Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
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. …
Three children shot and killed themselves today with loaded guns they found in their homes. In each case, few details were reported. In Smithfield, Utah, a five-old and his family returned from a camping trip on Tuesday night and left their camping gear in a downstairs room. The boy came downstairs early on Tuesday morning …
Columbus, Ohio police urged residents to take advantage of a free gun lock program after a 5-year old girl found a loaded gun in her home and shot herself in the head. She died at the hospital. Columbus appears to be a city where gun violence involving children is common. The City of Columbus recently …
Children were unintentionally injured in Indiana and Wisconsin today. The Indiana shooting occurred in Evansville, where a parent who was unloading his firearm accidentally shot his own six-year old child in the leg. The round passed through a wall before striking the child. In Milwaukee, an eight-year old was shot. Police are investigating, but have …
Once again, the focus today is on the rash of gun violence affecting American children. Three toddlers were shot in apparent gun accidents today. At least ten teenagers were also killed or injured in eight shootings across the country. Two four-year olds and a three-year old were involved in gun accidents that were barely covered …
At least eight teenagers were injured in eight separate shooting incidents in the United States today. In light of minimal reporting, the circumstances of most of the incidents remain murky. Teens were shot in Chicago and Decatur, Illinois. The other incidents occurred in Iowa, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and Delaware. As reported, the incidents …
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 Pensacola, Florida, a patron of O’Reilly’s Uptown Tavern pulled a gun to show it to other patrons. The incident was apparently caught on video. When he mimed an attempt to return the gun to a shoulder holster, it went off, striking him in the upper torso. “I don’t know if he was pretending to …
In Little Rock, Arkansas, a three-year old found a loaded gun and shot himself in the eye. The boy is in critical condition at the hospital. There was no discussion in the article about how the boy obtained an unsecured loaded gun or about why manufacturers are allowed to design guns that a three-year old …
In Wichita, Kansas, a three-year old found a gun and shot herself and her father while he was sleeping. The girl was struck in the hand and her father was struck in the leg. Both were treated at the hospital. Police are investigating how the firearm was stored. During the investigation, three other children have …
According to Maple Heights, Ohio police, 5-year old Princeton Patterson found a loaded gun in his home and shot himself in the head. They found him dead at the scene. There is an open question about whether an adult will be charged for failing to properly secure the gun. A local law professor says state …
Two Tennessee children were unintentional victims of gun violence today; an 11-year old was killed and a 5-year old was injured in separate incidents. In Memphis, Tennessee, a single gunshot inside an apartment complex struck and killed an 11-year old, according to neighbors. Police are investigating. “It’s overwhelming, overwhelming, you know what I’m saying,” said …
Two more children died in gun accidents today, a seven-year old girl and a five-year old boy. In Heber City, Utah, a man who was described as “incredibly intoxicated” fired a gun through an apartment wall. The round struck a seven-year old girl in the next apartment and killed her. Christopher O’Connell, age 34, was …
Adam L. Carroll of Lenexa, Kansas, died today after his friend negligently fired a gun inside an apartment building. The shooter, who was not identified, immediately called 911 and attempted life-saving measures. There is an ongoing investigation. “I just hope it was an accident and, at the end of the day, they just get down …
Although there were many hundreds of incidents of gun violence on Independence Day, there were thankfully no deaths clearly associated with celebratory gunfire. However, several people were injured in such incidents across the country. Also today, a six-year old Knoxville, Tennessee boy found a gun and shot himself to death. In Raleigh North Carolina, Alexandria …
At least three toddlers and two teenagers were injured in gun accidents today. The reported details of most of the incidents are limited or murky. In Birmingham, Alabama, a two-year old apparently shot himself inside a vehicle at a gas station. The news story implies that the child found a gun in the car, perhaps …
Michelle Cummings, a Houston mom visiting Annapolis, Maryland to drop off her son at the Naval Academy was killed as an innocent bystander when someone opened fire near the hotel where she was staying. She was on the patio of the hotel at the time of the shooting. Apparently the round that killed Ms. Cumming …
Four kids were killed or injured as innocent bystanders to other people’s violence in three incidents today. In Statesville, North Carolina, an eight-year old girl was killed and a nine-year old boy was injured when a gunman pulled up at their home in a car and started shooting. The children happened to be caught outside. …
In Manhattan, New York, a newly commissioned off-duty New Jersey trooper accidentally fired a round on a Penn Station train platform while adjusting his holster. He shot himself once in the leg and was treated at the hospital. No word about whether the gun had a manual safety and whether it was deployed. There …
A 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 …
A Hopkinsville, Kentucky 15-year old was critically injured in a gun accident today. He was hospitalized locally with critical injuries, but was expected to be transferred by helicopter to Nashville for further treatment. No details of the circumstances of the accident were released. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a city riven by recent gun violence, a 12-year …
In Surry County, North Carolina, two Sheriff’s deputies were injured due to “accidental discharge of a firearm” during a training exercise at a local firing range. Both deputies were treated for minor injuries and the Sheriff’s department has opened an internal investigation. Source: Paul Choate, “2 Surry County Deputies Injured by ‘Accidental Discharge of a …
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 …
In Houston, Texas, a gunshot struck and injured a six-year old boy inside his home, according to the Houston sheriff. He is in stable condition at the hospital. “They’re just shooting for fun,” said a neighbor. “That’s amazing to me, because they’re shooting to these houses. As a mother, it broke my heart … because …
As gun violence continues unabated across America, a 32-year old Chicago, Illinois man who was simply standing on a sidewalk in Humboldt Park was shot in the back. Also in the park, a 28-year old women was shot in the head while she was driving a car, causing her to crash. Both victims are hospitalized, …
Six women and a toddler were struck by stray bullets in four incidents today. Although the shooters may have had violent intent, all of the women struck were not intended targets. In Aurora, Colorado, numerous shots were fired by two or more shooters outside an apartment complex. Two of the rounds passed into the building. …
Two women were severely injured today when men they were with mishandled guns. An 18-year old Danville, Illinois woman is in stable condition after she was accidentally shot in the chest by her 16-year old boyfriend who mishandled a handgun. The boyfriend was taken into custody on charges of reckless discharge of a firearm and …
In 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 …
All over the country today, people were injured, in some cases critically, in gun accidents. The available news reports make it difficult to separate those who were engaged in unsafe practices from those who were injured based on lack of safety features on their guns. In most cases, accidents can presumably be attributed to both …
An Atlanta, Georgia three-year old shot himself in the hand when he found a loaded gun in his home. The boy’s mother was in the next room at the time of the incident. The boy is in stable condition at the hospital. And no decision has been made about whether his mother will be charged. …
In Americus, Georgia, a 16-year old boy was listed in critical condition after being accidentally shot. He and a group of boys were horsing around with a gun on the back deck of a local home. One of the boys, Jordan Hamilton, age 17, was arrested and charged with reckless conduct. In Waterbury, Connecticut, a …
Thomas Marrinan, a retired New York transit police officer was shot by a friend, a former corrections officer, when the two attempted to subdue an unruly man during a street fight in Brooklyn, New York. Robert Velasquez, the former corrections officer, accidentally shot his friend when he pulled his gun to end a scuffle with …
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 …
A Myrtle Beach, South Carolina man showing off a new gun holster to his friend shot himself in the hand while dropping the magazine out of his gun. The man was treated at the hospital. Police found the gun in a filing cabinet and a shell casing on the floor. In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a 21-year …
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 woman who was 8-months pregnant was struck by gunfire while leaving church today. She was an innocent bystander as two groups of men began firing at each other across the parking lot outside the church. The woman was rushed to the hospital where she was treated for a gunshot wound and …
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 …
Details are sketchy about a gun accident that left a person dead in Waterloo, Iowa today. No information about the circumstances of the accident or the age or identity of the victim have been released. The report of the shooting has only the following odd details: “The accidental shooting happened just days after the home …
Once again, multiple children were unintentional victims of gun violence today. One 7-year old was shot by a 9-year old relative. The other three victims were innocent bystanders to intentional gun violence. In Houston, Texas, a 7-year old child was shot by a 9-year old relative who found a loaded gun on the bed in …
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 …
Seven children under the age of six were killed or injured by gunfire today. All of them were innocent bystanders to adult gun violence. In Memphis Tennessee, a one-year old child was shot and killed inside a vehicle. “Our kids are scared to death out there,” a local community group leader said. The other incidents …
Day’Shawn Bills, a 12-year old Indianapolis, Indiana boy playing Fortnite was shot and killed today when a bullet passed through a window into his grandmother’s house. The police suspect a drive-by, but have no information about who fired shots or about the intended victim. “I mean it’s just silly for someone to shoot inside a …
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 a Desoto, Texas Walmart, one person was injured when a concealed weapon carried by another Walmart customer accidentally discharged. The victim was treated at the hospital for injuries that were not considered life-threatening. According to police, the person whose weapon fired left the premises before they arrived. When they tracked down the shooter, they …
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 …
Three people were injured when a Bath, Maine two-year old found a loaded 9 mm pistol on a nightstand in his parent’s bedroom. According to a report of the incident, the boy’s mother “sustained a ‘clean gunshot wound’ to her leg and the father, 25, sustained a minor injury to the back of his head. …
Police in Orlando, Florida are investigating an incident in which a four-year old child found a loaded gun and fired it. These are the available details according to a tweet by the Orlando police: “Upon investigating, officers determined that a 4-year-old child picked up a firearm and accidentally discharged it. The child suffered a non-life-threatening …
In Saint Joseph County, Indiana, a two year-old found a gun and shot himself. Police say the child suffered multiple non-life-threatening injuries to his right foot, left leg and left hand and is being treated at the hospital. Police did not say how the child found the gun, but they are seeking at least one …
A 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 …
A 34-year old Burlington, North Carolina woman was arrested for failing to secure a firearm “to protect a minor” after a 15-year old boy was accidentally shot. The incident involved three children who gained access to the woman’s gun. The boy was taken to the hospital with unspecified injuries. In Helena, Montana, a 68-year old …
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 Keyes, California, Evan Robinson, age 16, was killed as an unintended victim of a shootout near a local taco truck. Friends say Evan was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. “I miss you so much,” his younger sister said when asked if she had something to tell Evan. Police are investigating. …
A 14-year old Dothan Alabama boy was accidentally shot in the back inside a local residence. The 9 mm bullet passed through the boy’s body and exited in the area of his stomach. Police are investigating, including by interviewing several witnesses, but foul play is not suspected. The shooting continues a pattern of recent gun …
Two six-year old children and a five-year old were injured in unintentional shooting incidents today. Both six-year olds were innocent bystanders to the disputes of others and the five-year old was accidentally shot by her own father. In Yonkers, New York, a six-year old boy who was answering the door of his home was shot …
Three children were seriously injured in separate gun accidents today, one in Florida, one in Tennessee and one in Georgia. A 14-year old boy in Miami, Florida was preparing to start working out with his father in the family garage. When he went to move his father’s gun, it went off. The boy was airlifted …
In 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 Fairfield, Alabama, a nine-year old boy is fighting for his life after finding a gun and shooting himself. He is at the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating and the boy’s name has not been released. Nor if there information about how he came into possession of the gun. …
In Hartford, Connecticut, a three-year old boy died today when someone fired into the car in which he was riding. The boy’s mother and two other young children were in the car at the time of the incident. A male passenger was also present, but he ran off after the shooting. According to police, 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 …
In Fort Mojave, Arizona, a man was accidentally shot and killed when a firearm discharged as it was being “transferred” to him. No other details of the incident are available. Near Fresno, California, ten sheriff’s deputies and a police helicopter participated in the investigation of a report that a 17-year old made after being shot …
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 …
The Burnett County sheriff’s department responded today when a Siren, Wisconsin man was shot inside a bar. The Siren police and the St. Croix tribal police also responded. Investigators determined that the shot that injured the bar patron had been accidentally fired in a house across the street. The round apparently pierced both the wall …
Two teenagers and a child were injured and hospitalized in separate gun accidents today. A 35-year old man and a 32-year old woman were also hospitalized after a fourth accident. In yet another unintentional shooting in central Ohio, an 18-year old who was playing with a gun was rushed to the hospital with life threatening …
One man accidentally shot himself and another shot a teenager while cleaning their guns today. Typically, such accidents can be prevented with load indicators, magazine safety disconnects, manual safeties or cleaning protocols that do not require a trigger pull. Remarkably many guns, including Glocks, require that the trigger be pulled for disassembly and cleaning, leading …
In Louisiana today, there were two different innocent bystander shootings. Three people were injured, and a five-year old child has died. In Shreveport, Louisiana, one of two men arguing in a hotel parking lot fired a gun. The bullet penetrated the wall of the hotel and struck a five-year old in the head and grazed …
Teon Burwell, a 10-year old Richmond, Virginia boy found a loaded gun in his home and accidentally shot himself to death in front of his 12-year old brother. “They said he had been shot in the arm and it went through to his other arm. It hit a main artery,” his grandmother said. It remains …
13-year old children in Illinois and Tennessee were innocent victims of gun violence today. Both were innocent bystanders when gunfights broke out between others on the street. These incidents are part of an epidemic of innocent bystander shootings associated with a national increase in gun violence. The Chicago, Illinois victim and a man he was …
One woman was killed and another injured in innocent bystander incidents today. There have been three such incidents in the last two days. In Waco, Texas, a woman was inside her apartment when she was struck and killed by a bullet fired in an incident outside her home. She was found later by her roommate. …
Gudelia Vallinas of Queens, New York, age 37, was an innocent bystander caught between two rival gangs when she was shot and killed on Friday. Ms. Vallinas was an unintended target when two groups of 6 to 7 teenagers each starting firing at each other at a Queens housing complex. “I heard the gunshots, like …
In Detroit, Michigan, a 13-year old and a three-year old were hurt in separate gun accidents. The three year old was shot by a four-year old sibling while they were playing with a gun. They were being supervised by another sibling, age 13, while their parents were at work. The injured child was in stable …
In a complicated incident today, Houston, Texas police accidentally shot a one-year old child in the head. They were reportedly attempting to prevent a carjacking at the time of the incident. The baby is in stable condition at the hospital. Police report that they were chasing an armed suspect, wanted for several aggravated robberies. At …
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. …
At a Winston-Salem, North Carolina hospital, doctors discovered that an eight-year old had been shot in the head in her home. The girl was in critical condition. No other information has been released, including about the circumstances of the incident. Police are investigating. Source: John Hinton, “An 8-year-old Girl is Shot in the Head on …
At Desert Sky Mall in Phoenix, Arizona, a 17-year old boy was shot as an innocent bystander to an argument between others about a pair of sneakers. Alejandro Martinez, a high-school student, was shot and killed on the anniversary of the Parkland High School murders. According to the report, gunfire erupted at a kiosk inside …
In Fort Wayne, Indiana, an Indiana State trooper called in a report of a gun accident at his own home. According to the report, the trooper, who was on duty at the time, was notified of an accident involving a 6-year old child. He reported it to authorities and responded personally. The trooper took the …
Two children found guns and injured other children today, once again in Texas and Ohio. In Houston, Texas, a boy described as 6- or 7-years old, found a loaded gun and shot his five-year old sister in the leg. She was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. Several family members were home at the time of …
In Idaho Falls, Idaho, a police officer mistook a man with a gun at a housing complex for a wanted suspect with a gun. The officer shot and killed the wrong man. Although details of the accident are unclear, the officer involved was placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation. “The truth that we …
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 Concord, Georgia, a 17-year old boy was shot and killed in a gun accident caused by a gun defect. The Sheriff’s Office preliminary investigation indicated that a person in an adjacent room dropped a firearm which discharged. The round passed through a wall and struck the victim. He was taken for medical treatment, but …
In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a three-year old boy found a loaded gun in his home and shot himself. Police were alerted to the incident by a call from the hospital. Although the child is expected to survive, there is an ongoing investigation. Source: “Toddler Expected to Survive after Accidental Shooting, Police Say,” Fox 8 Live …
The Bennettsville, South Carolina Police Department issued the following statement about a gun accident that injured two children today, reprinted here in its entirety: “The Bennettsville Police Department Detectives’ Division was called in reference to a shooting at a residence inside the city limits of Bennettsville, SC. A preliminary investigation has led detectives to conclude …
Two innocent bystanders were accidentally shot at 2:06 A.M. on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. According to the report, two people opened fire on each other. Neither of the shooters was hit. The two victims were an 18-year old woman and a 57-year old man. Police are looking for the shooters. Source: “NOPD Investigating Double …
A 74-year old man was accidentally shot and killed in his Louisville, Kentucky home today. The round that killed him was fired in a dispute between two groups of people outside. The man has not been publicly identified and no arrests have been made. We call him Mr. Herb,” a neighbor said. “He’s a great …
At least three children were accidentally shot and injured today. They were aged 14, 15, and 7. The incidents occurred in states that have been regular sites of gun accidents involving children: Florida, Ohio and North Carolina. The most fully reported of the accidents was in Jacksonville, Florida. Ayva Guthrie, age 14,was accidentally shot by …