Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
Toddler and Turkey Hunter Injured in Accidental Shootings A 2-year-old in Cincinnati, Ohio, found a loaded gun on a windowsill and shot himself in the leg. He was taken to the hospital in stable condition. The stolen gun belonged to his mother’s boyfriend who is a convicted felon. The mother was charged with child endangering, …
Girl Grazed by Gunfire, and Woman Allegedly Shot by 2-year-old A 14-year-old girl in Birmingham, Alabama, was taken to the hospital after being grazed by gunfire. Little information has been reported, but police say another teen may have been playing with a gun that unintentionally discharged injuring the girl. So far no one has been …
Three People Hurt in Gun Accidents In Eskdale, West Virginia, a 24-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman were injured when a gun they were handling exploded. The man had a gunshot wound to his head and the woman’s injury was to her hand. According to investigators, the pair didn’t use the proper ammunition for the …
Five-year-old Boy Shoots Self in Leg A 5-year-old boy found an unsecured, loaded handgun in a residence in Chesapeake, West Virginia, and shot himself in the leg. He was transported to the hospital and will undergo surgery. Multiple agencies are working together to investigate the shooting. So far, no charges have been filed. Source: “Child …
Three People Dead, Three Wounded in Unintentional Shootings A gun unintentionally discharged in a vehicle in Aurora, Colorado, killing one man and injuring another. Investigators think that the 47-year-old passenger was handling a gun inside the car, when it went off, fatally striking the 21-year-old driver and injuring himself. Charges are pending further investigation. In …
IRS Agent Unintentionally Shot and Killed by Fellow Agent; and in Other Gun Accidents Today, Two Children and One Adult are Injured IRS Special Agent Patrick Bauer, 47, was accidentally shot and killed by another agent during a training exercise in Phoenix, Arizona. The incident happened at a federal gun range that was being utilized …
Mishandling Guns and an Unsecured Storage Leave One Dead and Three Wounded In St. Albans, West Virginia, Steven Loftis, 53, accidentally shot himself in the abdomen and died. The discharge allegedly occurred because the firearm was not handled safely and was stored in Loftis’s pants pocket instead of a holster. The case will be reviewed …
A Kanawha County, West Virginia man attempting to break up a family fight with a gun accidentally shot and killed his brother on Christmas day. According to authorities, the man fired his gun several times inside a residence and one of the rounds accidentally struck Shane Bush, the man’s brother, aged 26. The investigation is …
A Bluefield, West Virginia 2-year-old and two siblings, age 4 and 6, were playing in a bedroom of their home when the 2-year-old found a loaded .40 caliber pistol and shot himself in the leg. “The hollow-point bullet went through his thigh,” according to a police spokesperson. Although the child lost “a substantial amount of …
In Indianapolis, Indiana, a man was cleaning a gun when it accidentally discharged striking a woman in the foot. A 9 mm round was found beneath a window next to a bed, according to the report. In Oak Hill, West Virginia, a man was playing with a gun when it discharged. He struck himself in …
In Jackson, Mississippi, a game of Russian Roulette resulted in the death of 12-year-old Markell Noah. He had been originally thought missing before authorities found his body in an abandoned home. Two minors face murder charges, while an adult is facing an accessory to murder charge, authorities said. The investigation is ongoing. A newly enacted …
A Caneyville, Kentucky man picking up a child from elementary school dropped a gun from his pocket while running with his child in the hallway. The 9mm gun fired a round when it hit the floor which struck the man in the leg. He was airlifted to the hospital for treatment. “Although no children were …
A vigil will be held outside D.P. Dough in Huntington, West Virginia, after Joe Bryan, a restaurant employee, was struck by stray gunfire there and killed. The bullets were fired after a fight broke out outside a nearby bar. Bryan’s aunt told a reporter that his life and legacy will live on as because he …
Terry Moody, Jr. of Charleston, West Virginia died today when a gun fired while in his pants pocket. Police called the shooting accidental. Additional circumstances of the accident have not been reported and it is unclear if the gun was defective. Source: Amanda Barren, “Victim in Sissonville Fatal Shooting Identified,” wowktv.com (August 28, 2022).
Dominique Poindexter, age 22, of Charleston, West Virginia was unintentionally shot and killed tonight by his friend Marcus Lee Linville. Linville, 23, is charged with wanton endangerment in connection with the shooting. Police Investigators said Linville “thought the gun was unloaded when he fired at Poindexter, shooting him in the head.” They added that Linville …
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 Huntington, West Virginia, Sheila Eanes, age 63, was shot and killed inside her home by a neighbor who fired several rounds at a vehicle passing by in the street. One of the rounds passed into Eanes’ home and struck her in the head. The shooter, Calvin Young, age 34, was arrested and charged with …
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 …
In Twilight, West Virginia, David Green, age 30, was digging for roots in the woods when he was accidentally shot by a local hunter. Search crews responding to a missing person’s report later found Green’s body in a remote area. The hunter, Jimmy Castle, age 70, subsequently turned himself in and was charged with …
Two people died today in apparent gun accidents. In Goodlettsville, Tennessee, police found 8-year old Brayden Bowling in his home, suffering from an apparent accidental gunshot wound. No specifics of the incident have been reported, including whether the boy found a loaded gun and shot himself. Brayden later died at the hospital. The principal of …
In Clendenin, West Virginia, Heather Marie Allen, age 30, was coyote hunting when she placed her loaded rifle up against her SUV. The rifle fell and discharged without a trigger pull, striking Allen in the leg. Her injuries are not expected to be life threatening. As a recent Violence Policy Center gun safety study noted, …
A man and a boy were hospitalized today in Barboursville, West Virginia after a .50 caliber rifle malfunctioned and exploded. The man was shot in the hand and the boy was shot in the arm. The sheriff told a reporter that the two were “out shooting” when the accident occurred. Source: Chad Hedrick, WSAZ 3 …
In Huntington, West Virginia, Roger Martin Stanley, II accidentally shot his nine-year old son in the head. Stanley was walking around his home with a handgun and activating the laser when it fired. The boy was taken to the hospital where he is in stable condition following surgery. Stanley was arrested charged with child neglect …
A two-year old Elkview, West Virginia toddler is dead after he found an unsecured gun in a bedroom of his home and used it to shoot himself in the head. A parent and a sibling were in the home at the time. Putting aside a parent’s responsibility to unload and safely secure guns when children …
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 …
For the second time in less than a week, a child was injured in a hunting accident. A child and an adult were turkey hunting in Camp Creek State Park in West Virginia when they were injured by a shot fired by another hunter. He had “mistaken them for a turkey.” The boy suffered more …
Malinda Broyles of Fairmount West Virginia died after being accidentally shot in the neck. Gene McIntosh was reportedly manipulating the action on his rifle when the gun fired. Although Mr. McIntosh was charged with wanton endangerment and the circumstances of the accident are still being investigated, a rifle should not fire unless the trigger is …
According to authorities, a 17-year old Charlestown, West Virginia teen shot himself in the arm today while cleaning his gun. No charges will be filed. Source: Bailey Pace, “Teen Accidentally Shoots Himself According to Sheriff Dept.,” WVVA (January 21, 2020).