Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
Four teenagers were accidentally shot today in separate incidents. Three of the teens shot themselves. Two of the incidents, though unrelated, occurred at the same apartment complex in Atlanta, Georgia, just blocks away from where another teen had been accidentally shot last week. In Augusta, Georgia, a 14-year old boy shot himself in the hip …
For the second day in a row, a three-year old boy found a gun at home and shot himself. Today’s accident occurred in Isbell, Alabama. The boy was airlifted to a hospital where he is in stable condition. Authorities have not said whose gun the boy found or why he was able to fire it. …
On Thanksgiving Day, a three-year old in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan found a gun in a bedroom at his home and shot himself in the head. He is in critical condition at a local hospital. “There’s really no words to describe it in most cases like this,” said Grand Blanc Township Police Chief Ron Wiles. …
In Forney, Texas, a 14-year old boy was taken into custody after accidentally shooting and killing his 1-year old neighbor at her home. A 9-year old child was also injured. At the time of the incident, four children were in the home. No adults were present. The 14- year old was charged with ‘Unlawful Carrying …
Two men and a 10-year old boy were hospitalized with wounds suffered in accidental shootings today. Very little information is available about what happened in any of the gun accidents. In Bourne, Massachusetts on Cape Cod, a man was accidentally shot while cleaning his gun. He was hospitalized in Rhode Island with non-life threatening injuries. …
In Columbus, Ohio, a 23-month old toddler found a loaded gun in his home and shot himself in the stomach. He was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive. Several adults and other children were reportedly in the home when the accident occurred. No arrests have been reported. Source: “Toddler Taken To …
For the second day in a row, a four-year old child was an unintended shooting victim. In Tacoma, Washington, shots were fired into the window of a home. The four-year old was the only person struck. She was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Source: Stacia Glenn, “4-year-old Girl Shot, Injured While Inside …
In Detroit, Michigan, an altercation concerning a stolen Uber Eats delivery led to the accidental shooting of a 21-month old girl who was sitting in her mother’s car. The girl’s mother believed that chicken she had ordered had been stolen by her neighbors. In the ensuing argument, one of the neighbors apparently brought out a …
A man and a boy were hospitalized today in Barboursville, West Virginia after a .50 caliber rifle malfunctioned and exploded. The man was shot in the hand and the boy was shot in the arm. The sheriff told a reporter that the two were “out shooting” when the accident occurred. Source: Chad Hedrick, WSAZ 3 …
At least three children were shot in separate gun accidents today. Two were wounded. One was killed. In Senatobia, Mississippi, a two-year old girl found a loaded gun and shot herself. She is being treated at a local hospital and is in stable condition. The incident is being reported as an “accidental discharge.” It is …
In Clay, Alabama, a teenage girl returning home after 2 A.M. was mistaken for an intruder by her stepfather. She was accidentally shot in the abdomen. Her parents say they “heard the garage door open and thought someone was breaking into the home. The stepfather retrieved his firearm and went to investigate.” After the shooting, …
Two young children were innocent victims of gun violence on Halloween. Both were bystanders when arguments broke out and shots were fired. In New York City, an 8-year old, her father and a third bystander were wounded by gunfire outside a supermarket. All three victims are in stable condition. According to a witness, three gunshots …
In Birmingham, Alabama, a 5-year old child was injured after shooting himself in a car with his father’s gun. The boy’s father told police that he left the child in the vehicle while he went back inside, and when he returned “he found the child covered in blood and drove him to the hospital.” He …
Two more young children are unintended victims of shootings that occurred today. One incident occurred in North Carolina, the other in Michigan. Two Mississippi children were unintended victims yesterday. A 22-month old Winston-Salem, North Carolina boy was shot in the stomach inside a minivan. Damien Lopez Rumbo was taken to a local hospital where he …
Three children under ten-years old were shot by accident in separate incidents today. Two of the incidents occurred in connection with drive-by shootings in Mississippi. In the first, in Roxie Mississippi, six-year old Robert London was killed when someone fired into his home for unknown reasons. He was hit in the head. “They went by …
At a virtual arraignment in New York City on Thursday, prosecutors described a gun accident in a Bronx apartment and its consequences: “The defendant carelessly assumed the firearm was unloaded and discharged the firearm, causing a bullet to strike a sleeping child in the abdomen, ripping through her torso and exiting her body through her …
In Montgomery, Michigan, a group of curious toddlers found a loaded gun while their parents were in the kitchen making dinner. One of the kids used the gun to shoot another child, age three, in the neck and face. The three-year old was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition. The Michigan State …
In New Castle, Pennsylvania, at a business called New Castle Brothers Market, a 17-year old accidentally shot his brother in the chest. The victim suffered “serious bleeding” and was taken to a hospital. According to police, the investigation is ongoing. This is the second gun accident in two days involving teenage siblings. Source: Pete Sirianni, …
In Vicksburg, Mississippi, a 16 year-old and his teenage brother were examining a gun when it fired today. The boy was shot in the chest and was taken to the hospital where he is in critical condition. There is an ongoing investigation. Source: John Surratt, “Teen Wounded after Gun Goes Off,” The Vicksburg Post (October …
Three children under age 10 shot themselves today. In Chicago, Illinois, three boys left home alone while their father was picking up their mother from the hospital found a loaded gun. One of the boys, a five-year old, accidentally shot his nine-year old brother in the head. The boy, Ashton Lipscomb, died at the hospital. …
There were two reported gun accidents in Tennessee today. In Crossville, a man cleaning his gun at a firepit accidentally shot himself in the thigh. He was flown by “Lifestar” helicopter to a nearby hospital. In Memphis, two young brothers found a gun and one of them was shot in the hand. The boy went …
In Channelview, Texas, a 15-year old boy accidentally shot his 16-year sister in the arm in a hotel room. Both children were listed as runaways. The local family-violence unit will investigate to determine if charges will be filed. Source: “15-year-old Possibly Playing with Gun Shoots Sister in Channelview, Deputies Say,” ABC13 (October 6, 2020).
In Huntington, West Virginia, Roger Martin Stanley, II accidentally shot his nine-year old son in the head. Stanley was walking around his home with a handgun and activating the laser when it fired. The boy was taken to the hospital where he is in stable condition following surgery. Stanley was arrested charged with child neglect …
A six-year old boy was shot by a sibling while sitting in the parking lot of a Family Dollar Store in Dutchtown, Louisiana. He is in critical condition after being taken by MedEvac helicopter to a nearby hospital . No information is available other than that the siblings were sitting together in a car. Presumably, …
An 11-year old in Flint, Michigan is in critical condition after a gun accident. At the time of the shooting, the boy was home alone with three other kids ranging in age from 9 to 14. Investigators have not determined who pulled the trigger. “They got a hold of a firearm that was inside the …
In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, a 7-month old infant is recovering from a gunshot wound after being accidentally shot by a man who was playing with a gun. There is no indication of the relationship between the man and the infant. Sheriff Deputies say that the incident is being considered an accident at this time. The …
A nine-year old Clayton, North Carolina boy shot his two-year old sister in the head today. The girl was taken to the hospital where she is in serious condition. Police were looking into how the boy found a loaded handgun in his home. Under North Carolina law, the boy’s parents could face charges if the …
In Greenwood, South Carolina, a nine-year old boy found a gun in the center console of the family car today and shot himself. He was taken to the hospital with his parents, where his injuries are not considered life threatening. There is an ongoing investigation, but no arrests have been made. Certainly everyone is lucky …
Three individuals shot themselves in the lower body today in various handgun accidents. A toddler is severely injured, a man is dead, and another appears to have lost his ability to reproduce. A three-year old in Jupiter Inlet, Florida gained access to his uncle’s handgun and shot himself in the thigh and hand. He is …
In Eastover, South Carolina, a 12-year old boy was showing a friend a gun that he found in his home when he shot himself in the upper body. The boy was taken to the hospital where he was treated for the wound. Police say two 12-year old boys were home alone at the time of …
For the third day in a row, a child injured himself with a gun found in his home. In this instance, it is a three-year old in Baltimore, Maryland. He was treated at the hospital for a wound to the hand. We continue to need clearer legal requirements for safe storage, better child access prevention …
Two more children shot themselves today with found guns, one in Illinois and one in Oklahoma. In Chicago, a 5-year old boy shot himself in the thigh and was rushed to the hospital after accidentally shooting himself with a gun he found in his home. In Oklahoma City, a 13-year old who was left alone …
Two deaths today occurred when guns were unintentionally fired by young boys. In both cases an older boy accidentally killed a younger child. Both of the shooters are being prosecuted. In a third incident, two boys were injured after shooting themselves with a gun they found in a car. In Canton, Ohio an 11-year old …
Twice today, a gun accidentally discharged in public, injuring four people. In both cases, a loaded gun was discharged inside a place of business while being carried by its owner inside his pants pocket. In Camden, New York, at the Grape and Grog restaurant, a police deputy accidentally discharged one round from his gun while …
For the second time in two weeks, a young Cincinnati, Ohio boy found his mother’s loaded gun and shot himself. In this incident, a 6-year old shot himself in the leg. His injuries are not considered life threatening. Once again, the boy’s mother has been arrested. Once again, the report does not indicate how the …
A nine-year old Grand Rapids, Michigan boy “somehow accessed a gun” in his home and accidentally shot himself in the arm. He was taken to a hospital for treatment. No arrests were made. The Michigan Department of State Police publishes a pamphlet which says, in part: Firearm ownership carries with it a responsibility of safeguarding …
A 5-year old and a 4-year old were victims of shootings today as innocent bystanders. The 5-year old was attending a birthday party in Fresno, California when she was struck by a stray bullet fired by one of several people arguing in the neighborhood. According to the report, police do not believe that the 5-year …
In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a 17-year old Native American girl is in critical condition after a gun was accidentally discharged. According to police, Artavius Gregerabdo was handling a gun when it went off and shot the girl in the head. He was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and reckless discharge. The girl who …
An 11-year old and a 12-year old were involved in gun accidents today. In Lake County, Florida, 12-year old Jeremyah Wyatt found an unsecured gun in his home and accidentally shot and killed himself. “This is that one of those calls that deputies don’t want to ever go to — and paramedics. No one wants …
A young child in Virginia Beach, Virginia found a loaded unsecured firearm today, picked it up and accidentally shot himself. The child’s age was not released. His injuries were not considered life-threatening. In Virginia, it is illegal for a person “to recklessly leave a loaded, unsecured firearm in such a manner as to endanger the …
A 6-year old Cincinnati, Ohio child found a gun and shot himself while his mother slept. His mother, Darnasia McKinney, 26, was arrested and charged with felony child endangerment. The boy was hospitalized. No information about his condition is available. It is unclear how the boy will be cared for upon release from the hospital. …
Two people were injured today when guns were accidentally discharged. In each incident the victim was not in the room where the gun was fired. At John Wayne airport in Orange County, California, a sheriff’s deputy accidentally fired his service weapon at 7 AM this morning. The round penetrated a wall and hit an airport …
A three-year old in Springfield, Illinois apparently found a loaded unsecured firearm and shot himself. The child’s injuries are not believed to be life threatening. This gun accident occurred in the home of a relative who is not the child’s legal guardian. According to the report, the relative was the legally licensed owner of the …
In San Angelo, Texas, another 2-year old was shot by a young sibling who had found a gun. It is unclear whether the injuries are life threatening. Police and the local child services agency are investigating. No arrests have been made. Source: “San Angelo Police Respond to an Accidental Shooting Incident Involving a 2-year Old …
In separate incidents in the nation’s capital, an 8-year old girl and a 5-year old boy were struck and injured by gunfire. The news report also describes recent Washington, DC incidents in which 11-year old Davon McNeal and 17-year old Christopher Brown were struck and killed by gunfire. In each of these incidents, the victim …
A 14-year-old Columbus, Ohio boy shot himself in the hand in a gun accident today. He later told police he was handling “his handgun” when he accidentally shot himself. The boy’s mother was inside the house sleeping when the incident took place. In Ohio, a person must be over 21 to purchase a handgun, but …
Police in Shreveport, Louisiana are investigating an incident in which a five-year old child was accidentally shot in the leg. According to a report, the gun went off when the child jumped on a bed where the gun was placed. The child suffered non-life threatening injuries. Source: “Shreveport Police Investigate 2 Shootings Monday Night,” KTBS3 …
A four-year old Gary, Indiana girl found a gun at 5:00 AM this morning and shot herself in the foot. She is hospitalized in stable condition. Police are investigating the incident as a gun accident and no arrests have been made. Source: David Struett, “Unattended 4-year-old Shoots Self in Foot in Gary: Police,” Chicago Sun …
Two people were shot and wounded today in separate accidents caused by friends who were in possession of guns illegally. In Joplin Missouri, a 48-year old man was cleaning a stolen handgun and accidentally shot his girlfriend in the abdomen. She is currently hospitalized in stable condition. Police are investigating the theft. In Murray, Utah, …
20-year old Jazmine Feliciana of Mobile, Alabama was playing with a gun inside an apartment when she accidentally shot an apparently unrelated child. Police responded to the incident at the hospital, spoke to the child’s mother, and later arrested Ms. Feliciana. Source: “Police: Woman Playing With Gun Shoots Child,” WKRG 5 (July 26, 2020).
In Idaho Falls, Idaho, a teenager accidentally shot and injured himself with a gun he found in a local canal. The Sheriff’s Office says a 16-year-old and 14-year-old were handling a gun when it accidentally fired, hitting the 14-year old. He was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A statement issued by …
Cleveland, Ohio police are investigating after an incident in which a 9-year old boy was accidentally shot by his stepfather. The boy was shot in the hand and upper leg. Records show that several days later, the stepfather, 37-year old Zachary Stover, was charged with “child endangering.” Court filings say that he was picking a …
A ten-year old boy is in stable condition after an accidental shooting in Brooklyn, New York. He and another boy were playing with a gun when it went off. There is no additional information available. This gun accident may have been largely ignored in the press in light of a long violent holiday weekend in …
A 14-year old boy in Modesto California was airlifted to the hospital after a gun accident in his home. The boy was conscious and alert and the wound is not considered life threatening. No information was available on the circumstances of the accident at the time of the report. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, …
In separate incidents, two young children found unsecured handguns today and accidentally shot and injured a sibling. In Beulaville, North Carolina, a 6-year old girl found a handgun in her home and shot her 12-year old sister in the back. The 12-year old is at the hospital in critical condition. An 18-year old was charged …
In Rochester, Minnesota, a 16-year old fired a friend’s handgun at his own head, believing that it wasn’t loaded. He was injured but not killed. Would a loaded chamber indicator have prevented this accident? Source: “RPD: Teen Accidentally Shoots Himself, Not Seriously Hurt,” ABC6News (June 29, 2020).
To pick up where we left off yesterday, in New York City today, 7-year old Kayley Santiago was struck in the thigh by stray gunfire while walking in the street with family members. 16-year old Isaiah Vazquez was firing at a rival and Kayley was an unintended victim. Vazquez was charged with attempted murder, assault …
The pandemic of gun violence across the country continues to have unintended consequences for innocent bystanders. Two children who were playing in an empty lot in Kalamazoo, Michigan were struck by gunfire today during a gun battle between people firing shots from two different vehicles. Although the shooting was presumably intentional, the accidental injuries to …
In Albany, New York, a ten-year old girl is recovering after being accidentally shot in the back by her father inside the family’s home. Police say 54-year-old Gregorie Smith shot his daughter in the back with a 9mm handgun. He has been charged with 2nd degree criminal possession of a weapon and 2nd degree assault. …
Two young boys were shot today in separate gun accidents. A teenage boy accidentally shot himself in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Police are investigating. The boy is at a local hospital in unknown condition. In Covington County, Alabama, a “juvenile” was shot and flown to a Florida hospital in stable condition after playing with a gun he …
Two children were injured in gun accidents today. In Panama Beach City, Florida, a toddler found a gun in the family car and shot himself in the stomach. He is recovering at the hospital. In San Antonio, Texas, a 14-year old girl was shot in the chest and arm when she was grabbing something from …
A ten month-old Indianapolis, Indiana boy was hit in the knee by a gunshot that passed through two apartment walls. The shot was fired from outside the building. He is recovering at the hospital. Police do not know who fired the shot. Nor do they know why the shot was fired. Source: “10-month-old Boy Shot …
In Morris, Alabama, a five-year old boy found a gun in his home and shot himself in the face. He later died of his wound. “It’s just a tragic accident it appears,” the Morris police chief said. The police will present findings to the District Attorney’s office on Monday. In Portland, North Dakota, a newspaper …
In St. Petersburg, Florida, Treyvon Maynor, a 16-year old, was arrested after he accidentally shot his 9-year old nephew with a stolen gun. The boy was hit in the arm and taken to a local hospital. According to witnesses, Maynor was handling the firearm when it accidentally fired. After the incident, Maynor fled the scene …
A two-year old Florida child was shot by a man who was cleaning his gun, according to Escambia County sheriff’s deputies. The child was hospitalized. No further information was reported. Source: “Deputies: 2-year-old Accidentally Shot while Gun Owner was Cleaning Firearm,” WEAR TV (May 8, 2020).
Few details were reported about three incidents in which people were shot and injured in gun accidents today. In Auburn, Alabama a young person was flown to the hospital and is in stable condition after being accidentally shot at an apartment complex. The child’s age and the circumstances of the accident were not reported. In …
For the second day in a row, a child was shot in a gun accident in Central Alabama. Today, a Fairfield four-year old was shot in the back of a car by a younger sibling. The accident occurred in the parking lot of a local mall. The child remains in critical condition. Police are investigating. …
In Richmond, Virginia, 19-year-old Chynekqua Walker was arrested and charged with reckless handling of a firearm after shooting her 15-year old brother in the shoulder in their home. According to a report “she thought that she was handling a BB gun when she accidentally shot her brother… with a real gun.” It was the fourth …
In Phoenix, Arizona, a four-year old boy is in a medically induced coma after being accidentally shot in the head by his 15-year old uncle. The boy’s father, Jose Solis, handed the gun to his 15-year old brother and the gun went off while the 15 year-old was handling it. “Jose was looking at his …
For the second time in less than a week, a child was injured in a hunting accident. A child and an adult were turkey hunting in Camp Creek State Park in West Virginia when they were injured by a shot fired by another hunter. He had “mistaken them for a turkey.” The boy suffered more …
A seven-year old boy in McPherson, Kansas was in serious-to-critical condition after he was shot in the head in a hunting accident. According to the report, “an adult hunter thought he shot at a turkey, but it was a decoy the boy was near.” The boy was taken to a local medical center. Source: “7-year-old …
A five-year old Chicago, Illinois boy found a gun in his father’s pants pocket and used it to shoot himself in the hand. He was taken to a hospital where he is expected to recover. His father attempted to discard the gun and was later arrested. Charges are pending. Source: Molly Walsh, “5-Year-Old Boy Accidentally …
Once again, a young person was seriously injured by a stray bullet fired in a fight that she had no part in. In Boston, Massachusetts a 10-year old girl is in critical condition after being struck by a bullet that passed through her apartment wall. The shot was fired during a fight that occurred in …
Four accidental shooting victims are taking up hospital beds amidst the coronavirus medical crisis, after gun accidents in Louisiana, Texas, Alabama and California today. In Jeanerette, Louisiana, a boy was accidentally shot in the neck during “horseplay.” The adult shooter was arrested and charged with illegal discharge of a weapon. A man in Lake Jackson, …
In an Evans, Georgia gun accident, a 2-year old girl was shot in the abdomen by her 8-year old brother. The child had found a gun while watching TV and was playing with it when it went off. Police are investigating who brought the gun into the home. Source: “Who Owned Gun Used in Accidental …
The latest gun accident involving a child happened in Jackson, Mississippi, where a 5-year child found a gun in his home and shot himself. He was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. There is an ongoing investigation. Source: Justin Victory, “JPD Investigating after 5-year-old Accidentally Shoots Himself,” Clarion Ledger (April 9, 2020).
In an incident in Craigsville, Virginia, a 14-year old girl was accidentally shot in the hip during an altercation. The girl was attending a party where a fight broke out. One of the participants fired a warning shot into the ground. A bullet fragment ricocheted and struck the 14-year old. The man who fired the …
In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a 7-year old boy was accidentally shot on the street. He suffered a non-fatal wound. The shooting was apparently related to an argument in which the boy was not the intended target. Police are investigating. Source: “Milwaukee Police: 7-year-old Boy Shot, Wounded Near 23rd and Locust,” Fox6now.com (April 4, 2020).
Two young children gained access to guns today and shot themselves. At a Wawa grocery in Henrico County Virginia, a 5-year old found a loaded gun in a car while her parents were pumping gas at the Wawa. She shot herself in the hand. In Charlotte, North Carolina, a 3-year old was taken from her …
A Liberty County, Texas man was cleaning a 9-mm semi-automatic pistol when it accidentally fired and struck his 15-year old son in the lower back. The boy was flown to a hospital in Houston and is expected to survive. The gunshot was reported to have caused a “through and through wound.” Source: “Father Cleaning Gun …
A three-year old girl and her father were both injured in Atlanta, Georgia, when the father’s gun accidentally went off while he was handling it inside their apartment. The father, Sahir Duvall, was shot in the hand and his daughter was shot in the neck. Duvall drove them both to the hospital where they were …
Three children were accidentally shot in their own homes yesterday. Each incident involved a handgun apparently left unsecured. Two 12-year old boys in Springfield, Oregon, who were off from school due to the coronavirus on Tuesday morning, found a gun belonging to a family member and were playing with it when it went off. One …
In Brownstown, Indiana, a police investigation has determined that a shot was accidentally fired by a man who was handling a handgun in the living room of his home. A bullet from the gun went through the man’s leg and then entered the leg of his 5-year old son. The man was treated and released. …
A three-year old shot himself in the head today in Columbia, South Carolina with a gun he found in a bedroom in his home. He is hospitalized in critical condition. His mother was later charged with “unlawful conduct toward a child.” In Bolivar, Missouri a two-year old child shot his four-year old brother in the …
An 11-month old child in Plymouth Massachusetts was injured when a gun was accidentally fired near his home. The boy was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The boy’s neighbor, a licensed gun owner, accidentally discharged his gun, according to the local police chief. “He says he was putting a trigger guard on it, …
For the second day in a row, a child was accidentally shot by an older relative in Houston, Texas. According to sheriff’s deputies, 19-year old Caitlyn Smith accidentally shot her 10-year old nephew while she was taking selfies with a gun. The Sheriff announced that Ms. Smith was arrested and charged with “Injury to a …
A 15-year old in Houston, Texas turned himself in to police after accidentally shooting his 5-year old sister in the stomach. The accident occurred while his parents were asleep. The boy panicked and ran from the home when his parents woke up to the sound of the gunshot. The 5-year old was rushed to a …
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 …
In St. Louis, Missouri, a 12-year old boy was accidentally shot when a family member fired a warning shot at a person she believed was going to rob her. The bullet struck the ground and the ricochet hit the boy in the hand. He was taken to a hospital where he was expected to recover. …
On Valentine’s Day, four young children were shot and injured in their homes by other children. Three children were shot in two incidents in Chicago, Illinois. The other incident occurred in Dallas, Texas. An eight-year old boy and a 12-year old girl were both shot in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side by another …