The latest gun accident involving a child happened in Jackson, Mississippi, where a 5-year child found a gun in his home and shot himself. He was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. There is an ongoing investigation. Source: Justin Victory, “JPD Investigating after 5-year-old Accidentally Shoots Himself,” Clarion Ledger (April 9, 2020).
Category: Ongoing Investigation
TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2020
In another fatal gun accident, an unidentified 19-year old Goose Creek, South Carolina man is dead after he was shot inside a local home. According to investigators, the “shooter was trying to show the victim how to clean the weapon but failed to ensure the gun was empty, leading to the fatal shot.” The shooter …
SUNDAY, APRIL 5, 2020
In Chester, Pennsylvania, 7-year old Sinsir Parker was found dead after being hit by a “stray bullet” during an apparent drive-by shooting. He had been shot in the face and was discovered lying in the middle of the street. Police are investigating. The report noted that the incident was the 14th homicide in Chester in …
FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2020
In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a 7-year old boy was accidentally shot on the street. He suffered a non-fatal wound. The shooting was apparently related to an argument in which the boy was not the intended target. Police are investigating. Source: “Milwaukee Police: 7-year-old Boy Shot, Wounded Near 23rd and Locust,” Fox6now.com (April 4, 2020).
THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020
Amir Jennings Green, a 4-year old in Thornton, Illinois, found a loaded gun in the basement of his home today. He fired it and killed himself. This is the third gun accident in two days in which a toddler found a gun and fired it. Source: “4-year-old Dies After Accidentally Shooting Himself in Thornton,” WGN …
Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) North Carolina Ongoing Investigation Virginia
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2020
Two young children gained access to guns today and shot themselves. At a Wawa grocery in Henrico County Virginia, a 5-year old found a loaded gun in a car while her parents were pumping gas at the Wawa. She shot herself in the hand. In Charlotte, North Carolina, a 3-year old was taken from her …
MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2020
Here is the entirety of a report about an incident that occurred today in Bessemer, Alabama: “The 12-year-old boy who was shot in the head Monday by his brother while playing with a gun has died, according to the Bessemer Police Department. No other information has been released at this time.” Source: Phil Pinarski, “12-year-old …
SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020
A Liberty County, Texas man was cleaning a 9-mm semi-automatic pistol when it accidentally fired and struck his 15-year old son in the lower back. The boy was flown to a hospital in Houston and is expected to survive. The gunshot was reported to have caused a “through and through wound.” Source: “Father Cleaning Gun …
FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2020
In Springfield, Tennessee, a woman was hit by a stray bullet while walking down the street. She was hospitalized with a non-life threatening wound to her arm. Police are investigating, and believe that the shot was fired on an adjacent street. Source: Jason Hall, “Report: Springfield Woman Accidentally Shot While Walking Down Street,” Fox 17 …
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020
In a variety of jurisdictions across the country today, accidental gunshot wounds sent people to the hospital, where staff are already struggling to find sufficient resources to manage the coronavirus epidemic. Among the accidents was one in Ormond Beach, Florida, where a 22-year old man was shot in the leg when a .22 caliber rifle …
TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2020
In Torrington, Connecticut, two people were injured by a single round fired accidentally from a 9-mm handgun. Their wounds are not considered life-threatening. According to a statement made by a police investigator, “[u]pon arrival of the officers, it was found that a male party, and a female party had both suffered non-life threatening injuries as …
California Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Kentucky Ongoing Investigation Oregon
TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2020
Three children were accidentally shot in their own homes yesterday. Each incident involved a handgun apparently left unsecured. Two 12-year old boys in Springfield, Oregon, who were off from school due to the coronavirus on Tuesday morning, found a gun belonging to a family member and were playing with it when it went off. One …
MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2020
A Gadsden, Alabama man shot himself outside the hospital after bringing his wife in for treatment of an accidental gunshot wound. The women’s injuries were not life threatening, but the man was taken to a second hospital where he is reported to be in critical condition. A school two blocks from the hospital was placed …
SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2020
A three-year old Louisville, Kentucky girl is dead. According to a report, Fayth Graham found a loaded gun in her home and shot herself. “We’re still in the very early stages of the investigation, and really, at this point, that’s way down the line,” a police spokesperson responded when questions were raised about whether the …
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2020
A gun unintentionally discharged in a Grand Forks, North Dakota residence while its owner was attempting to disassemble it. A man in the residence was hospitalized “with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.” There is an open and ongoing investigation. Source: “Man Injured after Gun ‘Unintentionally’ Discharged in Grand Forks Home,” The Grand Forks Herald (March 11, …
SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020
A child is dead after a gun accident in Fairview, North Carolina. Although sources indicate that the wound was self inflicted and that the victim was five-years old, authorities expressly declined to release any details of the incident on the basis that the victim was under 18. An investigation is ongoing. This case illustrates the …
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020
In Brownstown, Indiana, a police investigation has determined that a shot was accidentally fired by a man who was handling a handgun in the living room of his home. A bullet from the gun went through the man’s leg and then entered the leg of his 5-year old son. The man was treated and released. …
Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Juvenile Arrested Ongoing Investigation Tennessee
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2020
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 …
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2020
In St. Louis, Missouri, a 12-year old boy was accidentally shot when a family member fired a warning shot at a person she believed was going to rob her. The bullet struck the ground and the ricochet hit the boy in the hand. He was taken to a hospital where he was expected to recover. …
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020
On Valentine’s Day, four young children were shot and injured in their homes by other children. Three children were shot in two incidents in Chicago, Illinois. The other incident occurred in Dallas, Texas. An eight-year old boy and a 12-year old girl were both shot in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side by another …
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020
Police announced today that they are still considering filing charges against an unidentified 21-year old in White Township, Pennsylvania, who accidentally shot his four-month old son with a 9-mm handgun. The boy suffered significant injuries after being hit in the upper body, but is expected to survive. At the time of the shooting, the boy’s …
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020
In Harvest, Alabama, five-year old Maxton Hughes, the son of a Huntsville police officer, apparently found a gun in the family car and accidentally shot himself in the head. A parent found the child and drove him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. An investigation is ongoing but no charges are expected. “This …
Adult Arrested Alabama Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Ongoing Investigation Pennsylvania Utah
THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020
Four young children accidentally shot themselves today with found guns in separate incidents. Two are dead. Two are hospitalized. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania a four-year old found a Glock pistol in a closet and shot himself in the head in his bedroom. His three-year old brother was in the room at the time. Police say the …
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2020
A 10-year old St. Louis, Missouri boy found a gun outside his apartment building, brought it inside and accidentally shot himself in the leg. The gun had earlier been stolen in Springfield, Missouri according to police. Source: “Boy, 10, Accidentally Shot Himself With Stolen Gun He Found Outside, Police Say,” KMOV4 (January 30, 2020).
TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020
An unidentified man died today after accidentally shooting himself while in line at the Supreme Bean coffee shop in Spokane, Washington. No further information about the accident has been reported. An investigation is ongoing. On the other side of the country, in Cedartown, Georgia, at Zorba’s restaurant, a man accidentally shot himself in the parking …
Adult Injury Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Florida Mississippi North Carolina Ohio Ongoing Investigation Wyoming
FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2020
Of eight reports of accidental shootings today, involving a total of 11 shooting incidents, three occurred in Ohio, one each in Mississippi, Wyoming, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia. None of the 11 shootings was fatal. Two of the incidents involved accidental self-inflicted shootings, three involved young children shot accidentally by others, three involved women apparently …
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2020
A 57-year old Hackensack, New Jersey man was placing his Smith & Wesson .45-caliber handgun on his nightstand as part of his preparation for bedtime when it accidentally fired. The victim was struck in the abdomen. He remains in critical condition with severe internal injuries. “We are doing our due diligence, as always, in investigating,” …
FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2020
At Three Fires Elementary School in Howell, Michigan, a father accidentally discharged his gun in his vehicle while waiting to pick up his child. The initial investigation showed no criminal intent, though the school was placed on lockdown at the time of the shooting. The man shot himself in the hand and leg. He was …
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2020
In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, an 8-year old found his father’s loaded handgun when his father left him alone briefly in the car while shopping. The boy shot himself in the leg. He was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Just over a month ago, a Fort Lauderdale toddler also found his father’s loaded handgun …
MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020
According to a Riverside, Ohio police sergeant, “a 3-year-old got ahold of his father’s weapon and accidentally shot himself in the leg.” The boy found the gun in a bedroom and brought it to the living room where he was playing with it when it went off. The boy’s father was home at the time. …
SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2020
In separate incidents in different parts of the country, two women were struck by stray gunfire while walking on the street. In Detroit Michigan, a woman walked to the hospital, where she was found to be in serious condition, after being hit by a bullet along Crusade Street near Liberal. Police said she was struck …
SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 2020
41-year old Brian McManemy of Blairstown, Iowa was shot in the leg when one of the guns in the vehicle in which he was riding discharged. He was transported to a Cedar Rapids hospital. Mr. McManemy was coyote hunting at the time of the accident. He was a passenger in a vehicle driving through a …
FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2020
Bronson Reed, a 45-year old father in Soddy Daisy, Tennessee was cleaning a 9-mm pistol in his home when it went off unexpectedly. The bullet struck Reed in the leg and then hit his seven-year old son. At the time the story was reported, the child remained hospitalized. An investigation is ongoing. Source: Ken Nicholson …
THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 2020
An accidental shooting on Long Island, New York today was blamed for one injury and a multi-vehicle crash that injured four others. A 25-year old Plainview man was cleaning a firearm in his home when it discharged, hitting a 17 year-old who was with him in the neck. As the 25-year old rushed the teen …
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2020
As the clock struck midnight on New Years eve, 61-year old Philippa Ashford was struck and killed by a stray bullet in Harris County, Texas. Police believe that the round was fired in celebration of the new year by an unidentified person in the neighborhood. The shooter was not a member of Ms. Ashford’s family. …
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2019
At a gun range in Oak Forest, Illinois, a boy was struck in the abdomen by a bullet. He was in a showroom at the range with his father when someone accidentally discharged a gun and the fired round ricocheted and hit him. The boy’s injuries are not expected to be life threatening. Source: Alice …
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019
In Buna, Texas, “a tragic end to Christmas left the town shaken.” 15-year old James Johnson was shot and killed when a 9 mm pistol was accidentally fired by his 10-year old brother. A cousin, 19, had brought the gun to Johnson’s home and the teens were passing it around, believing it to be unloaded. …
MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2019
A Carlisle, Ohio high school junior was accidentally shot in the face Monday evening at a friend’s home. The girl was shot through the left cheek with a .22 caliber handgun and the bullet is lodged behind her left ear. She is expected to survive. At the time of the incident, the teenager who shot …
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2019
In San Antonio, Texas, police are investigating after 7-year old Jeffrey Taylor found a gun in his home this morning and shot himself while his family was sleeping. The child was pronounced dead when authorities arrived. The adults in the family are weapons trained and did not know why the gun was unsecured. Source: Gerald …
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2019
A Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a woman was shot in a parked car when her toddler pulled the trigger on a loaded gun. After being taken to a local hospital, the woman was expected to recover. No further information is available about the circumstances of the accident. Source: Associated Press, “Woman Accidentally Shot by Toddler in …
Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Juvenile Arrested Ongoing Investigation Pennsylvania
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2019
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, …
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019
In Detroit Michigan, a 20-year old woman was seriously injured when she was accidentally shot by an off-duty police officer while the two were sitting together in a car. According to a preliminary investigation, the officer was moving her weapon when it discharged, striking the other woman. The officer told investigators that the gun accidentally …
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2019
A 34-year old Elloree, South Carolina man told deputies that his .45 caliber semi-automatic Springfield 1911 pistol discharged as he moved it from the glove compartment of his vehicle. He shot himself in the upper leg and was treated at a local hospital. Source: Martha Rose Brown, “Elloree Man Accidentally Shoots Himself in Leg,” The …
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2019
A five-year old child in Englewood, Florida shot and critically injured a 21-month old at home today. An adult was present in the home at the time. According to a report, “[i]nvestigators are working to determine what led up to the shooting. Officers asked the public to call JSO if they know anything about the …
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2019
In Cleveland Ohio, 11-year old Tyshaun Taylor was shot and killed in an accident at a friend’s birthday party. According to an East Cleveland City Councilman, the shooting was an accident that occurred while the boys at the party were playing with a gun. The supervising parent had left the home to go to a …
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2019
In California, a state that requires safe storage of guns, a five-year old boy found a gun in his home, shot himself, suffered extensive injuries and later died at the hospital. The boy was described by a family friend as “very, very sweet, young boy.” At the time of his death, the boy was under …