For at least the sixth time this month and the third time this week, a toddler died in a gun accident. This time a three-year old in Flint, Michigan found a gun in his home and shot and killed himself. Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley said, “[t]his is a tragedy and a loss no one should …
Category: Child Death (18 and Under)
SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2020
In White, Georgia, a five-year old girl shot and killed herself while playing with a gun she found at a campsite. Her grandmother, Kimberly Anne Roberts, and an unrelated man were arrested and charged with felony involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct. Both adults are being held at Bartow County Jail. Source: Asia Simone Burns, “Grandmother, …
THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020
A three-year old in St. Louis was shot and killed with a gun. Although the police did not confirm that he shot himself, they did call the shooting an accident. “This is a heartbreaking and horrific tragedy,” St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said in a statement. “It’s also a serious reminder of the responsibility that …
TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2020
Arya Gray, a 15-year old Miami, Florida girl, was accidentally shot and killed by a 17-year old boy who was brandishing a stolen gun. According to an arrest report, 17-year old Thalys Olivera “recklessly brandished” a gun inside the apartment that Arya was visiting, and witnesses told the 17-year-old to put it away. Olivera did …
MONDAY, MAY 11, 2020
Griffin, Georgia police announced today that a 5-year old boy and his brothers found a loaded gun in the woods near their home. The boy, believing the gun was a toy, discharged it and shot his 12-year old brother in the chest. The 12-year old died at the hospital. Evidence suggests that the gun was …
SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2020
Five-year old Ja’Cari Ellis found a gun and shot himself in St. Petersburg Florida today. He was rushed to the hospital where he later died. “Our preliminary investigation has so far revealed that this was a tragic accident, that Ja’Cari got a hold of a gun and accidentally shot himself,” a St. Petersburg Police spokesperson …
Adult Arrested Arizona Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Ongoing Investigation Texas
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2020
Two toddlers died in gun accidents today. One found a gun and shot himself, the other was shot by a young sibling. Three-year old Bryson Skinner died after finding in a handgun in his home and shooting himself by accident. A related 22-year adult and his girlfriend were arrested and charged with felony child abuse. …
SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2020
Two-year old, Chevy Carroll, an Elizabethtown, Kentucky boy, was shot and killed today. The child was home with both parents and two young siblings at the time he was shot. Few other circumstances of the shooting are available at this time. “So this is going to be a challenging investigation, but one that we want …
FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2020
Another young boy, this time in Pinson, Alabama, was accidentally shot this week while turkey hunting with his father. He died at the scene. The shooting remains under investigation. The report does not specify whether he was wearing blaze orange at the time of the accident. Source: Joshua Huff, “11-year-old Killed in Apparent Accidental Shooting …
Adult Arrested Adult Death Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Georgia Mississippi No Charges Filed Ongoing Investigation Tennessee
THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2020
Three children and an adult were killed in gun accidents today. The adult was shot to death by his two-year old child. Each of the news stories marking these deaths was brief: In Ooltewah, Tennessee, Jermaine Vincent, a three-year old, found a gun that a family friend had brought to his home and fatally shot …
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020
An unidentified Houston, Texas boy who was playing with a gun in front of his friends, accidentally shot himself in the stomach. He later died of his wounds at the hospital. According to authorities, it is unclear who owned the gun. This is the ninth tragic gun accident in the Houston area that we’ve reported …
Adult Arrested Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Colorado Ongoing Investigation Texas
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2020
Two more young children died in gun accidents in their homes today. In Westminster, Colorado, a three-year old girl, Ruby Jackson, was shot and killed while playing with her seven-year old brother. She was shot in the chest as the children played ‘swords.’ “Ruby was using a broomstick, but at some point her brother picked …
MONDAY, APRIL 20, 2020
A four-year old girl, Kastari Nunez, was accidentally shot and killed in Northeast Philadelphia today. According to the report, a “.357 revolver with five live rounds and one spent cartridge casing was found on a living room sofa.” Police ultimately charged three adults who were present in the home at the time of the accident. …
TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2020
Quainnesha Paul, an 18-year old Baton Rouge, Louisiana teenager died in an apparent gun accident today. She was accidentally shot in her home by a 22-year old relative, Keagan Valdry. Valdry was arrested and charged with negligent homicide. No other details were released. Source: “Baton Rouge Man Accused of Negligent Homicide After Relative’s Death in …
SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2020
In a continuing epidemic of young children being caught in the cross-fire of gun violence among adults, a 7-year old was shot and killed in his home during an argument in Clayton County, Georgia. According to a report, “[t]he shooting was the result of an altercation between [an] 18-year-old and the occupants of a white …
FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2020
A young Roanoke, Virginia boy was found in a vehicle with gunshot wounds. He later died at the hospital. The boy’s age was not released. Police responded to a “shots fired” call and later found the boy. A man separately arrived at the hospital with gunshot wounds. Police assume that the two injuries are related …
MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2020
Once again, a young child was shot as an innocent bystander to a violent argument, this time in Jacksonville, Florida. This is the second shooting of a child as bystander to an argument in two days. It is the third gun accident of this type in four days. The victim, Kearria Attison, was 5-years old. …
SUNDAY, APRIL 5, 2020
In Chester, Pennsylvania, 7-year old Sinsir Parker was found dead after being hit by a “stray bullet” during an apparent drive-by shooting. He had been shot in the face and was discovered lying in the middle of the street. Police are investigating. The report noted that the incident was the 14th homicide in Chester in …
THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020
Amir Jennings Green, a 4-year old in Thornton, Illinois, found a loaded gun in the basement of his home today. He fired it and killed himself. This is the third gun accident in two days in which a toddler found a gun and fired it. Source: “4-year-old Dies After Accidentally Shooting Himself in Thornton,” WGN …
MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2020
Here is the entirety of a report about an incident that occurred today in Bessemer, Alabama: “The 12-year-old boy who was shot in the head Monday by his brother while playing with a gun has died, according to the Bessemer Police Department. No other information has been released at this time.” Source: Phil Pinarski, “12-year-old …
THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020
19-year old Anthony Padilla, an Albuquerque, New Mexico man, accidentally shot and killed his 13-year old cousin while arming himself for protection against the Covid-19 scare. The boy, Patrick Arroyo, was shot in the torso and pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. According to a report of the shooting, “Padilla told police he was …
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2020
In Northwoods, Missouri, a 15-year old boy accidentally shot his 12-year old sister, Nakyah Durham. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The boy was handling a firearm when it accidentally discharged. He has been arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter. Source: Associated Press, “Police: 15-Year-Old Accidentally Shot 12-Year-Old Sister,” US News and World Report …
SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2020
A three-year old Louisville, Kentucky girl is dead. According to a report, Fayth Graham found a loaded gun in her home and shot herself. “We’re still in the very early stages of the investigation, and really, at this point, that’s way down the line,” a police spokesperson responded when questions were raised about whether the …
FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020
A 13-year old boy in Memphis Tennessee was charged with negligent homicide after accidentally shooting 9-year old Xavier Jackson with a gun that he found unsecured. A 26-year old man, Lindsey Williams, was also charged with negligent homicide in connection with the incident. “Too many kids in Memphis have died this year,” a relative said. …
TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020
Derrius Atkinson, a Wake Forest, North Carolina teenager pled guilty and was sentenced to 13-25 months in prison in connection with a 2018 gun accident that left his best friend dead. Atkinson was also ordered to pay restitution. Rodshawn Barnes, Atkinson, and two other boys were playing video games at Barnes’ home, while also playing …
MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2020
Darric Appleton, a 14-year old Phoenix, Arizona teenager, was accidentally shot and killed by a 16-year old friend. 7 children, age 5-16, were in the home at the time of the incident. No adults were present. According to police, the 16-year old brought a gun to the residence, pointed it, and accidentally pulled the trigger. …
SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020
A child is dead after a gun accident in Fairview, North Carolina. Although sources indicate that the wound was self inflicted and that the victim was five-years old, authorities expressly declined to release any details of the incident on the basis that the victim was under 18. An investigation is ongoing. This case illustrates the …
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2020
In Biloxi, Mississipi, Bennie Hiep Lu, a 15-year old, accidentally shot and killed another teenager. The boys were playing with a gun and Lu pulled the trigger in the belief that the gun was unloaded. Reports indicate that “Bennie has been placed under arrest and is being charged as an adult with manslaughter. … After …
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2020
Two teenagers were shot to death today by others in incidents that involved playing with a gun. In Tamaqua, a borough in Eastern Pennsylvania, Eric Tavener was shot and killed accidentally by 21-year old Francis Witmayer. Witnesses said that Tavener, an 18-year old, was playing with a gun when he was asked to return it …
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2020
For the third day in a row, a child was accidentally shot in East Texas by another child. In Joaquin, Texas, 17-year old Heston Avery accidentally shot and killed his teenage friend, whose name was not reported. At the time of the shooting, Avery called for emergency help, but deputies pronounced the victim dead at …
Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Juvenile Arrested Ongoing Investigation Tennessee
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2020
Two Tennessee teens were unintentionally shot this weekend. One is dead and the other is recovering at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. In Memphis, 16-year old Jordan Milan was shot and killed by his 17-year old friend, who was playing with a gun. The 17-year old, who was not identified by police, was arrested and charged …
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2020
In Texarkana Arkansas, Kayden May was charged with manslaughter after the shooting death of his girlfriend Abbigale Thacker in their home. Both May and Thacker were 18-year olds. May’s charge was reduced from second-degree murder to manslaughter after authorities concluded that Thacker’s death resulted from an “extreme case of gun safety violations.” A Texarkana police …
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020
In Dunmor, Kentucky, a 15-year old boy was killed when a firearm accidentally discharged while he was target shooting with a friend and his friend’s mother on their property. The Kentucky State Police investigated and concluded: “it was an accidental discharge. Detectives are working to determine exactly how the incident happened. No one has been …
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2020
14-year old Jesus Jimenez Solis was cleaning a gun in his bedroom when it accidentally fired, killing his 15-year old friend, Sylas Lieb. Jimenez Solis, an Omaha Nebraska boy, was holding the gun in his lap and wiping it with a towel when it went off. Lieb died at the scene. According to investigators, Jimenez …
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2020
In Tampa, Florida, 17-year old Ivan Johnson died today after being shot with a BB fired from a pellet gun by an eight-year old friend while they were waiting for the younger boy’s father in the father’s car. The BB struck Ivan in the eye. He was taken to a hospital before dying three days …
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2020
A family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is mourning the death of three-year old Chassity Clancy who was shot to death in a gun accident in her home. According to reports, 51-year old Marlin Pritchard was babysitting and fell asleep next to Chassity with a loaded pistol grip shotgun under his pillow when the gun went off. …
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2020
Lincoln Mack, a 4-year old boy in Pemberton Township, New Jersey, accidentally shot and killed himself today after finding a loaded handgun in his home. His parents and two siblings were in the home at the time. Lincoln’s preschool teachers described him as a “sweet and fun little boy with a smile that lit up …
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020
In Harvest, Alabama, five-year old Maxton Hughes, the son of a Huntsville police officer, apparently found a gun in the family car and accidentally shot himself in the head. A parent found the child and drove him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. An investigation is ongoing but no charges are expected. “This …
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020
In Hinckley, Ohio, 13-year old Max Muzyczka, an eighth grader, was shot to death. Police reported that “the initial investigation indicates this was sadly a tragic accident.” Authorities declined to release additional information about the incident out of respect for the the boy’s family. According to a statement issued by the school district, “Max was …
FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2020
Three-year old Keegan Vasquez shot himself in the face with a .25 caliber pistol he found on a TV stand in his great-grandmother’s home. The Callaghan County, Texas boy was taken to a hospital in Fort Worth, where he later died. The boy’s great-grandmother said that she had forgotten that the gun was there. The …
Adult Arrested Alabama Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Ongoing Investigation Pennsylvania Utah
THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020
Four young children accidentally shot themselves today with found guns in separate incidents. Two are dead. Two are hospitalized. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania a four-year old found a Glock pistol in a closet and shot himself in the head in his bedroom. His three-year old brother was in the room at the time. Police say the …
SUNDAY, JANUARY 26, 2020
In another fatal gun accident involving a child in Pataskala, Ohio, a town of less than 16,000 people near Columbus (see December 14, 2019), 15-year old Noah Bigham shot and killed his best friend, Hunter Cooper, a high school freshman, while attempting to distract him from playing a video game. Noah was using the laser …
SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 2020
3-year old Amir Antoine of Baton Rouge, Louisiana shot and killed himself Saturday morning in his home. He was handling a gun and accidentally pulled the trigger. This was the second accidental shooting in the Antoine home in the last four years. In 2016, 17-year-old Ahmad Antoine was charged with negligent homicide after he accidentally …
SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2020
In Bloomington, Indiana, both four-year old Tripp Shaw and his father, Tyler, were shot in the head after the father’s gun accidentally discharged. After several days in the hospital, Tripp died of his wounds. His father was expected to recover. According to authorities, the father and son were play-wrestling on a bed when a gun …
FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources reported today that there were 11 hunting accidents across the state in 2019, including two that resulted in deaths. The year 2020, however, started badly when hunter Kim Drawdy and his 9-year old daughter were mistaken for deer on New Years day and accidentally shot by other hunters. …
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2019
A 13-year old boy was killed in Tulsa, Oklahoma while passing around a gun with his friends. The wound was self-inflicted. The gun belonged to the parents of the boy who was shot. Police say the magazine was removed, but that there was a bullet in the chamber. “Parents do not educate their children enough …
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019
In Buna, Texas, “a tragic end to Christmas left the town shaken.” 15-year old James Johnson was shot and killed when a 9 mm pistol was accidentally fired by his 10-year old brother. A cousin, 19, had brought the gun to Johnson’s home and the teens were passing it around, believing it to be unloaded. …
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2019
Less than two weeks after 15-year old Bradley Hulett was accidentally shot to death (see entry for December 12, 2019), another Tampa, Florida area teen was shot and killed in a gun accident. 13-year old Steven McQueen was accidentally shot and killed by a sibling. Comments on the newspaper’s Facebook page include the following: Alfred …
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2019
In San Antonio, Texas, police are investigating after 7-year old Jeffrey Taylor found a gun in his home this morning and shot himself while his family was sleeping. The child was pronounced dead when authorities arrived. The adults in the family are weapons trained and did not know why the gun was unsecured. Source: Gerald …
MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2019
A 13-year old boy is facing unspecified charges in Perkins Township, Ohio after he shot and killed Benjamin LeGresley, an 8-year old. The Assistant Police Chief for Perkins County called it “a tragedy for the family and for the entire community. You don’t see things like this every day.” The incident occurred in the home …
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2019
A Pataskala, Ohio girl was shot and killed by her 6-year old brother on the day after her second birthday. The boy had found a loaded gun in the home. A newspaper obtained the transcript of the call to 911: “There’s been an accident with a weapon. … My daughter’s been shot with a gun,” …
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2019
15-year old Bradley Hulett was shot and killed in Lithia, Florida at the home of his friend, the son of a Tampa police officer. A group of four teenage boys was present at the time of the shooting. According to a subsequent news report about the investigation, some of the boys found the gun in …
Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Juvenile Arrested Ongoing Investigation Pennsylvania
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2019
Murder charges were dropped today in a case involving 18 year-old Fayaadh Gillard, a Philadelphia high school student who fatally shot his twin brother, Suhail, in a tragic accident. Their father, Alleem Gillard, who is paralyzed from the waste down due to his own exposure to gun violence, was teaching the twins, from his wheelchair, …
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2019
In Memphis Tennessee, 20-year old Alex Brown was arrested after accidentally shooting and killing a four-year old boy. Brown told police, “he was unloading his pistol when it accidentally fired and struck his nephew in the head.” A police official pointed to the importance of gun safety practices. “As a parent of three, two teens …
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2019
At a house party in Bedford County, Tennessee, a 19-year old man shot and killed his teenage friend, Riley Hancock, while they played with a gun. According to witnesses, the shooter thought a recently purchased pistol was unloaded and pointed it at his friend. He fired the gun, striking and killing Hancock. The 19-year old …
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2019
Jaeden Livingston, a 14 year-old Abilene, Texas boy, died at Cook’s Children Medical Center today after accidentally shooting himself at a friend’s home on Friday night. He and two boys found a gun in the home and were passing it around, believing it to be unloaded. Jaeden’s mother later said, “I explained about the dangers …
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2019
In Memphis Tennessee, no charges were filed after a 11-year old boy found a gun in a cousin’s apartment when no adults were home. He accidentally shot and killed himself. The boy found the gun in a holster under the mattress in a room that he was told was off limits to him. The gun’s …
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2019
Colton Williams, of Williston, South Carolina was accidentally shot and killed by his father while rabbit hunting on Thanksgiving Day. He was a fourth grade student at Kelly Edwards Elementary School. In a Facebook post, his school said: It is with great sadness that we share news of the passing of one of our beloved …
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2019
Steven Johnston of Lincoln Park, Michigan was arraigned today on child abuse charges after his three-year old daughter, Skylar, shot herself in the head after finding his loaded gun. His family called the accident a preventable tragedy. Mr. Johnston was not home at the time of the accident. Skylar was left in the care of …
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2019
In Cleveland Ohio, 11-year old Tyshaun Taylor was shot and killed in an accident at a friend’s birthday party. According to an East Cleveland City Councilman, the shooting was an accident that occurred while the boys at the party were playing with a gun. The supervising parent had left the home to go to a …
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2019
In California, a state that requires safe storage of guns, a five-year old boy found a gun in his home, shot himself, suffered extensive injuries and later died at the hospital. The boy was described by a family friend as “very, very sweet, young boy.” At the time of his death, the boy was under …
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2019
A 13-year old boy was charged with murder after shooting and killing his 14-year old friend, Zavier Mendoza, in Olathe, Kansas. Because of the defendant’s age, his name was not released when the murder charge was announced. The boy who was charged claimed that he didn’t know the gun was loaded when it went off. …
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2019
Kylee Dawn Woods of Pickens County South Carolina, age 11, was shot and killed when her father attempted to eject a round from his .40 caliber handgun. According to a news report, Woods’ father “told police he had ejected the magazine and did not pull the trigger. He told deputies he does not know what …