Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
A three-year old and a ten-year old died in gun accidents on opposite sides of the country today when they found loaded guns in their homes. In Fresno, California, 3-year old Bryson Vang found his father’s loaded gun and shot and killed himself. His parents and siblings were home at the time. The gun was …
A child, believed to be 6 or 7 years old, shot themselves in their Burbank, Illinois home today, sometime in the mid-afternoon. No details of the circumstances of the accident were released. In Milton, New Hampshire a 32-year old man was shot in the head by his 8-year old nephew while hunting chipmunks. “It’s not …
In Detroit, Michigan, three children found a loaded gun in their home. One of them pulled the trigger and accidentally shot and killed a 12-year old boy. The victim’s twin and a 13-year old cousin were present at the time of the accident, but it is unclear who pulled the trigger. No adults were present …
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 Temple, Maine, a two-year old found a loaded gun in his home and used it to accidentally shoot and kill himself. Other family members were home at the time of the accident. The incident comes just over a month after another Maine two-year old found a loaded Glock piston on a nightstand in his …
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 …
A 14-year old Jacksonville, Florida boy was arrested and charged with negligence after a 6-year old found a gun in a bedroom of his home and accidentally killed himself. Police said the 14-year-old is accused of improperly storing the gun because he had had possession of the weapon earlier that day. The child, 6-year old …
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 Youngstown, Ohio this afternoon, two teenagers were playing with a gun when one of them was shot and killed. Malik Stewart, the victim, was 16-years old. His friend, also 16, was arrested and charged with reckless homicide and tampering with evidence, both third-degree felonies. Fifty people have been shot in Youngstown so far this …
In Dallas, Texas a five-year old boy was shot and killed by an eight-year old who found a loaded gun. Authorities announced that they are investigating how the 8-year old got access to the gun. No other details have been released. Source: Jozelyn Escobedo, “5-year-old Boy Dies After Being Shot by Another Child in Dallas …
For the second day in a row, a two-year old toddler got hold of and fired a loaded gun. In this instance, a Joliet, Illinois toddler shot herself. According to the local police, she “unfortunately succumbed” to her injuries. No other information is available. Source: “2-Year-Old Child Dies of Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound in Joliet, Police …
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 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 …
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 …
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 …
At the home of a Helena, Alabama police officer, a three-year old child found a loaded gun and shot and killed a six-year old sibling. The officer was not home at the time of the incident. “This was a truly tragic morning for Shelby County. Our agency grieves with the family of this child. I …
Two young girls were accidentally shot and killed today, one in Arizona and the other in Michigan. In Tempe, Arizona, a four-year old girl found an older sibling’s loaded gun hidden under a piece of furniture and shot and killed herself. The girl’s sibling apparently told police that the gun was placed out of sight …
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 …
In Union, Missouri, a four-year old founded a loaded gun under the couch where his father was sleeping. The boy shot and killed himself. According to the local sheriff, the boy’s father, Scott E. Hilton, Jr., was restricted from having a gun in the home. Hilton was arrested and charged with second degree murder during …
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 three-year old child in Milwaukee, Wisconsin found a loaded gun in his home and shot himself to death. When the boy’s uncle sought emergency help, a medical assistant who was visiting next door responded. She said the boy’s mother was incredibly distraught. “I can still hear her screaming so I just hope it’s a …
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 …
An 11-year old child was shot and killed by another child inside an East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania home. “A single gunshot discharged from a handgun being handled by another juvenile in the residence,” was how the fatal shot was described in a news release issued by the state police. No information about how the children had …
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,” …
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 …
A 15-year old Tucson, Arizona boy is charged with negligent homicide after a gun he was handling discharged and struck his 16-year old friend. The 16-year old, Carlos Chavarria Gonzalez, died at the scene. It was unclear how the younger boy came into possession of the gun. In a similar incident in Huntsville, Alabama, 18-year …
In Fort Worth, Texas, three-year old Lauryn Barrett found a gun in the door of the family car during a trip to Oakland Lake Park. She fired the gun and killed herself. A witness said he looked out the window of his home to see a family begging for help. “I saw the woman on …
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 …
Another Texas child died today in an unintentional shooting after being shot by a child who had found a loaded gun. In Dallas, a 9-year old boy found the gun in a car and shot an 11-year old child who was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The two boys were left unattended in the …
Police believe that a Houston, Texas three-year old found a loaded gun in his home today. He shot and killed his 8-month old brother, Royal Gordon. Four adults were home at the time. Police say it is unclear how the child got ahold of the weapon as they continue to investigate. As usual, there was …
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 …
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 Greenville, North Carolina, an 8-year old boy found a loaded gun in the glove box of his family’s car and accidentally shot himself in the abdomen. He later died at the hospital. A police spokesperson said, “[g]uns can be very appealing to young children particularly children of this age and words cannot express the …
Candace Chrzan, a senior at Jonesboro High School in Georgia was accidentally shot and killed during target practice in the backyard of her friend’s home. “At some point, Candace did have possession of a .22 pistol that they were using for target practicing,” the Sheriff’s Office later announced. “The gun jammed.” The Sheriffs’ Office added …
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 three-year olds were killed in gun accidents today. In Monroeville, Pennsylvania, a three-year old girl was shot by a five-year old sibling who had apparently found a loaded gun in their home. The child was identified as Braya Sanders. Police are investigating, but have stated that the girl’s parents are cooperating and that the …
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 …
In Elk Creek, Missouri, children playing outdoors got access to a rifle from inside a parked vehicle. A nine-year old was shot and killed by a younger sibling in the incident. “With the age of the child we are talking about I don’t think they can fully grasp the consequences of what has happened,” the …
In Four Oaks, North Carolina, a child riding in the back seat of a vehicle found a loaded gun and accidentally shot his mother in the face while she was driving. A Sheriff’s deputy called the shooting a “horrible accident” and “not a deliberate act.” The mother was rushed to the hospital, but her injuries …
Kevin Niyibizi, an Antioch, Tennessee 16-year old was accidentally shot and killed by a 17-year old friend, Eric Ishimwe. Niyibizi had brought a gun to his friend’s home that the two were playing with. Ishimwe told police that “he and Niyibizi were both handling and playing with a gun that Niyibizi brought into the home …
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 …
Jalynn Lester, age 17, of Dallas, Texas was arrested and charged with manslaughter after accidentally shooting and killing Don-Yeah Hill, also 17, at a shopping center in the middle of the afternoon. Lester told police that he was breaking down a gun when it went off. Hill died at a local hospital. Source: Catherine Marfin, …
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 …
An 11-year old Lakewood, Washington girl died while filming a video of herself with her mother’s handgun. The girl’s 10-year old brother called police to report the incident, although her mother was home at the time. Police are investigating how the girl gained access to the gun in light of Washington law governing safe storage. …
19-year old Kahlis Parker of Bridgeport, Connecticut, accidentally shot himself in the arm and then lied to police about the incident. Upon release from the hospital, Parker was arrested and charged with risk of injury to a minor, carrying a pistol without a permit, stealing a firearm, interfering with a police officer, illegal discharge of …
In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 22-year old Deyandre Gilmore was showing his gun to a 17-year old. The gun fired while being handled by the teen and Gilmore was shot dead. The teen, who has not been identified, has been arrested and charged with negligent homicide. The news report about the incident does not say whether …
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 …
Gabriel Alexis Henderson, a 25-year old mother of five young children in Cornelius, North Carolina, was shot and killed when one of her children found a loaded handgun in her purse. Four of her children were in the room with her at the time of the accident. One of those children was also struck, but …
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 …
At a baby shower in Gaines Township, Michigan, a 26-year old man was killed when a “small cannon-like device” exploded. The man, Evan Thomas Silva, was struck by shrapnel from the explosion. He was ten to fifteen feet away at the time of the accident. The authorities are still “piecing together how the celebratory event …
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 Edwardsville, Pennsylvania, a 10-year old boy named Connor died in a gun accident at his home. At the time of the accident, he was jumping on a couch. One of the adults in the home was clearing the chamber of a gun when it fired. According to a report, the gun was sent to …
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 …
In Ellisville, Mississippi, a four-year old toddler found a loaded semi-automatic pistol in his family car and accidentally shot and killed his two-year old sister. Their mother had left them in the back seat of the car temporarily. The toddler was able to climb out of his car seat and grab the gun. “It’s just …
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 …
There was another accidental gun death of a young child today. A three-year old in Owosso, Michigan found a gun in his home and shot himself. He later died at the hospital. “Owosso Public Safety offers its condolences to any family or friends who have been impacted by this tragic event,” the local public safety …
Two young children were killed in preventable accidental shootings, one in Philadelphia, the other in Detroit. The incidents are strikingly similar. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, balloons were released at a vigil for nine-year old gun accident victim Nyssa Davis. Davis was shot and killed by a 5-year old relative in her home. The boy had found …
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 …
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 …
In Fort Wayne, Indiana, a toddler found a gun and used it to shoot his mother. Her injuries are not considered life threatening, but local police are investigating “possible child neglect.” No other information is available. The incident is one of many recent incidents in Indiana in which young children have been involved in serious …
At Hope’s Closet Thrift Store in Jacksonville, Florida, a “young child” found a gun and shot herself in the hand. She was treated at the hospital. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says “no criminal activity is being investigated at this time.” Source: Mindy Wadley, “Child Taken to Hospital after Finding Gun in Southside Thrift Store, Accidentally …
Two 15-year old boys died in gun accidents today, one in Pennsylvania and the other in Mississippi. In Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, three teenagers were “handling a firearm” when it discharged. 15-year old Marcus Gibson was pronounced dead at the scene. No other details were released. In Pascagoula, Mississippi, a 14-year old and a 15-year old were …
A pair of two-year old children were shot and critically injured today, one in Kentucky and the other in Maine. Police are investigating both incidents. In Louisville Kentucky, a two-year old girl found a gun and shot herself. She is expected to survive. Police are investigating how she got the gun. In Waterville, Maine, a …
In Richmond, Indiana, a four-year old child was flown to a Dayton, Ohio hospital after suffering an accidental gunshot wound. Police arrested 23-year-old Khylier Childress-Shelby and preliminarily charged him with possession of a handgun without a license and neglect of a dependent. Although the charges are consistent with an incident in which the child found …
In what appears to be the third gun accident involving a San Antonio, Texas teenager this month, a 16-year old accidentally shot himself in the head. Two teenagers were playing with an AR-15 at the time of the accident, believing it to be unloaded. The boy was taken to the hospital with injuries that were …
Two teenagers were shot and killed in gun accidents on Christmas day. In Indian Head, Maryland, 17-year old Edwin Roberto Rivera Juarez was accidentally shot in the upper body by a 13-year old relative who was handling a firearm. The victim was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police are investigating how …
In Little Rock, Arkansas, 18-year old Donte Jones died in a gun accident. The Police report indicates only that a juvenile has been arrested in connection with the incident and charged with manslaughter, tampering with evidence and possession of a handgun by a minor. Source: Max Brantley, “Teen Dies in What Police Term Accidental Shooting,” …
Children in Michigan, Indiana and Idaho died in gun accidents today. The Michigan accident occurred in Canton Township. Eight-year old Jack Bennett, an only child, died when a bullet discharged as his father was cleaning a gun. According to his mother, Tammy Snyder, “[i]t was a freak accident. It was supposed to be an unloaded …
On the 8th anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, at least four children were killed or injured in gun accidents. Three of the incidents involved guns that were found by the children themselves or by other children. The fourth involved a child who was hit by a stray bullet while walking on the …
In Jackson, Mississippi, a 15 year-old girl was accidentally shot in the neck when she found a gun under a couch. She remains in the hospital in critical condition. According to a witness, when the girl found the gun, a 14-year old boy attempted to take it away from her and the gun went off. …
At least three children were victims of gun accidents today; two were killed and one was wounded. The accidents occurred in Georgia, California and Ohio. Five-year old Jada Willingham was killed in Lithonia, Georgia after being shot by another child who found a gun in her home. Police arrested 35-year old Chad Brooks, Sr. whose …
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. …
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. …
A four-year old North Charleston, South Carolina boy died in a gun accident today. He apparently found a loaded gun and accidentally shot himself, though few details are available. No arrests have been made, but the police continue to investigate. According to the report, “South Carolina doesn’t punish firearm owners for leaving their weapons out, …
Cojuan Singleton, a 12-year old San Antonio, Texas boy, accidentally killed himself with his brother’s gun today. Singleton’s older brother, who owned the pistol, told police he was cleaning the gun and had put it down. Seconds later, Singleton picked it up and accidentally fired it. He was struck in the head. It is unclear …
In Candor, North Carolina, an 11-year old was killed in a gun accident that occurred while he was visiting a friend. The child’s name has not been released. “Investigators learned there were six children in the home at the time of the incident and were left unsupervised, while the mother was at work,” the County …
At the Solid Rock Ministry Church in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, a ten-year old boy with a gun shot into the church and accidentally struck his grandmother twice. The boy found the gun in a living area inside the church building. Police said people were inside the church when the boy started firing rounds into the building …
On election day, two 12-year old boys were accidentally shot and killed in separate gun accidents. In Jackson, Michigan, Brayden Carnes, a middle school student, was at home when a gun that one of his friends had brought to his home accidentally fired. Brayden was shot in the chest. The shooter was also a child. …
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 …
A nine-year old and an eight-year old were killed in gun accidents today. The nine-year old shot herself with a weapon found in her Detroit, Michigan home. Two other children 10 and under were home at the time of the incident. However, no adults were present. “We are seeing this too often, please put your …
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 …
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 …