Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
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 …
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 …
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, …
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 …
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 …
For the second day in a row, a two-year old toddler got hold of and fired a loaded gun. In this instance, a Joliet, Illinois toddler shot herself. According to the local police, she “unfortunately succumbed” to her injuries. No other information is available. Source: “2-Year-Old Child Dies of Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound in Joliet, Police …
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 …
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 …
Two three-year old boys gained access to loaded handguns in separate accidents and shot themselves. Available reporting suggests that the parents were treated differently after the two incidents. Neither report suggests that police are asking why gun manufacturers are allowed to make guns that a three-year old can fire. In Bakersfield, California, 29-year old Shawndel …
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 …
Three children under age 10 shot themselves today. In Chicago, Illinois, three boys left home alone while their father was picking up their mother from the hospital found a loaded gun. One of the boys, a five-year old, accidentally shot his nine-year old brother in the head. The boy, Ashton Lipscomb, died at the hospital. …
Two more children shot themselves today with found guns, one in Illinois and one in Oklahoma. In Chicago, a 5-year old boy shot himself in the thigh and was rushed to the hospital after accidentally shooting himself with a gun he found in his home. In Oklahoma City, a 13-year old who was left alone …
In Chicago, Illinois, a mail carrier was the innocent victim of a drive-by shooting. She was accidentally shot four times while delivering the mail and is in critical condition. She was struck in the legs, stomach and back of her head by shots fired from one of two cars traveling past at a high rate …
A 5-year old and a 4-year old were victims of shootings today as innocent bystanders. The 5-year old was attending a birthday party in Fresno, California when she was struck by a stray bullet fired by one of several people arguing in the neighborhood. According to the report, police do not believe that the 5-year …
A three-year old in Springfield, Illinois apparently found a loaded unsecured firearm and shot himself. The child’s injuries are not believed to be life threatening. This gun accident occurred in the home of a relative who is not the child’s legal guardian. According to the report, the relative was the legally licensed owner of the …
In a continuing pandemic of gun violence in Chicago, 11 people were killed and 59 were injured in gun violence this weekend. One of the victims shot himself in the head, in an apparent gun accident, as he was showing off his gun via social media. The 25-year old is in “grave” condition at a …
For at least the third time this week, children were shot and killed by stray gunfire. Ten-year old Lena Nunez, of Chicago, Illinois, was struck by a bullet that entered through her apartment window and hit in the head. She was pronounced dead at the hospital. Police believe that a group of males outside were …
In Peoria, Illinois, an eight-year old boy died in an accident that, according to police, involved “children handling a gun.” Jordin Wilson was taken to the hospital after being struck with a bullet in the chest. He died while being treated. Police are continuing to investigate. Source: Andy Kravetz, “8-year-old Boy Identified in Accidental Shooting,” …
There were two more gun cleaning accidents today. In Barberton, Ohio, a woman was shot through both legs when her boyfriend’s gun accidentally discharged while he was cleaning it. The woman had been watching T.V. Her boyfriend was charged with negligent assault. In Rockford, Illinois, a man shot his roommate through an apartment wall when …
A five-year old Chicago, Illinois boy found a gun in his father’s pants pocket and used it to shoot himself in the hand. He was taken to a hospital where he is expected to recover. His father attempted to discard the gun and was later arrested. Charges are pending. Source: Molly Walsh, “5-Year-Old Boy Accidentally …
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 …
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 …
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 …