Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
Many people were injured in gun accidents today, with mostly minimal press coverage. Two of the accidents occurred in the Philadelphia area. On the Drexel campus in West Philadelphia, a man accidentally shot himself in the leg inside a Shake Shack restaurant. Given the number of recent mass shootings, it is not surprising that the …
A 12 year-old Valdosta, Georgia boy is dead and a 16-year old has been arrested after the two stole five guns from vehicles over the course of a single night. The two boys were apparently playing with their recently stolen guns when one of them went off while being held by the 16-year old. The …
There were gun accidents across the country today resulting in at least six death or injuries: A person taking part in a gun training for Taylor, Michigan auxiliary police officers was shot in the abdomen and taken to the hospital. He was accidentally shot by another person participating in the training. “The volunteers with Taylor’s …
In Houston, Texas, 18-year old Nariah Champion was accidentally shot and killed by 17-year old Zakorion Batiste, who was playing with a gun. The two were among a group of kids hanging out together. Batiste has been charged with manslaughter and is being held on $50,000 bail. According to the report, if bond is made, …
Two women were shot today as innocent bystanders in gun violence incidents initiated by men or boys. In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, a pair of teenage boys, one 17 and the other 13, got into a spat over insults on social media. When they later engaged in public gunplay, a woman was struck and injured. She has …
In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a fiv-year old found a loaded gun in his home and shot his mother in the leg. Police have not said how the child got hold of a gun. The woman’s injuries are not considered life-threatening. In Detroit, Michigan a 16-year old boy left a loaded gun on his bed where his …
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, …
Blake Miller, age 18, was charged today in connection with a March 12 unintended gun violence incident that allegedly occurred while Miller was showing his family’s .22 caliber rifle to his friends. The boys had had a few beers at the time of the incident. According to the report, Miller, of Omaha, Nebraska, pointed the …
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 …
Today’s story is another example of a gun accident that occurred in the context of a confusing crime scene, this one involving a man confronting a group of children with a gun: In Wichita Falls, Texas, a man grabbed a gun to confront a group of teenagers who he believed were stealing his car. He …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 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 …
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 …
Dameon Bates, age 29, of Toledo, Ohio was shot and killed today when he and a friend were “horsing around” with a gun at a party. Bates died at the scene. His friend Mychal Smith, age 30, was arrested and charged with reckless homicide. In a similar incident today in Dallas, Texas, 18-year old Alexandre …
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. …
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 …
In Poughkeepsie, New York, two teenagers fired guns outside a Poughkeepsie High School. A 13-year old with a semiautomatic pistol and a 15-year old were later arrested after fleeing on foot. Several shell casings were found near the school and several vehicles were hit. A short time later, a 19-year old, apparently the victim of …
In an illustration of how even an accidental shooting can lead to a vicious cycle of violence, four people in Des Moines, Iowa were injured when gunfire erupted at a vigil for an accidental shooting victim. The original accident occurred on March 6, 2021, when Thomas Ivy accidently shot and killed 16-year old Elijah Brown-Townsend …
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 …
Kyleek Williams of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, age 17, was playing with semi-automatic guns with a friend when one of the guns went off. Kyleek was struck in the stomach and later died at the hospital. Police have announced that there is a suspect in custody, though the nature of the charge is unclear. Kyleek is …
Garrick Baker,an intoxicated Westfield, Indiana man shot and killed his stepson, age 18, who was sleeping on a couch at the time of the incident. According to the report, the man was handling a gun in his living room while “presumed to be intoxicated.” It went off. Baker was arrested and charged with criminal recklessness. …
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 …
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 …
Negligence with guns appears to have been the cause of at least two deaths today. In both incidents, the shooter is likely to be prosecuted. In Thibodaux, Louisiana, a teenager was shot and killed when he and a friend were playing with a handgun. An unidentified 15-year old is charged with negligent homicide. And in …
Two children were accidentally shot and killed by older siblings in their homes today. A third child, age 8, found a loaded gun in his home and shot himself. A 12-year old Baton Rouge, Louisiana child was arrested and placed in juvenile detention after admitting that he accidentally shot and killed his four-year old sister. …
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 West Jordan, Utah, a 13-year old boy was accidentally killed by his 15-year old friend. According to police, the two had snuck out in the middle of the night with a handgun and were “messing around with it” in a church parking lot. “At some point, the 15-year-old accidentally pulled the trigger, shooting and …
In Newton, Kansas, a 14-year old girl was shot and killed by a drunk 16-year old boy while hanging out with friends. The intoxicated boy apparently was waving a gun around and pointing it at members of the group when it went off and the girl was shot. The report does not provide information about …
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 …
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 …
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 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 …
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 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 teenage boys and a 24-year old woman were killed today in separate gun accidents. In Houston, Texas, 16-year old Chase Swain was killed while he and his friend were playing with a gun that had been stolen the day before. A 17-year old has been charged with manslaughter. In Nashville, Tennessee, 19-year old Juerno …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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, …
A Bixby, Oklahoma teenager is charged with first degree manslaughter after accidentally shooting a man while cleaning his gun. The boy, Jackson Bruce, told witnesses that he was on the floor of his bedroom cleaning a gun when it went off and struck the victim in the chest. The victim later died at the hospital. …
Thomas Ivy, age 18, of Des Moines, Iowa, accidentally shot and killed Elijah Brown-Townsend, age 15, while handing him a gun. The two were in a vehicle parked at a convenience store when the accident occurred. Ivy was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter. Source: Amber Mohmand, “18-year-old Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter in Death of …
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 …
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 …
Brooklyn Terrell, a 17-year old Lockland, Ohio teenager, was accidentally shot and killed when she and two other teenagers were handling a stolen gun. A 16-year-old boy has been charged with reckless homicide, obstructing justice and tampering with evidence. The other suspect, a 14-year-old boy, is charged with obstructing justice, tampering with evidence and theft …
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,” …
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 …
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 …
Jo-Jo Flores, a 14-year old Corpus Christi, Texas middle school student was accidentally killed in yet another incident in which teenagers were playing with a gun. 17-year old Ivan Farias was later arrested, imprisoned and charged with manslaughter. “It looks like it was an unfortunate accident between a couple of males, possibly playing with …
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 …
Details are scarce about an incident in which 5-year old Amani Barringer was shot in the neck by her 14-year old brother with an unsecured gun. Amani was home, in Charlotte, North Carolina, with two teenagers age 14 and 15, when she was killed. The 14-year old was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter. An …
In Nyack, New York, two young men were fooling around with a gun in a car when it went off. Darien Brydie, a 21-year old Illinois man died after surgery at a local hospital. Collyer Goodman, an 18-year old from Valley Cottage, New York was arrested and charged with second degree manslaughter. “This appears to …
Two children unintentionally shot and killed others while playing with guns today. Each gun accident involves two shattered lives. In Biloxi, Mississippi, a “deceased male … under the age of 18” was “hanging out at an apartment” with friends when a 13-year old, Jayden Kyshun Frazier, started showing off a gun and pointing it at …
A Laramie, Wyoming 14-year old has been arrested and charged with manslaughter after an incident in which he killed a 13-year old. Although the details remain murky, comments on the Laramie police department’s Facebook page by relatives and others suggest that the children were playing with a gun while drinking in the park. It is …
A 14-year old St. George, Utah girl was shot and killed today during a gathering with other teenagers. According to an affidavit, the suspect, Anthony Vega, an 18-year old, was playing with [a] handgun, pointing it at several individuals while pulling the trigger. A juvenile witness also admitted that the individuals at the home, including …
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 …
Three young children were accidentally shot and killed today, one at his own hand and the other two by relatives. In Springboro, Ohio, a five-year old boy shot and killed himself with his grandmother’s gun. The boy’s father told police that he woke to the sound of a gunshot. In Jackson County, West Virginia, a …
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 …
A 16-year old boy was charged with negligent homicide in Phoenix, Arizona after he accidentally shot and killed 16-year old Kinesha Hill while handling a firearm. Because he is a minor, the boy’s name was not released. Source: “16-year-old Girl Dead after Gun Discharges in Phoenix Home,” Arizona Daily Sun (June 22, 2020).
19-year old Teshawn Bragg of Columbus Ohio suffered life-threatening injuries when he was accidentally shot by a 15-year old who was handling a gun. Police are investigating and have charged the 15-year old in juvenile court. Bragg is hospitalized in critical condition. Source: Jim Woods, “Young Man Will Survive after Being Seriously Injured in Shooting,” …
17-year old Ishmael Muhammad of Des Moines, Iowa was struck by a bullet in a local residence today when someone accidentally fired an illegal handgun. He later died of the wound. According to police, residents initially said that Muhammad had arrived at the home having already been shot. After an investigation, police charged a 16-year …
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 …
Arya Gray, a 15-year old Miami, Florida girl, was accidentally shot and killed by a 17-year old boy who was brandishing a stolen gun. According to an arrest report, 17-year old Thalys Olivera “recklessly brandished” a gun inside the apartment that Arya was visiting, and witnesses told the 17-year-old to put it away. Olivera did …
In Northwoods, Missouri, a 15-year old boy accidentally shot his 12-year old sister, Nakyah Durham. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The boy was handling a firearm when it accidentally discharged. He has been arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter. Source: Associated Press, “Police: 15-Year-Old Accidentally Shot 12-Year-Old Sister,” US News and World Report …
A 13-year old boy in Memphis Tennessee was charged with negligent homicide after accidentally shooting 9-year old Xavier Jackson with a gun that he found unsecured. A 26-year old man, Lindsey Williams, was also charged with negligent homicide in connection with the incident. “Too many kids in Memphis have died this year,” a relative said. …
Derrius Atkinson, a Wake Forest, North Carolina teenager pled guilty and was sentenced to 13-25 months in prison in connection with a 2018 gun accident that left his best friend dead. Atkinson was also ordered to pay restitution. Rodshawn Barnes, Atkinson, and two other boys were playing video games at Barnes’ home, while also playing …
Darric Appleton, a 14-year old Phoenix, Arizona teenager, was accidentally shot and killed by a 16-year old friend. 7 children, age 5-16, were in the home at the time of the incident. No adults were present. According to police, the 16-year old brought a gun to the residence, pointed it, and accidentally pulled the trigger. …
In Biloxi, Mississipi, Bennie Hiep Lu, a 15-year old, accidentally shot and killed another teenager. The boys were playing with a gun and Lu pulled the trigger in the belief that the gun was unloaded. Reports indicate that “Bennie has been placed under arrest and is being charged as an adult with manslaughter. … After …
Two teenagers were shot to death today by others in incidents that involved playing with a gun. In Tamaqua, a borough in Eastern Pennsylvania, Eric Tavener was shot and killed accidentally by 21-year old Francis Witmayer. Witnesses said that Tavener, an 18-year old, was playing with a gun when he was asked to return it …
For the third day in a row, a child was accidentally shot in East Texas by another child. In Joaquin, Texas, 17-year old Heston Avery accidentally shot and killed his teenage friend, whose name was not reported. At the time of the shooting, Avery called for emergency help, but deputies pronounced the victim dead at …
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 …
A 13-year old Muskegon Heights, Michigan boy fired a flare gun that accidentally passed through a window and started a fire in the home of an 88-year old neighbor. Police officers responding to the incident heard a faint cry for help from inside the dwelling and rescued the 88-year old and her unconscious cat. The …
14-year old Jesus Jimenez Solis was cleaning a gun in his bedroom when it accidentally fired, killing his 15-year old friend, Sylas Lieb. Jimenez Solis, an Omaha Nebraska boy, was holding the gun in his lap and wiping it with a towel when it went off. Lieb died at the scene. According to investigators, Jimenez …
In another fatal gun accident involving a child in Pataskala, Ohio, a town of less than 16,000 people near Columbus (see December 14, 2019), 15-year old Noah Bigham shot and killed his best friend, Hunter Cooper, a high school freshman, while attempting to distract him from playing a video game. Noah was using the laser …
19-year old Cesar Cortes was accidentally shot and killed today at Bellaire High School, just outside of Houston, Texas. The shooter was his 16-year old friend, a boy who has not been identified because of his age. According to authorities, both the shooter and Cortes were members of the High School’s JROTC program. The younger …
A 13-year old boy is facing unspecified charges in Perkins Township, Ohio after he shot and killed Benjamin LeGresley, an 8-year old. The Assistant Police Chief for Perkins County called it “a tragedy for the family and for the entire community. You don’t see things like this every day.” The incident occurred in the home …
15-year old Bradley Hulett was shot and killed in Lithia, Florida at the home of his friend, the son of a Tampa police officer. A group of four teenage boys was present at the time of the shooting. According to a subsequent news report about the investigation, some of the boys found the gun in …
Murder charges were dropped today in a case involving 18 year-old Fayaadh Gillard, a Philadelphia high school student who fatally shot his twin brother, Suhail, in a tragic accident. Their father, Alleem Gillard, who is paralyzed from the waste down due to his own exposure to gun violence, was teaching the twins, from his wheelchair, …
Shawn Patrick Burse, 18, was arraigned today on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in Greenwood, South Carolina after his pregnant girlfriend, Teresa Michelle Parkman, died from a gunshot wound received while they were cleaning a rifle together. Witnesses said there was no ill will and that there appeared to be no fight or conflict before …
A 13-year old boy was charged with murder after shooting and killing his 14-year old friend, Zavier Mendoza, in Olathe, Kansas. Because of the defendant’s age, his name was not released when the murder charge was announced. The boy who was charged claimed that he didn’t know the gun was loaded when it went off. …