Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
A two-year old Joliet, Illinois child found a loaded gun in a bedroom at his home and shot himself in the head. He is in critical condition at the hospital. The boy’s mother was home at the time of the incident and is cooperating with police. In Grape Creek, Texas, police arrested Mathew South, 32, …
Police in St. Clairsville, Ohio have released few details about the shooting death of a two-year old in that community other than to make clear that the incident was accidental. “The only info we are releasing so far is there was an accidental discharge of a firearm that has resulted in the death of a …
In South Lake Tahoe, California, 37-year old Julio Rojas Cruz died of a bullet wound to the head. According to police, Rojas’s death resulted from negligent firing of a 9 mm handgun. No further information is available. In Wisconsin, two men accidentally shot themselves, one in Fond du Lac, the other in Milwaukee. Both are …
When nearly 50 shots were fired in a Philadelphia neighborhood, apparently the only person struck was an eight-year old child who was playing in the yard at her grandmother’s nearby home. “There is a little hole in her head so they kind of put it back together,” said her grandmother. The girl remains at the …
In Spartanburg, South Carolina, Cora Lyn Bush, 33, was shot and killed by her three-year old son who had found a loaded gun in their home. Police are investigating how the child gained access to the gun. Source: Bill Bates, Bethany Fowler, “3-year-old Accidentally Shoots, Kills Mother in Spartanburg Co.” Queen City News (September 23, …
Kai Rowan Turner, age 2, of Battle Creek, Michigan was shot and killed today when “multiple, multiple” shots were fired into his home. The toddler was the only victim of the drive-by shooting. “This is an innocent child, a 2-year-old that is now longer with us,” a Battle Creek Police Deputy Chief told reporters Tuesday …
A 12-year old Memphis Tennessee child was sitting on a couch in his apartment today when shots were fired during a domestic dispute in a next door apartment. The boy was shot in the back when a bullet passed through a common wall as well as the back of the couch. He is expected to …
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania police are investigating the accidental shooting death of Julius Snead on the stairs outside a vacant home. Police are not looking for any suspects, but have not released information about the circumstances of the accident. Sources: Becky Metrick, “Man Found Shot to Death Outside Vacant Harrisburg Home,” PennLive (September 15, 2022). Jenna Wise, …
Three children were involved in gun accidents today. The Rhoadsville, Virginia victim was a 7-month old whose injuries are not considered life-threatening. A Columbia, South Carolina teenager who was shooting into a home, inadvertently shot himself in the hand. No other injuries were reported and the boy was arrested without incident. And in San Antonio, …
A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 13-year old was shot and injured when a gun discharged while it was in his waistband or pants pocket. No word on how he got the gun. A 31-year old San Antonio, Texas man shot himself in the buttocks when a round he fired in the air apparently returned nearly to earth. …
An Athens, Georgia woman was seriously injured when she was unintentionally shot while lying on a couch in her apartment. According to police, multiple rounds were fired in a domestic violence incident in a neighboring unit. One of the rounds apparently passed through an apartment wall and struck the woman in the back. A Vermont …
A Parkman, Maine 18-year old who was target shooting with friends was struck and killed today. According to the report, one of the rounds the teen fired struck a steel plate, ricocheted, and killed the boy. There is an ongoing investigation. Source: “Man Dead After Parkman Shooting Accident,” WABI 5 (September 9, 2022).
Police are investigating an incident in which an off-duty Harris County, Texas sheriff’s deputy accidentally shot himself in the chest in his home. No details of the incident have been reported and the deputy’s name has not been released. Source: “Off-duty HCSO Deputy Accidentally Shoots Himself in the Chest at Magnolia Home, Officials Say,” khou.com …
A Columbus, Georgia, five-year old was accidentally shot at a gas station today. The child is in stable condition at the hospital. No other information has been reported. Source: Jatavia O’Neal, “5-year-old in Stable Condition After Accidental Shooting in Columbus,” wtvm.com (September 7, 2022).
In Columbus, Ohio, a man who was attempting to shoot at his former girlfriend’s car while she was driving had the bullet ricochet and strike him in the leg. Although the man told police that the woman had shot at him from her car, police investigation revealed that the round he fired is the one …
Malachi Copeland, an Evansville, Indiana first grader, apparently found a loaded gun in his home and shot himself in the head. Police are investigating his death, and no one has been charged at this time. Malachi’s school issued a statement that included the following: The Joshua Academy school community is deeply saddened by the sudden …
A nine-year old boy was shot in the hip in an Oakland, California freeway shooting. He was driving with a woman in a vehicle that was being chased on I-580 and shot at. Seeking to evade the shooting, the car exited the freeway but then crashed into a truck. Witnesses say that the crashed vehicle …
A Philadephia, Pennsylvania FBI agent suffered minor injuries when his gun discharged on the loading dock of the local federal building. In the statement, the FBI said, “The FBI takes all shooting incidents involving our agents or tasks force members seriously. In accordance with Bureau police, the shooting incident is under investigation by an FBI …
In Anchor Point, Alaska, Kenneth Defrancesco, 80, appeared to have been killed while getting out of his vehicle. “[A] firearm he was carrying came out of the holster and fired a round, fatally wounding him,” Alaska State Troopers reported in a press release on Sunday. A friend found Defrancesco in his driveway after he had …
In Gainsville, Florida, a three-year old child who was home with two other children and an adult who was not his parent, took a loaded gun from an unlocked case and shot himself. The child later died at the hospital. “Well, the case is still under investigation, but what we know at this point, it …
In Williamsport, Pennsylvania, a 13-year old boy found a gun in his home and accidentally shot himself in the leg. Police are investigating how he got the gun. Source: Rayna McGlynn, “PD: Boy Accidentally Shoots Himself in Leg, Officials Investigate How He Obtained Gun,” Fox 56 (August 24, 2022).
A Stone Mountain, Georgia 17-year old, Dimitri Hayes, was accidentally shot by his twin brother, Xavier, when the two were playing with a gun in their bedroom. Dimitri was taken to the hospital where he later died from his injuries. Xavier was charged with felony murder and aggravated assault. There is no report at this …
In Sumter County, Florida, a father mistakenly shot and killed his 19-year old son, Jaiden McGeorge, whom he mistook for a burglar, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The report about the incident indicates that burglars had been to the house earlier in the evening. A 14-year old Los Angeles, California boy is in stable condition after …
Ashton Bean, a Picayune, Mississippi 13-year old, was shot and killed inside a home today where he and another boy were handling a gun. The news reports are unclear about how the boys got hold of the gun. The incident remains under investigation. Source: “13-year-old Dies After Gun Discharged Inside Mississippi House,” Magnolia State Live …
In Lake County, Indiana, an 8-year old accidentally shot himself to death today. The child was the second in the region to lose his life to an unintended gunshot wound in the last two months, illustrating the urgency in Indiana to enact more effective safe storage and child access prevention laws. According to the report, …
In Rosebud, Missouri, a 10-month old baby was shot in the stomach by a three-year old child. The toddler had taken the gun from a purse on the counter in their home. According to the report, there is an ongoing investigation. Source: Zachary Farwell, “Investigators Determine Shooting of Baby in Gasconade County as Accidental,” ABC 17 …
In Smyrna, Tennessee, Lavonte’e Williams, a five-year old, found a loaded gun in his father’s backpack and used it to shoot and kill himself. The incident happened at a basketball court where the boy’s father was playing. There is an ongoing investigation. Source: Erin McCullough, “Child Killed in Smyrna Accidental Shooting Found Gun in Father’s …
In Atlanta, Georgia, a 19-year old was accidentally shot and killed at a house party. “All of a sudden we heard the loud noise and came out front because we heard screaming,” a neighbor said. He added, “[t]hat was the impression I got: they were playing around with the gun, and someone somehow fired the …
There were at least five gun accidents involving children across the United States today, four of them fatal. In Forestdale, Alabama, a 12-year old accidentally shot and killed his mother. The child initially made up an implausible story but then admitted his role in the shooting. “This offense is a tragedy for the … family …
Jesus Miguel Gamboa, age 24, of Chaparral, New Mexico was charged with child abuse after his three-year old daughter found a loaded handgun in his home and shot herself in the neck. Gamboa was reportedly in the bathroom at the time of the incident. The girl is in stable condition at the hospital. Police are …
Maria Nealy, age 34, of San Antonio, Texas, was sitting on a bed in her apartment playing with a gun according to witnesses, when the weapon discharged. The round passed through a wall and struck and killed April Longoria, age 33, in the next room. Longoria reportedly said “that hurt” before “bleeding out from her …
In Niles, Michigan, Brittany Young, age 35, died today when a gun she was bringing into a local home accidentally fired. No other details have been reported. And in Ovett, Mississippi, Adam Doggett, age 41, is in intensive care after a friend accidentally discharged a 9 mm gun in his backyard. According to the report, …
In St. Petersburg, Florida, nine-year old Julian Ali died today in what police are calling an accidental shooting without providing details about the nature of the incident. Julian was home with an adult and three other children at the time of the incident. According to the report, police are working to determine who owned the …
In North Charleston, South Carolina today, Micah Simmons, a 13-year old, was fatally shot when another child tried to grab a loaded gun from him. Micah died at the hospital. Police say that no charges are likely to be filed and there is no reporting on why Micah had the gun in the first instance. …
A Wichita, Kansas two-year old had access to a loaded gun in his home and used it to shoot himself in the leg. Police were called to the hospital rather than to the scene and are currently investigating. And a Zachary, Louisiana, a two-year old pulled a gun out of his mother’s purse and shot …
A Kouts, Indiana two-year old died today after finding a loaded gun at home and shooting himself. The boy, Wyatt Luczak, died at the hospital. After a month-long investigation, no charges were filed. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family,” the prosecutor said. In Baldwin, County, Alabama, a four-year old faces surgery after he …
A Pine Bluffs, Arkansas 5-year old accidentally shot and killed his 8-year old brother with an unsecured gun today. “This is a tragic incident that could have been avoided. I can’t emphasize strongly enough that guns need to be well secured and kept out of the hands and away from children at all times,” the …
At least five children were shot and injured today in various circumstances, continuing to illustrate just how dangerous guns are around American children. Also today, four teenagers were killed in apparently intended gun violence incidents. Without taking away from the horrific nature of intended gun violence across the United States, the focus here remains on …
Three more young people were unintentionally shot and killed today. In Detroit, Michigan, 14-year old Kaniyah Bryant was unintentionally shot and killed by her 13-year old boyfriend. According to police, the two children were among a group who were passing around and playing with a stolen gun when the 13-year old shot Kaniyah. She was …
For the second time in a week, police in Graham, North Carolina report that a young man was involved in an accidental shooting. In the latest incident, little has been reported other than that a 22-year old man was found dead by police. Their investigation, which is ongoing, suggests that the man suffered an accidental …
Two Louisiana teenagers were shot and injured accidentally today. Neither report indicates the extent of the child’s injuries nor how the teenagers got access to a gun. In Luling, Louisiana, police reported that a 17-year old accidentally shot himself. Police noted that there was no threat to the public but that the community should expect …
A’Kai Stilo of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, age 3, found a gun in his home and shot himself to death. A 28-year old woman has been arrested in connection with the incident. Milwaukee police said there have been 15 fatal shooting victims ages 18 and younger this year. “I am disturbed by all gun deaths in Milwaukee, …
A six-year old boy in Forest Park, Illinois found his uncle’s loaded gun in a bag in a closet at his home and accidentally shot off his finger. The boy’s grandmother and uncle took him to the hospital and his uncle later returned home to retrieve the finger, according to the report. Emergency staff at …
Four children, aged 16 and under, were unintentionally shot and killed today. In Escambia County, Florida, one-year old Kacey Bass was shot and killed and her two-year old sister was injured by an eight-year old who was playing with his father’s gun. According to the report, the boy took the gun from his father’s closet …
In Charlotte, North Carolina, a one-year old girl was shot and killed by her 7-year old brother, who also injured himself. According to a neighbor, a friend had come to visit and had left the loaded gun used in the incident in her purse. “He’s seven. He might have thought it was a play gun,” …
In Chicago, Illinois, Cecilia Thomas, a six-month old girl was shot and killed in her car seat when someone opened fire on her father’s car. According to the report, the shooter is believed to be a woman. Police are investigating. Source: “6-month-old Baby Girl Shot in the Head and Killed,” Chicago Journal (June 24, 2022).
In Muskegon, Michigan, an unidentified 63-year old man was shot dead when a 35-year old accidentally fired a round in a neighboring apartment. The round passed through at least one wall. The 35-year old is in custody and there is an ongoing investigation. Source: Karie Herringa, “Muskegon Man Hit, Killed by Bullet Fired From Adjacent Apartment,” foxonline.com …
A two-year old New Orleans, Louisiana boy found a loaded gun and used it to shoot and kill himself. His parents have been detained for questioning but no charges have been filed. “Everyone has a constitutional right to carry a weapon of course, but we need to do so responsibly,” said New Orleans’ police chief. …
At least three children were injured in gun accidents today. In Wichita, Kansas, a ten-year old boy was hospitalized in critical condition when his father accidentally fired his new gun when he was unloading it to put it in a gun safe. There is an ongoing investigation. Police are looking for a Waterbury, Connecticut man …
After some boys in Rockford, Illinois broke into an abandoned house, a “gun accidentally went off” and a 15-year old was shot in the foot. How the boys got the gun and the circumstances of the accident are not reported. Authorities did not say whether anyone will be charged. Source: John Clark, “Rockford Boy Shot …
Taniya Jones, a Washington, DC sixteen-year old was shot and killed in an incident that police blamed in “negligent weapon handling.” The specific circumstances of Taniya’s death have not been reported. Taniya was the eldest of three sisters and a rising high school junior who dreamed of becoming a pediatrician. “She was a full-of-life, sweet …
Witnesses to a Duluth, Minnesota bar fight and surveillance video confirms “that two men were fighting two other men when a gun fell out of a man’s waistband. When a bystander attempted to grab the gun, it fired and the victim was shot in the foot.” The shooting remains under investigation but police say “there …
A West Memphis, Arkansas two-year old was killed and his mother was injured today in a drive-by shooting. The police do not believe that either was an intended target. “It’s always tragic to her when a little one has been the result of a community violence, and that’s one of the reasons why we’re trying …
A pair of three-year olds were injured as the unintended consequence of gun violence today. Both were shot when rounds were firing into cars in which they were traveling. In Chicago, Illinois, the toddler was shot in the leg and is in good condition. There are no suspects. In Goldsboro, North Carolina, Tyrik Joyner, age …
Four people were injured today, including three children, by shots fired indiscriminately into their homes from the street. All were presumably innocent bystanders. In Meridian, Mississippi, an elderly woman and a five-year old child were victims of a drive-by shooting in which rounds passed into their home. Police are investigating. Both are expected to survive. …
At least five children were killed or injured today as unintended consequences of other people’s gun violence. The grim toll: Mariyah Lacy, age 5, of Jackson, Mississippi, was killed when her mother’s ex-boyfriend shot into her mother’s car in an argument over money. Mariyah’s two siblings were uninjured, but her mother was grazed by a …
An 18-year old woman accidentally killed 15-year old Achilles Lopez today while handling a gun inside a Pembroke Pines, Florida home. Police called the shooting unintentional but negligent. Lopez’s sister posted to social media Monday, writing, “[w]ords cannot explain how much I miss you. Fly high you beautiful angel…” Source: Vanessa Medina, “Family Member Handling …
Anthony James Madrid, a four-year old Beaumont, Texas boy, found a loaded gun and accidentally shot and killed himself in his home. Several adults and other children were at home at the time of the incident. Police are investigating, but have not yet made an arrest. Local child protection authorities are also involved. “The detectives …
Trent Byerly, a Des Allemands, Louisiana 19-year old, was handling a gun inside a car when it accidentally fired. The round struck him in the chest and killed him. Two of his co-passengers were arrested for obstruction of justice. An eight-year old Chicago, Illinois girl was accidentally shot by a 12-year old neighbor in her …
On Memorial Day, two women were shot inside their homes as a result of gun violence occurring outside. In Queens, New York, 72-year old Margaret Henry, a grandmother and a retired librarian, was struck in the arm by a bullet fired outside. She was in bed watching television at the time of the incident, having …
A 14-year old Decatur, Illinois boy was accidentally shot in the neck while at home with a 15-year old and an 8-year old. Several adults were also present. The boy’s injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. Despite identifying the incident as accidental and having a variety of likely witnesses, police have not yet described …
Among ten shootings reported in 24 hours in Portland, Oregon, there were at least two that involved innocent bystanders. In one, the victim was in bed asleep when she was struck by a round fired in an altercation outside. The extent of the woman’s injuries was not reported. In the other, a woman getting out of a …
This page is intentionally left blank in memory of the dead and injured in the Uvalde, Texas elementary school shooting.
In what West Valley, Utah police are calling an accidental shooting, an unidentified 14-year old boy shot himself on Saturday. He died at the hospital the next day. Police are investigating various questions, including how the boy got a gun. A man also shot himself in the parking lot at an Orlando, Florida gun show …
A six-year old Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania apparently found a gun is his home and accidentally shot himself in the head. He is hospitalized in critical condition. And in separate incidents, two Pullman, Washington men accidentally shot themselves and had to be airlifted to the hospital in Spokane. One of the men shot himself in the leg …
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 …
In Palo Alto, California, two young men were shot and injured in a ghost gun accident. One was struck in the hand and the other in the leg in a local shopping center parking lot when a gun went off while they were smoking marijuana in a truck. A bloodied and loaded handgun with no …
In Wellsville, Ohio a 14-year old boy found a gun in a closet in his home and removed the gun lock. He accidentally fired the gun and shot himself in the stomach. According to police, he was using his cell phone when the gun went off. The boy is expected to recover and may face …
A four-year old Dutton, Alabama boy accidentally shot and killed himself after apparently finding a loaded gun in an unspecified location. He was airlifted to a hospital where he died of his wound. No further information has been reported. Andre Sharp, a 29-year old Dallas man, surrendered to authorities after unintentionally shooting and killing an …
Five more children were killed or injured in gun accidents today. In Katy, Texas, a four-year old boy died after being shot in the head by his nine-year old brother today with his uncle’s Glock. The uncle, Franciso Lupian, had brought the gun into the home and showed the boys how to use it. He …
Two children were killed and two were injured by unintended gun violence today. In Shreveport, Louisiana, 13-year old Landry Anglin was shot and killed as an innocent bystander when a round was fired from a vehicle in a rolling gun battle. Landry was a middle school student and was inside a home when she was …
Kyler Jackson, a South Bend, Indiana 5-year old was accidentally shot and killed by a 9-year old relative today. “We ask that you please respect the family,” the Police Department wrote, adding that the 9-year-old is “trying to recover from the trauma.” Additional details are not available. Colton Jon Shoemaker of Burlington, West Virginia was …
Yovany Rodriguez, a 39-year old Los Angeles, California man, was shot while driving. He died at the scene after crashing into another vehicle. Police are investigating, but have not identified the shooter. Source: “Fatal Head-on Crash Turns Into Shooting Investigation in South LA,” Fox 11 LA (April 27, 2022).
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 …
A four-year old Spanish Lake, Missouri boy was “dropped off” at the hospital with a bullet wound to the arm. Police determined that he was shot accidentally at home, but have not said whether he shot himself or whether he was shot by a man who was also in the home. Source: Dori Olmos, “Man …
In Fort Worth, Texas, an 88-year old woman was struck in the hand by a stray bullet fired in a nearby dispute. She was in her home at the time of the incident. The bullet was fired by one of two men engaged in a dispute at a nearby horse stable. No one has been …
In Denver, Colorado, police are investigating the shooting of a three-year old who was taken to the hospital in a private vehicle in critical condition. “Investigators said the shooting appears accidental and self-inflicted.” The boy died five days later. It became clear that the accident happened in a parked vehicle. The boy’s mother, Celina Duran, …
Once again in Ohio, a child is dead after finding a loaded gun in his home. Today’s incident in South Euclid involved a ten-year old boy, Eion Boyette. The boy appears to have been playing with a gun when it went off, according to a news release from local police. Eion attended Greenview Middle School …
A Henderson, Nevada 14-year old was charged with involuntary manslaughter after shooting and killing his ten-year old brother with a shotgun. According to the report, the involuntary manslaughter charge means that the shooting was considered unintentional. One neighbor described the victim’s family as the “perfect family.” That’s extremely devastating,” said a mother who lives a …
Devin Page, Jr., a Baton Rouge, Louisiana 3-year old, was shot and killed by a stray bullet that entered through a window of his home. Police do not know who fired the gun. “He was a great, a very smart, intelligent 3-year-old. He was always happy, you know he loved the dance, he loves school, he …
In Opelika, Alabama, a loaded firearm discharged when it fell. The round struck and killed a 13-year old boy. “Our thoughts are with the family as they grieve the loss of their child,” said the Police Chief. “We encourage all individuals who own a firearm to ensure that it is stored safely and kept in a …
A six-year old a 12-year old are dead today after finding loaded guns in their homes. The six-year old died in Fort Collins, Colorado after arriving at the hospital. “Tragic events like this have a lasting impact on everyone involved, including family, friends, and first responders. Words cannot begin to express the depth of our …
Three teenagers have died in shooting incidents in Billings, Montana in just the last three months. The latest incident involved a 15-year old who died in a gun accident today. Local authorities have not yet described the circumstances of the incident other than to say that it happened at the boy’s home. What we see …
A three-year old and a six-year old died at the hospital in separate incidents involving unsecured loaded guns found in their homes. The three-year old, a Meigs County, Ohio boy, shot himself in the chest. “I just couldn’t imagine the pain and the hurt and the suffering they’re going through at the time, and …
14-year old Alexis Pierson, a Port St. Louis, Mississippi middle-schooler was shot and killed in her home by a child who found a loaded gun. One of Alexis’s friends had brought the gun over and did not secure it. When Pierson told the child who found the gun to put it down, the child accidentally …
In Clayton County, Georgia, 17-year old Anthony McClain was shot and killed while standing outside the barber shop he ran with his mother. According to a witness, he was caught in the crossfire when a man started shooting at a white car and someone in the car fired back. “He was just standing outside the …
In Shreveport, Louisiana, two children, aged 3 and 4, apparently found a loaded gun in their home. The gun inevitably was fired and the four year old, Michael Thomas, Jr., was shot in the chest and killed. His younger sister was also injured. Two adults were home at the time of the incident. According to …
Two people, including a one-year old baby, were injured in gun accidents after rounds passed through apartment walls. A one-year old Columbus, Ohio girl was struck by a bullet while she was sleeping between her parents. She was struck in the backside and is in stable condition at the hospital. The round, which was fired …