” said a woman who was …
Category: Adult Injury
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2021
An off-duty Upper Marlboro, Maryland police officer accidentally shot herself while reporting to a purported crime scene. Following the accident, she was taken to the hospital for surgery and is now in stable condition. According to the report, she responded to an argument at a local barbershop and believed there was a robbery in progress. …
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2021
For the second time in a week, there was a gun accident at a gun shop. Today’s shooting at Superior Pawn and Gun in Virginia Beach, Virginia, follows an incident on Tuesday in Charleston, South Carolina in which a gun store employee was killed. Few details were reported about today’s incident, other than it was …
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2021
In the Bronx, New York, a woman was hit in the leg by a stray bullet while pushing her 2-year old in a stroller down the street. The baby was not hurt. The shooter, who was involved in an argument with another man, who also pulled a gun, is wanted by police. Source: Liam Quigley, …
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2021
In Granite Quarry, North Carolina, a middle school student shot and killed himself when he “mishandled a gun” that he thought was unloaded. At this time, the family has asked for privacy and we ask for everyone to keep the family in thoughts and prayers,” the local police chief said. “We have no further releasable …
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2021
15-year old Kamm VanGilder of Jeffersonville, Indiana was riding with a former Jeffersonville police officer when the man’s rifle accidentally discharged and VanGilder was killed. The former officer was not identified. An autopsy has confirmed that the shooting was accidental, but the investigation is ongoing. In an incident at a San Antonio, Texas mall, two …
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2021
The Rust Movie Set and The Death of Halyna Hutchins Horrific gun accidents happen in this country every day, 365 days a year. Halyna Hutchins’ accidental death today on a New Mexico movie set should prompt a larger discussion about regulating guns for safety and about the level of gun safety training necessary to prevent …
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2021
A Chicago, Illinois police officer, engaged in a struggle with an unarmed suspect, accidentally fired his service weapon and struck two other officers. One was shot in the arm and the other in the shoulder. Both officers are reported to be in good condition. A gun was later found in the suspect’s car. Source: Charlie …
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021
In Mooers, New York, a man was hospitalized after a firearm accident. The case remains under investigation, according to the report, and there is no continuing threat of harm to public safety. Source: “Possible Firearm Accident in Mooers,” Press-Republican (October 16, 2021).
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021
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 …
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2021
In Houston, Texas, a man accidentally shot his friend in the abdomen tonight while celebrating the Astros victory over the Chicago White Sox. According to the report, the celebration went “a little too far.” A group of people watching the game told police that they would dry fire their weapons whenever the Astros scored a …
MONDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2021
A Nashville, Tennessee woman heard an argument in the apartment below, then a loud pop, followed by pain in her foot. She had been struck by a round that passed through the floor of her apartment. According to the report, “[o]fficers found the apartment below the victim’s empty with the door slightly open, and a bullet …
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2021
At least 7 people unintentionally shot themselves or others with guns today in incidents across the country. In Ellisville Mississippi, a man accidentally shot himself in the hand. The Sheriff’s Department said that the incident occurred in a community residence. A Temple Hills, Maryland 16-year old is hospitalized after shooting himself accidentally at the local …
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2021
An Orlando, Florida man shot himself in the leg in a shooting range parking lot today while clearing his gun. He was inside a vehicle outside “Shooter’s World” when the accident occurred. Source: “Police: Man Clearing Gun Shot Self in Leg Outside Orlando Range,” Fox 35 (October 8, 2021).
MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2021
For the third day in a row, a baby was shot when an adult mishandled a gun. In this instance, a one year old Winston-Salem, North Carolina girl was shot in the hand by one of her parents. She was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive. Also today, Shawn Santiago, a 39-year …
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2021
Two gun owners accidentally shot themselves today and were taken to hospitals for treatment. In Omaha, Nebraska shot himself in the leg with .22 caliber pistol twice. He is said to be suffering from dementia. It is unclear why he was still in possession of a gun. And in Gold Hill, North Carolina, a man …
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2021
A hunter looking for turkey accidentally shot a woman today in Leeds, Maine “at the end of Walton Way.” It is unclear if hunting was legal in that area. The hunter remained at the scene to provide first aid until emergency personnel arrived and the woman is in stable condition at the hospital. There is …
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2021
In LaCrosse County, Wisconsin, the sheriff’s office is investigating an accidental shooting that occured after 1 A.M. at a French Island bar. A man was shot in the leg by another patron he did not know. The circumstances of the accident are unclear. Source: Jourdan Vian, “Police: Accidental Shooting Reported on French Island,” news8000.com (September …
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021
There were at least four different innocent bystander shootings today. The unintended consequences of intentional shootings continue to grow in proportion to the expansion of gun violence in the United States. In Cincinnati, Ohio, an 11-year old boy was struck in his bedroom while playing video games. The rounds that passed into his room were …
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2021
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 …
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2021
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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2021
Minimal details were reported about two gun accidents that occurred today. The Winter Park, Colorado police department reported that Eric Van Geet, age 25, was arrested and charged with second degree assault and reckless endangerment after he picked up a .22 caliber revolver inside a local apartment, cocked it, and pulled the trigger. He shot …
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2021
Every type of gun safety problem was on display in gun accidents that occurred today. All of today’s accidents are tragic, but none more so than the death of a Texas two-year old in Lawrence, Kansas who was shot in the chest while visiting at a local home. Details of the circumstances of the accident …
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021
A $5.5 million settlement was reached in connection with a gun accident that occurred at a Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania shooting range two years ago today. The shooting occurred during a training exercise organized by a variety of organizations and individuals who were then named as defendants in the lawsuit. The shooter, who was supposed to be …
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2021
A Louisville, Kentucky police officer who was cleaning his service weapon in the property room at the station accidentally shot himself in the stomach. He is recovering at the hospital according to the report. Query whether the officer’s gun was a Glock or a similar pistol that requires a trigger pull as part of the …
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2021
In Murray, New York, a 50-year old man with an unholstered Ruger semiautomatic pistol in the pocket of his shorts accidentally shot himself in the thigh while repositioning trailers. The accident occurred when the man was putting on his seatbelt. Police took the man to the hospital for treatment. Source: “Orleans County: Man Accidentally Shot …
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2021
In Casa Grande, Arizona,a five-year old boy who found a loaded handgun in his apartment, accidentally shot and killed his mother, Michele Cox, today. Ms. Cox’s three other children and her boyfriend were home at the time of the incident. After the fact, a police department statement reminded the public in a generic way about …
THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 2021
Four people were injured by two bullets in accidental shootings today. In Springer, Oklahoma, the injuries appear to have been caused by a defective firearm. A woman attempting to shoot a skunk from her front porch was maneuvering the slide on a gun when it fired. The round passed through her hand and struck her …
SUNDAY, AUGUST 22, 2021
In Indianapolis, Indiana, a man struggling with a mental health crisis lunged for an officer’s gun while waiting for an ambulance. The gun was holstered at the time of the incident. In the struggle over the gun, the officer was shot in the leg and the man he struggled with was shot in the hand. …
MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 2021
In San Antonio, Texas, a woman was shot in the head when a bullet passed through a wall from the next apartment. Her neighbor claimed to be sleeping with a gun nearby that fired when he moved in his sleep. The woman’s wound is not considered life-threatening. There is no word yet about whether the …
TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021
In Jackson, Mississippi, police are investigating the accidental shooting death of Jeffrey Sutton II, the 15-year old son of Jackson’s fire chief. He was shot in the lower extremities. No other details are available at this time. According to the report, Sutton was the second child of a Jackson firefighter to die of a gunshot …
WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 2021
A San Antonio, Texas woman who heard gunshots and retrieved her gun to protect herself shot herself in the leg while putting the gun away. She was taken to the hospital in stable condition. Source: “Woman Hears Gunshots, Pulls Out Gun for Protection, Shoots Herself Putting Gun Away,” News4SA (July 29, 2021).
THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2021
In Pensacola, Florida, a patron of O’Reilly’s Uptown Tavern pulled a gun to show it to other patrons. The incident was apparently caught on video. When he mimed an attempt to return the gun to a shoulder holster, it went off, striking him in the upper torso. “I don’t know if he was pretending to …
TUESDAY, JULY 20, 2021
In Westport, Massachusetts, an off-duty police officer shot himself in the thigh with a .40 caliber round while training with his gun at a local firing range. According to the report, the incident occurred while he was “putting in or taking his gun out of the holster.” The officer’s injury was described as “minor” but …
WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2021
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 …
SUNDAY, JULY 4, 2021
Although there were many hundreds of incidents of gun violence on Independence Day, there were thankfully no deaths clearly associated with celebratory gunfire. However, several people were injured in such incidents across the country. Also today, a six-year old Knoxville, Tennessee boy found a gun and shot himself to death. In Raleigh North Carolina, Alexandria …
SUNDAY, JUNE 27, 2021
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 …
FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2021
A child, believed to be 6 or 7 years old, shot themselves in their Burbank, Illinois home today, sometime in the mid-afternoon. No details of the circumstances of the accident were released. In Milton, New Hampshire a 32-year old man was shot in the head by his 8-year old nephew while hunting chipmunks. “It’s not …
THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 2021
A Hopkinsville, Kentucky 15-year old was critically injured in a gun accident today. He was hospitalized locally with critical injuries, but was expected to be transferred by helicopter to Nashville for further treatment. No details of the circumstances of the accident were released. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a city riven by recent gun violence, a 12-year …
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 2021
In Surry County, North Carolina, two Sheriff’s deputies were injured due to “accidental discharge of a firearm” during a training exercise at a local firing range. Both deputies were treated for minor injuries and the Sheriff’s department has opened an internal investigation. Source: Paul Choate, “2 Surry County Deputies Injured by ‘Accidental Discharge of a …
SUNDAY, JUNE 20, 2021
As gun violence continues unabated across America, a 32-year old Chicago, Illinois man who was simply standing on a sidewalk in Humboldt Park was shot in the back. Also in the park, a 28-year old women was shot in the head while she was driving a car, causing her to crash. Both victims are hospitalized, …
SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021
Six women and a toddler were struck by stray bullets in four incidents today. Although the shooters may have had violent intent, all of the women struck were not intended targets. In Aurora, Colorado, numerous shots were fired by two or more shooters outside an apartment complex. Two of the rounds passed into the building. …
FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2021
Two women were severely injured today when men they were with mishandled guns. An 18-year old Danville, Illinois woman is in stable condition after she was accidentally shot in the chest by her 16-year old boyfriend who mishandled a handgun. The boyfriend was taken into custody on charges of reckless discharge of a firearm and …
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 2021
In an incident caught on video and later broadcast on local television, a Newbury, Ohio man accidentally shot himself in the face with a pistol at a local gun range. His injuries apparently were not life threatening. In Crowley, Louisiana two teenagers were handling a gun when it discharged. One of them was shot in …
SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 2021
All over the country today, people were injured, in some cases critically, in gun accidents. The available news reports make it difficult to separate those who were engaged in unsafe practices from those who were injured based on lack of safety features on their guns. In most cases, accidents can presumably be attributed to both …
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 2021
In Americus, Georgia, a 16-year old boy was listed in critical condition after being accidentally shot. He and a group of boys were horsing around with a gun on the back deck of a local home. One of the boys, Jordan Hamilton, age 17, was arrested and charged with reckless conduct. In Waterbury, Connecticut, a …
SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 2021
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 …
THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 2021
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 …
SUNDAY, MAY 30, 2021
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 …
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021
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 …
TUESDAY, MAY 18, 2021
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 …
WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 2021
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. …
WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 2021
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 …
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021
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 …
SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 2021
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).
FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2021
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).
TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 2021
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, …
SUNDAY, APRIL 4, 2021
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 …
SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 2021
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 …
FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2021
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, …
MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2021
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 …
SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 2021
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 …
THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021
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 …
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2021
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 …
SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 2021
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 …
SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 2021
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 …
THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021
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 …
MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021
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).
SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 2021
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. …
THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2021
At a Richmond, Utah manufacturing facility, a 23-year old employee accidentally shot himself in the leg while cleaning his Glock during a break. He did not realize that the gun was loaded when he attempted to break it down. Police and paramedics responded at the scene. “This individual had fired his firearm about two weeks …
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 2021
A Columbus, Ohio 12-year old and a Fairlawn, New Jersey 40-year old were injured in gun accidents today. The 40-year old was shot when his uncle handed him a Ruger pistol. The 12-year old was handling a gun in his home when it fired. Details are limited. Both individuals were taken to the hospital by …
FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 2021
At a Ceres, California gun range, a firearms instructor was holstering a gun during a training session when it fired. The 69-year old was struck in the thigh and taken to the hospital where he is in stable condition. Perhaps if the gun had an external manual safety that the instructor demonstrated for the class, …
THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2021
In Holt, Michigan, a woman accidentally shot both herself and her boyfriend with a single round fired from her recently purchased handgun. She had removed the magazine from the weapon and did not realize that there was still a round in the chamber. Apparently, the gun had no magazine safety disconnect. Both the woman and …
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2021
Two gun accidents were announced on social media today. @MoCoPGNews tweeted that a Silver Spring, Maryland man shot himself in the shoulder while cleaning his gun. The extent of the man’s injuries were unknown. In Arlington, Texas, “Arlington Texas Crime” posted on its Facebook page that a man shot himself in the leg while unloading …
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021
In Louisville, Kentucky, Michael McGreggor was arrested after an incident that he claimed was an accident. McGreggor said he was defending himself “by hitting the victim with the gun and that he never intended to fire it.” According to the arrest report, he asked several times whether the victim would be alright. McGreggor’s victim is …
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2021
19-year old Kahlis Parker of Bridgeport, Connecticut, accidentally shot himself in the arm and then lied to police about the incident. Upon release from the hospital, Parker was arrested and charged with risk of injury to a minor, carrying a pistol without a permit, stealing a firearm, interfering with a police officer, illegal discharge of …
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021
In Beaver Township, Ohio, police charged a hunter with “discharging a firearm near a protected premises” after a round he fired hit a man inside his home. According to the report, hunter Kasen Smith fired at a deer on protected land. The bullet passed through the wall of a nearby home and struck a man’s …
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021
After investigating, police determined that a man found shot on the street in South Sioux City, Iowa had accidentally shot himself. The man had been taken by two good Samaritans to a local hospital. He is not facing charges. Nor will the unidentified man pay, apparently, for the various police and health care resources triggered …
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2021
Two 55-year old innocent bystanders were shot inside a New Orleans, Louisiana hospital when a woman outside fired a gun in an attempt to settle an argument. Both of the victims are expected to survive. A man and a woman were arguing on an on-ramp to the emergency room when the woman fired a gun …
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021
In Indianapolis, Indiana, two people were hurt in a single shooting that police concluded was an accident. One of them was taken to the hospital. No other information is available. Source: “IMPD: 3 Hurt in Overnight Shootings, Including Attempted Robber,” Fox 59 (February 4, 2021).
SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021
In Niles, Ohio, Nicklas Trkula, age 21, was attempting to shoot a man he believed to be his girlfriend’s lover. The bullet he fired passed through an apartment wall and struck another man in the leg while he was watching TV. Trkula fled the scene with his girlfriend, but was later tracked down by police …
SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 2021
Nia Reyes of Phoenix, Arizona was attempting to shoot a shoplifter, but instead accidentally struck an Ace Hardware store employee in the leg. The employee was in pursuit of the shoplifter at the time of the incident. It is unclear why Ms. Reyes, age 45, believed it appropriate to use potentially lethal force on a …
SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021
In Norton, Virginia, George Henry Sailers, IV, was charged with shooting his girlfriend in an accident that occurred while he was playing with his gun. Sailers allegedly told deputies that he had been trying to twirl a .22 Ruger pistol he had gotten for Christmas. While Sailers was trying to show how fast he could …
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2021
Two innocent bystanders were accidentally shot at 2:06 A.M. on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. According to the report, two people opened fire on each other. Neither of the shooters was hit. The two victims were an 18-year old woman and a 57-year old man. Police are looking for the shooters. Source: “NOPD Investigating Double …
SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 2021
In Washington Terrace, Utah, a 47-year old man and a 25-year old woman were examining a gun they believed was unloaded when it fired. Both were struck. The bullet first passed through the man’s leg, just below the knee, the Sheriff’s Office reported. It then entered the woman’s thigh where it lodged, breaking her femur …
MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2021
In Houston, Texas, 25-year old Karina Montelongo was shot in the face when she was attempting to show her roommate how to use a gun. The roommate told officers that Montelongo was showing her a gun she owned. She had never handled a gun before and did not know it was loaded. According to the …
SUNDAY, JANUARY 10, 2021
A Sun Prairie, Wisconsin man was hospitalized after shooting himself in the leg. The accident happened while he was parked in the lot of a Nitty Gritty restaurant. There is an active investigation. Source: Emily Hamer, “Man Hospitalized after Shooting Himself in Leg, Sun Prairie Police Say,” Wisconsin State Journal (January 10, 2021).
FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2021
In Fort Wayne, Indiana, a toddler found a gun and used it to shoot his mother. Her injuries are not considered life threatening, but local police are investigating “possible child neglect.” No other information is available. The incident is one of many recent incidents in Indiana in which young children have been involved in serious …
MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2021
Indianapolis, Indiana police officers working part-time at Sam’s Club responded when they heard a shot fired inside the store. An armed shopper had accidentally discharged a gun and hit a store employee. The employee was grazed by the bullet and was hospitalized after the shooting in stable condition. The customer was not being charged with …
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2020
In Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Richard James Russell was arrested for mishandling a gun after he accidentally shot his 21-year old son in the abdomen. Mr. Russell was showing the gun to his son at the time of the accident. Police also said that Russell initially misled them by claiming that his son had been shot …