Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
Gun accidents occurred all over the country today. In Henrico, Virginia, a 7-year old found his father’s loaded gun and shot himself. His injuries are not considered life-threatening. The boy’s father, Landin Lewis, Sr., was arrested and charged with allowing his son to access the gun. In Somerville, Massachusetts, a police officer shot himself while …
14-year old Alexis Pierson, a Port St. Louis, Mississippi middle-schooler was shot and killed in her home by a child who found a loaded gun. One of Alexis’s friends had brought the gun over and did not secure it. When Pierson told the child who found the gun to put it down, the child accidentally …
In Belleville, Illinois, a 3-year old found a loaded gun in his home and used it to shoot himself. The boy is in critical condition at the hospital. And in Lubbock, Texas, John Carrasco was arrested for illegal gun possession after he accidentally shot his father in the leg. According to the report, Carrasco initially …
A three-year old Jacksonville, Florida boy found a loaded and unsecured gun in the bedroom of his home today. He shot himself in the head and died. Alexander Sibley, a 36-year old man, was later arrested and charged with illegal gun possession based on a prior felony conviction. A neighbor told a reporter, “I do …
In Shreveport, Louisiana, two children, aged 3 and 4, apparently found a loaded gun in their home. The gun inevitably was fired and the four year old, Michael Thomas, Jr., was shot in the chest and killed. His younger sister was also injured. Two adults were home at the time of the incident. According to …
A St. Louis, Missouri 10-year old shot and killed his 12-year old brother today. Their mother was getting a haircut at home at the time of the incident. The victim, LaFrance Johnson, was a sixth grader. “A 36-year-old woman was arrested for endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death after she told police …
Janiyah Jenkins, an Atlanta, Georgia four-year old, found her uncle’s loaded and unsecured gun in her home and shot herself in the leg. The round passed into her intestines and Janiyah died at the hospital. Janiyah’s uncle, LeVante Cummings, age 26, was arrested and charged with second degree murder and cruelty to a child. He …
Bryson Jackson, a Memphis, Tennessee three-year old, shot himself to death today with an unsecured and loaded AR-15 that he found in his home. The guns belonged to his mother’s friend, Tedrick Butler. Bryson’s mom, Tinesha Jackson, had left Bryson and another child at home in the care of an uncle while she and Butler …
Kismet Sengdan of Akron, Ohio, a ten-year old died today after another child picked up an unsecured gun and accidentally discharged it. Kismet was visiting at the time. Police are investigating to determine who owned the gun. The Akron Public schools issued the following statement after the incident: “It is with a heavy heart that …
A two-year old and a three-year old were victims of unintended gun violence today. In Talbott, Tennessee, a two-year old is in critical condition after finding a loaded gun in his home. Investigators believe the gun went off in the boy’s hands as he was playing with it. “If you’re a gun owner, you got …
Yaniel Rivera, age 11, of Cleveland, Ohio was found dead in a Cleveland home after being shot in the abdomen. Police are investigating the incident as a likely unintentional shooting on the basis that Yaniel got access to an unsecured firearm. No arrests have been made. Yaniel is the fourth Cleveland child to die in …
The unintended consequences of gun violence were felt across the country on Sunday, including incidents on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, three incidents in Chicago and single incidents in Georgia and Maryland. In New Orleans, Louisiana, Charles Hudson, a bar employee, was shot and killed in the Cat’s Meow, a crowded Bourbon Street karaoke bar, …
A 16-year old San Angelo, Texas boy died from a gunshot wound to the chest suffered when he and other kids were handling a loaded gun. Police are investigating to determine exactly what happened. They have announced that no further information will be released at this time. Source: Matt Trammell, “San Angelo Police Confirm Teen …
Four-month old Jaquari Jones was killed when a group of Lubbock, Texas kids were playing with a gun and it discharged. A 14-year old has been arrested and charged with manslaughter. No report on how the kids obtained the gun, though there is an ongoing investigation. Source: “Teen Arrested After Deadly Infant Shooting,” Everything Lubbock …
A Ripley, Tennessee three-year old found a loaded gun in his home and shot himself in the head. He was found dead at the scene. No arrests have been made, but there is an ongoing investigation. Also today, the father of a Dolton, Illinois three-year old who accidentally shot and killed his mother was arrested …
Three children found loaded guns in their homes today and injured themselves, two of them in Baton Rouge Louisiana. The two incidents make three accidental shootings in Baton Rouge in just two days. Deetroy Watkins, 26, of Baton Rouge was arrested after he left his gun in a couch cushion. His three-year old son found …
There were at least four more serious gun accidents today, for a total of nine in two days. Several of the accidents occurred because the shooter wasn’t aware that the gun was loaded, making it unlikely that the weapons involved had a proper loaded chamber indicator, a common sense safety device. In North Pole, Alaska, …
Several types of common American gun accidents were on display today in cities across the country. In Memphis, Tennessee, a man died in an apparent shooting range accident. Two children found loaded guns at home and shot themselves. Again, in Memphis, Tennessee, a toddler is in critical condition after a self-inflicted shooting. Memphis officials say …
In Chilton County, Alabama a 13-year old boy and another teenager were moving a gun in their home when the gun discharged and the boy was killed. “It’s a tragic thing,’’ the sheriff said, “a sad situation.” No charges are expected. Source: Howard Koplowitz, Carol Robinson, “13-year-old Killed in Accidental Shooting in Chilton County,” Al.com …
For the third day in a row, a four-year old boy found a gun in his home and used it to shoot himself. Today’s accident involved a four-year old named Roman in Coatesville, Pennsylvania who shot himself in the face. Although investigatory details have not been released, a neighbor said, “”[h]e played around with a …
Four-year old Miyell Hernandez of Lithonia, Georgia, found a loaded gun in his mother’s car while she was at the grocery store and shot and killed himself. Miyell was waiting for her with two other children when the accident occurred. “We talked all the time,” said Miyell’s grandmother, April Griffin. “I never felt that kind …
In Hickory, North Carolina, a four-year old boy suffered serious injuries after shooting himself with a loaded gun he found in his home. “This is a tragic situation and our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time,” the police department said in a statement. The boy remains in critical condition at …
Two young people, a ten-year old boy and an 18-year old girl, died in gun accidents today. The ten year-old, Charlie Patton, of Milledgeville, Georgia, died of a pellet gun wound after being accidentally shot by 17-year old Jamarius Walls, a friend of his family,. “All the evidence and witness statements we have from the …
Reports suggest that accidental shootings often happen during crimes. This is not surprising because guns obviously highly correlate with criminal activity and accidents happen frequently when guns are present. An example from today’s news: In Nashville, Tennessee, a teenager was driving a stolen car with a gun on his lap when it fired and struck …
Nydia Wynn, a Virginia Beach, Virginia mother was arrested and charged with felony child neglect after leaving her ten-year old child alone in a hotel room with a gun. The child found the gun and shot themselves in the leg. Additional criminal charges are pending. Source: “Woman Charged with Felony Child Neglect After 10-year-old Shoots Self …
A gun accident in Mobile, Alabama led to hospital treatment for two teenagers. The younger of the two was attempting to disassemble the gun when it fired. He was struck in the hand and the other teen was struck in the knee. They arrived at the hospital separately and police later concluded that the incidents …
A Robstown, Texas man was charged with manslaughter after he accidentally shot and killed 47-year old Patricia Blanco. The man, Arturo Gonzalez, age 50, admitted to officers that he was very drunk when his revolver “went off.” In Cumming, Georgia, a teenager was arrested on multiple charges after he shot another boy in the chest …
Gun accidents involving children appear to have become so routine that they are sometimes barely reported. In Florence, South Carolina, there was an accidental shooting involving a child that resulted in hospitalization. No other information was reported. And in Detroit, Michigan, a five-year old was shot and taken to the hospital. Either he or another …
A 15-year old Bessemer, Alabama girl was shot and killed in a Valentine’s Day gun accident involving her 18-year old friend. According to authorities, the two children were playing with a gun at the home of a relative of the shooter at the time of the incident. The 15-year old, Janiyah Simmons, was a high …
A Detroit, Michigan 14-year old has lost his life as the result of an incident that appears to have involved “horseplay” with a gun. A weapon was found “near the child,” according to police. There may have been a second person involved and police are investigating. Source: Hani Barghouthi, “Saturday Evening Shooting That May Have …
Two St. Louis, Missouri girls, aged 3 and 4, were injured after finding a loaded gun in a parent’s coat pocket and accidentally firing it. One of the girls is in critical condition at the hospital and the other has non-life threatening injuries. There is an ongoing investigation. Source: Kelsee Ward, “2 children, Ages 3 …
A familiar story from Port Arthur, Texas today where a juvenile had access to a gun. He was playing with that gun in a group of kids when it fired and struck Jordan Reed, aged 18. Reed was later pronounced dead at the hospital. Despite an ongoing investigation, police released the juvenile who fired the …
In Jackson, Mississippi, 19-year old Shakira Gatlin was shot in the head and killed on the street when a teenager she was with mishandled a gun. Police are investigating. Gatlin is a former member of the Dancing Dolls, a Jackson dance group made famous on the reality TV series, Bring It. Her father, Derrick Robinson …
Three children, aged 4, 7, and 11 were shot and injured or killed when they found loaded guns today. A fourth child, age 14, was shot and killed with a ghost gun he had built. In Lexington, Kentucky, a four-year old was injured in a gun accident that police have determined was accidental. However, the …
Three people were unintended victims of gun violence today, including an off-duty police officer who was mistakenly shot at his home by another officer who mistook him for an armed robbery suspect. In Athens, Texas, an 8-year old was shot in the head with a bullet that came out of a wooded area behind his …
In Oxon Hill, Maryland, a 15-year old girl was arrested and charged with manslaughter after she accidentally shot and killed her 16-year old friend. Police say she was handling the gun when it went off. The names of the teenagers have not been released. Source: Sonia Dasgupta, “15-year-old Girl Charged in Accidental Shooting Death of …
A Storm Lake, Iowa nine-year old was struck in the lower body by an accidentally fired handgun round today. Another child living in the home had found an unsecured gun and fired it. The child is expected to survive. Two children, an 11-month old in the Bronx, New York and a five-year old in Atlanta, …
Three children, age 2, age 4, and age 15, were shot and injured in gun accidents today. The two year-old, of Spring Lake, North Carolina, was shot with a semi-automatic pistol as he was sitting in his mother’s car, while she was speaking with someone through the window. Police have declined to say whether he …
A pair of three-year old children found loaded guns in their homes and accidentally shot themselves today. In Birmingham, Alabama, a three-year old found a family member’s loaded gun in his home and shot himself in the leg. He is expected to survive. The report notes that it was the second incident in Jefferson County …
Three more two-year olds were shot and killed today after small children found unattended loaded guns in their homes. Four American two-year olds have died from unintended gun violence in just two days. In Callaway, Florida, a four-year old shot a two-year old sibling, according to the Sheriff’s Office. “We’ll be evaluating and gathering evidence. …
Kyler Small, a Hueytown, Alabama two-year old, died today after finding a family member’s loaded gun and shooting himself. Coroner’s officials called the shooting “accidental.” An investigation is ongoing, but no further information about the shooting is being released. Source: Associated Press “Police: 2-year-old Killed After Discharging Relative’s Gun,” apnews.com (January 12, 2022).
In Middlebury, Indiana, a 10-year old boy accidentally shot his 12-year old sister in the leg with a rifle round. The girl was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No other information was reported. Source: “Police News: Middlebury Girl Accidentally Shot in the Leg,” The Goshen News (January 10, 2022).
In Granbury, Texas, a one-year old child accidentally shot an infant sibling and their mother in a Walmart parking lot. Both mother and child are expected to survive. The 23-year-old mother of the children “was standing outside of the driver’s door of their vehicle,” according to witnesses. The childrens’ father was behind the truck. “[T]he …
Near Dixon Mississippi, “a 15-year-old and [a] 12-year-old were in a room with a gun safe and were handling a single-barrel 20-gauge, breach-loading shotgun with the hammer exposed when the gun went off in the 12-year-old’s hands and shot the 15-year-old in the back,” according to investigating authorities. The 15-year old died as his friends …
Tony Ebarb, age 16, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was handling a gun with his younger brother in the back seat of their father’s car when the gun discharged. Tony was struck and killed. The accident occurred while the family was waiting in the drive-through lane at a local fast-food restaurant. The boys’ father, Jeffery Ebarb, had …
No charges will be filed after a teenage girl participating in dog drive hunt in Darlington County, South Carolina fired a shotgun round at a deer and struck an adult male who has also a participant in the hunt. The man was struck by a pellet in the torso. According to authorities, the man was …
In Bismarck, North Dakota, local law enforcement reported that a 15-year old boy accidentally shot himself to death today. “Initial findings demonstrate that the wound was accidentally self-inflicted,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. No other information about the circumstances of the accident have been reported. Source: “Williams County Sheriff Says Teen Killed in …
A Reno, Nevada 16-year old was arrested and charged after accidentally shooting a 10-year old boy. The 16-year old admitted that he fired the gun at the boy’s older cousin and that he hit the ten-year old by accident. The victim’s cousin had apparently insulted the 16-year old on social media, after which the shooter …
A Jacksonville, North Carolina police officer accidentally shot his 15-year old son in the head. The injury is considered life-threatening. Reported details are scarce other than a statement that preliminary indicators suggest that the shooting was accidental. There is an ongoing investigation. Tiffani Tant, age 18 of Gladewater, Texas was accidentally shot and killed by …
A Hendersonville, North Carolina three-year old found a loaded gun on Christmas day and shot herself. She was airlifted to the hospital where she initially was undergoing treatment. A later news story reported that the girl, Aylee Gordon, died at the hospital. Her father, a retired sheriff’s captain, told police that Aylee had found the …
On the day of Christmas Eve, a two-year and a five-years old were victims of gun accidents. The two-year old killed himself and the five-year old was injured. In Independence, Missouri, the two-year old was handling a gun when it fired. The child was pronounced dead several hours later. Police were initially told that there …
In North Hollywood, California, Valentina Orellana-Peralta, a 14-year old girl who was shopping for a quinceañera dress, was accidentally shot and killed in a department store dressing room when a bullet passed through a wall during a police action at the store. She died at the scene. Los Angeles police were shooting at an assault …
Lehemiah Simon, age 7, of Jeanerette, Louisiana, was accidentally shot in the head and killed by a 15-year old cousin today. He was pronounced dead after being airlifted to the hospital. “Full of hugs. Full of Love. Just as humble as he could be for a seven-year-old,” remembered Minister Carnell Wiles who is Lehemiah’s grandfather. …
Jeremiah Pruitt of Birmingham, Alabama, age 13, was shot and killed by one of his 11-year old twin brothers in a gun accident today. The boys had found a gun in a drawer and were playing with it when the accident occurred. The boys’ mother, Starcrease Pruitt, was at one of her two jobs when …
In Columbia, South Carolina, a 13-year old and his friend were handling a loaded gun when it went off. The 13-year old was struck and killed. “Where did they get the gun? That’s my biggest question as a parent. Where did they get the gun from? Why were they playing with it? Why was it …
A 12-year-old Michigan boy was seriously injured Monday when he was accidentally shot by his 17-year old brother after being mistaken for a deer. Sheriff’s deputies said the older boy was hunting from a tree stand when his younger brother came into the woods to call him to dinner. The 12-year old is in serious …
In Columbus, Nebraska, two people were injured when a dog in a pick-up truck discharged a shotgun that had been left unattended in the back seat. The shotgun had previously jammed, according to authorities. Two people were struck as they exited a nearby business. Another vehicle was also damaged. In Oakwood, Georgia, a teenager accidentally …
In Atlanta, Georgia, a one-year old who was left alone with her pre-school age brother and a loaded gun was accidentally shot. She is in critical condition at the hospital. A police lieutenant said though it was “a tragic accident,” charges could be filed. “Please put guns away. This is now the second time in …
From a Facebook post made by the sheriff’s office in Nagadoches County, Texas, we learn today that two young boys were playing in a bedroom with a .380 semi-automatic pistol that had been left unattended. The boys, one ten and the other 13, had been shooting earlier in the day under adult supervision. When the boys …
At least two fatal gun accidents occurred today. In Pineville, Kentucky, Kyle Garrett, a 23-year old 911 dispatcher was accidentally shot and killed while trading guns with another dispatcher. The two men were best friends and cousins who frequently traded guns. According to local authorities, there were protocols in place to prevent non-sworn employees, including …
A Covington, Virginia three-year old found a gun in his home and shot himself to death. His grandfather acknowledged that the gun was his, but told police it was hidden under some clothes. The boy died at the hospital after being airlifted to a trauma center. According to the news report investigators are “searching for …
In Wichita, Kansas, 13-year old Waylon Treat was accidentally shot and killed today. His 16-year old brother had brought home a gun which the boys were examining when it fired. Adults were at home at the time of the incident, but they were apparently unaware that the boys were handling a gun. Waylon was a …
A sixth grader and a 71-year old were killed today in separate hunting accidents. Both were shot by relatives. Daisy Grace Lynn George, age 11, was shot by her father in Hallsville, Texas while he was hunting with a high-powered rifle. Rescuers arrived on the scene, but rescue helicopters were grounded due to poor weather. …
Three children were killed in unintended gun violence on Thanksgiving Day. In Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, a group of kids were making a social media video with a gun on Thanksgiving Day, when one of them accidentally pulled the trigger. A five-year old was shot and killed and a 13-year old has been taken into custody. …
Two Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania children, a four-year old and a five-year old, were shot and killed in separate gun accidents today. The four-year old, apparently found a loaded gun in his home and shot himself in the face. He died at the hospital. “My prayers go out to the family. I feel so bad for them. …
Eric Perez, a 10-year old in Shelbyville, Kentucky, died today in a shooting that appears to authorities to have been accidental. “He was just a fun and energetic little boy — he did his own little thing, that’s why it’s so shocking,” said a neighbor. A police spokesperson added, “[t]hat’s hard especially with the holidays …
In St. Louis, Missouri, a two-year old accidentally shot his father in the back with a rifle. The unidentified man, who was in his 20s, died at the scene. No further information is available. A Corry, Pennsylvania man, 64-year old Gary Hunt, was shot and killed while hunting bear with a friend. According to an …
For the second day in a row, a law enforcement officer was shot in a training accident. A correction officer requalifying on her weapon at a training facility in Cedar Grove, New Jersey was reportedly struck in the buttocks when her weapon misfired. Her name was not released and she is expected to be OK. …
Kayden Jones, age 8, of Atlanta, Georgia was accidentally shot and killed at his home. Family and friends released red and blue balloons on Sunday at a vigil in his honor. “We’ve been crying all night, all morning,” a neighbor said. “How can you constantly keep trying to explain and get another seven or eight-year-old …
Three children were injured today in two separate gun accidents. A nine-year old in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma was injured when a gun accidentally discharged. According to the report, a group of children were playing with the gun in an apartment when it discharged and struck the child in the hip. The report does not provide …
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 …
Two teenagers were accidentally shot in gun accidents on Halloween. One has died and the other is hospitalized. A Denver, Colorado teenager is in custody after another juvenile was shot and killed in a gun accident at a local home. A 17-year old is in custody and is being investigated for manslaughter. The police have …
A 17-year old Tallahassee, Florida girl was arrested and charged with manslaughter after she and a group of kids were passing around a gun in a local apartment. It apparently went off while she was holding it and a 17-year old boy was killed. The news report does not say how the teenagers got the …
A three-year old in Columbia, South Carolina shot and killed herself today. No other details are available. Authorities have not said how the child got the gun. Nor do they question why there are no laws or regulations that would prevent gun designs that make it simple for a toddler to pull a trigger. Source: …
A Houston, Texas mom sent her ten-year old son and his eleven-year old cousin to retrieve something from her car. The boys found a loaded gun in the vehicle and, while playing with it, the ten-year old was shot and killed. Police are uncertain which of the boys was handling the gun when it went …
In Bradley County, Tennessee, a two-year old child found a loaded gun at home, shot themself in the chest, and was later pronounced dead at the local hospital. “A preliminary investigation discovered that the firearm had been left unsecured and the child was able to have access to the weapon.” The child’s father, Matthew Jenkins, …
In Ann Arbor, Michigan, a 16-month old child was shot in the head by a sibling, but is expected to survive. “He is breathing on his own,” his grandmother told a local news station. There were four children at home at the time of the accident. The victim was the youngest and the oldest was …
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 …
The Problem of Relying on a Gun Seller as an “Expert” on Gun Safety According to the original report, police concluded that an Independence, Missouri eight-year old found a gun in his family’s home and shot himself. He was transported to the hospital where he later died. “We are just trying to put all the …
In Cocoa Beach, Florida, a teenager died of an accidental gunshot wound after mishandling a gun. The child was taken from the local apartment where the accident happened to Cape Canaveral Hospital and was pronounced dead. Police have not released the teenager’s name, age or gender. Nor is there information about the circumstances of the …
A group of Salem, Oregon teenagers were playing with a pair of guns in a local park when one of them was shot. The boy was struck below the waist and was taken to a local hospital. It is unclear how the group of kids, who were between ages 13 and 16, had access to …
A two-year old in Waco, Texas shot himself in the head with a loaded gun he found in his uncle’s backpack. He later died at the hospital. After the incident, the boy’s uncle, Derrick Pipkins, left the scene with the gun. Pipkins was later arrested and charged with tampering with evidence. Source: Felicia Cardenas, “Waco …
In Cleveland, Ohio, a 6-year old boy found his uncle’s gun under a bed and accidentally shot himself in the hand. The boy’s uncle was arrested and charged with child endangerment. The boy was taken for emergency treatment at the hospital. Source: Adam Ferrise, “6-year-old Boy Accidentally Shoots Self with Uncle’s Gun in Cleveland, Police …
Johnnel Green of Marietta, Georgia was arrested today after leaving a loaded semi-automatic pistol on a patio chair at a home he was visiting. Two cousins, a four-year old and a two-year old, found the gun. The four-year old apparently fired a single round and both children were injured. After the incident, Green apparently left …
In Salisbury, North Carolina, teenage boys were passing a gun around as they played video games. A 13-year old was holding the gun when it went off and a 14 year-old boy was killed. According to police, the gun was stolen. The mother of the 13-year old shooter told a reporter, “[n]one of them should …
In Memphis, Tennessee, two teenagers have been charged with crimes after a third teenager was unintentionally shot to death. None of the children have been identified. The report suggests that a 16-year old boy and girl were hanging out with a 17-year old. The 16-year old boy apparently produced a gun and provided it to …
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 …
In Chicago, Illinois, a 17-year old boy accidentally shot 13-year old Isaac Jordan in the back. The younger boy was pronounced dead at the hospital. The older boy was charged with “unauthorized use of a weapon,” although the shooting was found by prosecutors to be accidental. Neither boy has been identified. Source: “17-year-old Faces Gun …
Caiden Hulliberger, age 18, of Angola, Indiana was accidentally shot and killed when he and a friend were handling a shotgun inside a residence. The other boy, also 18, has not been charged with a crime. “Not only was he a loving son but an amazing brother, friend & dog Dad. You couldn’t help but …
A Newark, New Jersey eight-year old was playing with a loaded gun he found in his home when it fired and killed him. According to law enforcement, the incident is being treated as a “horrible accident.” Police are investigating whether the gun was legal and how the child got hold of it. “The 8-year-old was …