Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
In Shreveport, Louisiana, a 16-year old boy was shot in the head as he and a friend were playing with a gun. He is said to be “fighting for his life.” And in St. Louis, Missouri, Marquis Bishop, age 30, was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child after a three-year old …
In Cincinnati, Ohio, another child was shot in a gun accident today. The child’s injuries are not considered life threatening. There have been a particularly large number of accidental shootings involving Ohio children over the last 20 months, with many of those shootings occurring in Cincinnati. In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Alexander Lewis Heaps acknowledged mishandling …
When shooting broke out at a mall in Danbury, Connecticut, the injured girl, age 15, was an innocent bystander. She was shot in the chest and is in stable condition at the hospital. No other people were injured. Police report that at least eight people were involved in an altercation at the mall, but that …
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 …
Four children were injured today in three incidents in which bullets fired outdoors entered their homes. It appears that the children were all innocent bystanders to gun violence. In Cleveland Heights, Ohio, a 13-year old from Wisconsin was struck and killed while standing inside the home where he was visiting. It is unclear why shots …
The epidemic of gun violence affecting the nation’s children continued unabated today. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a 6-year old found a loaded gun in his home and shot himself in the hand. He is in stable condition at the hospital. Also today, at least eleven teenagers were shot and injured in separate episodes of gun violence. …
Shamyrion Alexander of Dayton, Ohio, age 11, was shot and killed by an 11-year old relative today. The boys had “gained access” to a .40 caliber handgun when it fired and killed Shamyrion, according to police. “It is a huge concern when young people gain access to firearms. Obviously, we see the tragic result that …
Children were unintentionally injured in Indiana and Wisconsin today. The Indiana shooting occurred in Evansville, where a parent who was unloading his firearm accidentally shot his own six-year old child in the leg. The round passed through a wall before striking the child. In Milwaukee, an eight-year old was shot. Police are investigating, but have …
In Southport, Florida, a five-year old child shot a seven-year old sibling with a 20-gauge shotgun while their mother slept in another room. Sheriff’s deputies found the seven-year old bleeding on the bathroom floor in her mother’s arms with “severe and life-threatening injuries.” According to the report, the injured girl told investigators that her brother …
Once again, the focus today is on the rash of gun violence affecting American children. Three toddlers were shot in apparent gun accidents today. At least ten teenagers were also killed or injured in eight shootings across the country. Two four-year olds and a three-year old were involved in gun accidents that were barely covered …
At least eight teenagers were injured in eight separate shooting incidents in the United States today. In light of minimal reporting, the circumstances of most of the incidents remain murky. Teens were shot in Chicago and Decatur, Illinois. The other incidents occurred in Iowa, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and Delaware. As reported, the incidents …
A 6-year old child was killed and two teenagers were injured in accidental shootings today. Again, minimal details were reported. The 6-year old, Charles Garza or Amroy, Mississippi, was killed in a gun accident in his home. No details were reported other than that his father, Justin Garza, is a fire fighter. A Go-Fund-Me page …
One child was killed and three were injured in accidental shootings today. In each case, reports of the incident contain minimal details. In Dallas, Texas, 17-year old Chadrick Good was shot and killed by a 16-year old who accidentally fired a gun while sitting behind Good in a vehicle. The 16-year old has been charged …
In Little Rock, Arkansas, a three-year old found a loaded gun and shot himself in the eye. The boy is in critical condition at the hospital. There was no discussion in the article about how the boy obtained an unsecured loaded gun or about why manufacturers are allowed to design guns that a three-year old …
A 22-year old was killed and three children were seriously injured in gun accidents today. In Dunmore, Pennsylvania, 22-year old Tyler Sitar was accidentally shot in the stomach by his friend Luigi Lorusso, who was handling a gun. Sitar died of his wound and Lorusso was arrested and charged with manslaughter. Another Columbus, Ohio child, …
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 …
Two Tennessee children were unintentional victims of gun violence today; an 11-year old was killed and a 5-year old was injured in separate incidents. In Memphis, Tennessee, a single gunshot inside an apartment complex struck and killed an 11-year old, according to neighbors. Police are investigating. “It’s overwhelming, overwhelming, you know what I’m saying,” said …
Adam L. Carroll of Lenexa, Kansas, died today after his friend negligently fired a gun inside an apartment building. The shooter, who was not identified, immediately called 911 and attempted life-saving measures. There is an ongoing investigation. “I just hope it was an accident and, at the end of the day, they just get down …
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 …
At least three toddlers and two teenagers were injured in gun accidents today. The reported details of most of the incidents are limited or murky. In Birmingham, Alabama, a two-year old apparently shot himself inside a vehicle at a gas station. The news story implies that the child found a gun in the car, perhaps …
In Moore, Oklahoma, a 19-month old baby was taken to a local trauma center with an accidental gunshot wound that occurred, according to his family, when a gun “fell off a dresser and discharged.” The baby was shot in the abdomen. The family is cooperating and no charges are contemplated. “It’s sad and our prayers …
Four kids were killed or injured as innocent bystanders to other people’s violence in three incidents today. In Statesville, North Carolina, an eight-year old girl was killed and a nine-year old boy was injured when a gunman pulled up at their home in a car and started shooting. The children happened to be caught outside. …
In Manhattan, New York, a newly commissioned off-duty New Jersey trooper accidentally fired a round on a Penn Station train platform while adjusting his holster. He shot himself once in the leg and was treated at the hospital. No word about whether the gun had a manual safety and whether it was deployed. There …
A 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 …
In Houston, Texas, a gunshot struck and injured a six-year old boy inside his home, according to the Houston sheriff. He is in stable condition at the hospital. “They’re just shooting for fun,” said a neighbor. “That’s amazing to me, because they’re shooting to these houses. As a mother, it broke my heart … because …
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. …
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 …
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 …
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 …
An Atlanta, Georgia three-year old shot himself in the hand when he found a loaded gun in his home. The boy’s mother was in the next room at the time of the incident. The boy is in stable condition at the hospital. And no decision has been made about whether his mother will be charged. …
In Americus, Georgia, a 16-year old boy was listed in critical condition after being accidentally shot. He and a group of boys were horsing around with a gun on the back deck of a local home. One of the boys, Jordan Hamilton, age 17, was arrested and charged with reckless conduct. In Waterbury, Connecticut, a …
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 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 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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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,” …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 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 …
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 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 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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
In Detroit, Michigan, a 13-year old and a three-year old were hurt in separate gun accidents. The three year old was shot by a four-year old sibling while they were playing with a gun. They were being supervised by another sibling, age 13, while their parents were at work. The injured child was in stable …
In a complicated incident today, Houston, Texas police accidentally shot a one-year old child in the head. They were reportedly attempting to prevent a carjacking at the time of the incident. The baby is in stable condition at the hospital. Police report that they were chasing an armed suspect, wanted for several aggravated robberies. At …
A 6-year old Nashville, North Carolina boy was shot and injured by a friend of his brother, who was showing off a gun. According to the report, the boy’s 16-year old brother had friends over, one of whom was showing the group his gun when it fired. The 6-year old was airlifted to a hospital, …
A four-year old in Columbus, Ohio was in stable condition at the hospital after rolling over onto a loaded gun on a bed in his home. A “911 caller told police that the child rolled over onto a gun that way lying on the bed, causing the gun to go off, shooting the child in …
An 88-year old woman was killed and a three-year old child was seriously injured in separate gun accidents today. In Warren, Ohio, 88-year old Ruth Lewis was planning a funeral with family members when someone shot through a window and killed her. “This was a senseless death caused by a random bullet. Obviously, she wasn’t …
At a Winston-Salem, North Carolina hospital, doctors discovered that an eight-year old had been shot in the head in her home. The girl was in critical condition. No other information has been released, including about the circumstances of the incident. Police are investigating. Source: John Hinton, “An 8-year-old Girl is Shot in the Head on …
In Clarksville, Tennessee, a two-year old child was killed in a home where there were three children under the age of four. One of the toddlers found an unsecured gun and shot the two-year old. He died at the hospital. Julian Chester, the child’s mother’s boyfriend, was arrested on unrelated charges. Source: “Tenn. Toddler Dies …
An 8-year old boy was accidentally shot in Milwaukee, Wisconsin today inside his home by a bullet fired outside. The report does not include information about the boy’s condition. A 16-year old was later arrested for firing indiscriminately into the home. “If children and women in our city are not safe, nobody is safe,” said …
In Fort Wayne, Indiana, an Indiana State trooper called in a report of a gun accident at his own home. According to the report, the trooper, who was on duty at the time, was notified of an accident involving a 6-year old child. He reported it to authorities and responded personally. The trooper took the …
Two children found guns and injured other children today, once again in Texas and Ohio. In Houston, Texas, a boy described as 6- or 7-years old, found a loaded gun and shot his five-year old sister in the leg. She was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. Several family members were home at the time of …
In East Chicago, Indiana, a two-year old found an unattended loaded gun in his home and shot himself in the side of the head. The child was conscious when officers found him, a police deputy reported. Family members told police that the boy had located his father’s gun in the residence and shot himself with …
In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a three-year old boy found a loaded gun in his home and shot himself. Police were alerted to the incident by a call from the hospital. Although the child is expected to survive, there is an ongoing investigation. Source: “Toddler Expected to Survive after Accidental Shooting, Police Say,” Fox 8 Live …
The Bennettsville, South Carolina Police Department issued the following statement about a gun accident that injured two children today, reprinted here in its entirety: “The Bennettsville Police Department Detectives’ Division was called in reference to a shooting at a residence inside the city limits of Bennettsville, SC. A preliminary investigation has led detectives to conclude …
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 …
At least three children were accidentally shot and injured today. They were aged 14, 15, and 7. The incidents occurred in states that have been regular sites of gun accidents involving children: Florida, Ohio and North Carolina. The most fully reported of the accidents was in Jacksonville, Florida. Ayva Guthrie, age 14,was accidentally shot by …
At a gated community in the Bronx, New York, Noble Grant, an eight-year old boy, retrieved a gun from a gun safe in his father’s closet and accidentally shot himself in the back of the head. It is unclear whether the safe was locked at the time the boy obtained the gun. According to a …
Once again, a Columbus, Ohio child was hurt in a gun accident. This time a three-year-old girl was hurt when her four-year old brother found a loaded unsecured gun in their home and pulled the trigger. The girl was struck and was hospitalized in stable condition. Source: “Police: 3-year-old Girl Accidentally Shot by 4-year-old Brother …
An 18-year old Lincoln, Nebraska man was shot and injured in a hunting accident today. Deputies said a 41-year-old man was putting a rifle in the backseat of a truck after deer hunting. The firearm discharged, went through the seat and hit the 18-year-old in the leg. The injured 18-year old suffered serious injuries but …
Two three-year old children and a five-year old were injured in gun accidents today. Reported facts about each incident are minimal. A five-year old Columbus, Ohio boy was playing with his mother’s loaded handgun when it fired. He is expected to survive. A Wichita, Kansas teenager was handling a handgun when it fired accidentally and …