Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
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 …
A bullet accidentally fired in Chesterton, Indiana, near Gary, passed through two adjoining apartments and narrowly missed a three-year old child. According to a police report, Samuel Duley, a 22-year old, was cleaning his rifle inside the apartment building when it went off. He had removed the gun’s ammunition clip, but “he must have spaced …
The Associated Press reported that it had gathered reports of 1,422 unintentional gun discharges by police since 2012 at 258 different law enforcement agencies. It called its information gathering a “snapshot” of the problem because there are no reporting requirements for such incidents. The reports document all incidents in which a gun went off when …
Steven Johnston of Lincoln Park, Michigan was arraigned today on child abuse charges after his three-year old daughter, Skylar, shot herself in the head after finding his loaded gun. His family called the accident a preventable tragedy. Mr. Johnston was not home at the time of the accident. Skylar was left in the care of …
Self-inflicted Gun Accidents Kill Three-year-old Girl and Man In a Louisville, Kentucky apartment, three-year-old Aubree Goss found a loaded gun and fatally shot herself. Her father, E’Monta Goss, admitted to police that he fell asleep after he had “loaded and placed the handgun underneath a couch inside the apartment,” and woke up when the gun fired. …
Three-year-old Kills Himself With Father’s Gun In Newport News, Virginia, a three-year-old boy grabbed his father’s gun off the kitchen counter, and fatally shot himself in the forehead. The father had placed it there after returning home from his job as an armed security guard. The case is under investigation so police have not released …
County in South Carolina Reports Two Shootings Involving Children; Ten-year-old Girl Killed Aiken County, South Carolina, saw two accidental shootings today that involved children. In Windsor, ten-year-old Miyah Harp died after being shot in the chest by a family member handling a small-caliber rifle that accidentally fired. An autopsy will be performed, as the sheriff’s …
Three-year-old Shoots Self With Mother’s Gun, and Four-year-old Shoots Father In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the three-year-old son of Marqueesha Smith, age 28, shot himself in the leg with her gun. Smith had loaded the gun before she answered her front door. Finding no one there, she returned and put the gun down on the couch next …
Seven-year-old Girl Killed, and Two Toddlers Injured in Accidental Shootings Mia Andujar, age 7, was killed after being unintentionally shot in the face in a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania home. A gun was recovered at the scene, and 24-year-old Alan Nguyen has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a child, and recklessly endangering another person. There …
Florida Toddler Finds Gun and Shoots and Kills Himself A boy identified only as “Josiah,” age 2, of Clewiston, Florida, found a gun in his home and shot and killed himself. Police determined that the gun belonged to someone who lived in the home and continue to investigate. According to the report, Josiah was “a bubbly …
Infant and Toddler Killed in Separate Accidental Shootings Eleven-month-old Khamari Lang, was shot and killed in a car in San Antonio, Texas, by one of his siblings. The siblings, a two-year-old and a three-year-old, were in the vehicle along with Khamari and an adult woman, whose relationship to the children was not reported. One of …
Two People Shot During Police Stop, and Toddler Fires Unsecured Gun Injuring One An investigatory police stop in Chicago, Illinois, resulted in a police officer and 16-year-old Marcus Gracey sustaining gunshot wounds from an unintentional discharge of a gun in Gracey’s possession. Officers noticed a gun in Gracey’s waistband while he was walking along a …
Three Gun Accidents Involving Children Eight-year-old Phillipé Woodward shot and killed himself while playing with a loaded shotgun he found in his grandmother’s home in Nashville, Tennessee. He was alone in the home with his 10-year-old brother and a 16-year-old family friend. There is a continuing investigation into the shooting. In a Texarkana, Arkansas home, an eight-year-old found …
Three Unintentional Shootings Result in One Person Dead, Two Others Injured, Including a Three-year-old Boy In Nashville, Tennessee, Bentley Delancy, age 15, and a 16-year-old were playing with a semi-automatic pistol when it unintentionally discharged, striking Delancy in the neck. He died later at the hospital. The pistol belonged to an 18-year-old, and police are trying to …
Three-year-old Critically Injured After Finding Loaded Gun in Car In Indianapolis, Indiana, a three-year-old boy sitting in a vehicle shot himself in the stomach with a gun he found lying on the passenger-side floor. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Antreaun Rice, age 26, brought the gun into the car with him …
Three-year-olds Injured After Shooting Themselves with Unsecured Guns A three-year-old boy in Newark, New Jersey, is recovering at the hospital after he was critically injured from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Three children were home at the time of the shooting, and the toddler’s older brother sought help at a corner store saying his younger brother …
Three-year-old Kills Self with Father’s Gun Left on Bedroom Floor In a Nashville, Tennessee apartment, three-year-old Aydeen Pruitt found his father’s pistol on a bedroom floor and fatally shot himself in the head. The toddler’s father, 23-year-old D’Andre Pruitt, told police he had put the gun on the floor but didn’t realize that Aydeen was …
Two Children Unintentionally Shot; Three-year-old Boy is Killed In the bedroom of a home in Hammond, Louisiana, a three-year-old boy found his father’s unsecured gun and fatally shot himself. The gun was between a mattress and box spring that was easily reached by the boy. So far no charges have been filed against the father, …
Three-year-old Girl Shot and Killed by Six-year-old Brother; Other Americans Injured by Celebratory Gunfire In Little Rock, Arkansas, a three-year-old girl was shot and killed at home. Police believe that her six-year-old brother found a loaded gun and shot her but are continuing to investigate. The little girl died at the hospital. And, as is …
Three-Year-Old Shot in Hand In Sanford, Maine, a three-year-old was taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound to his left hand. The boy was at home with his father when the shooting occurred, and the pistol was recovered by police. Few details have been reported as police continue to investigate. Source: “Sanford Police: 3-year-old …
Gun Accidents Involving Young Children; Three-Year-Old is Killed In Columbia, Maryland, a three-year-old was killed with an unsecured handgun in what police say was an accidental shooting. The child was at home with their parents and five-year-old brother. It has not been determined who pulled the trigger, as police continue to investigate. A three-year-old shot a 33-year-old …
Three Unintended Shootings, One By a Three-year-old Child A three-year-old Petersburg, Virginia child found a semi-automatic pistol at home and shot himself in the arm. “A three-year-old shouldn’t have access to a gun,” one neighbor said. According to the report, a friend of the family left the gun on a table with “some articles” on …
Gunfire Outside Home Kills 3-year-old Sitting on Sofa Three-year-old Kyron Zarco was shot and killed, and his 9-year-old brother was injured, while they sat on a sofa in their home in Athens, Georgia. Kyron, called “Baby Dro,” was shot in the chest, and his brother’s leg was grazed by a bullet, in what police believe …
Three Children Killed in Gun Accidents Three-year-old Clarence Byrd, IV shot and killed himself after he found a loaded handgun inside a home in Pink Hill, North Carolina. No charges have been filed yet but there is an ongoing investigation. After he found a loaded gun left on a table in Eldon, Missouri, a boy …
Eight Unintentional Shootings Leave Two Dead and Six Wounded In Houston, Texas, an 18-year-old was shot and killed by a relative who was trying to take a gun away from him. According to police, the relative was upset the 18-year-old had brought a gun into the apartment, and during the struggle for it, unintentionally shot …
Three-year-old Killed by Five-year-old Brother, and Two-year-old Injured by Stray Bullet A 3-year-old toddler died after being unintentionally shot in the face by his 5-year-old brother in Statesville, North Carolina. The two children were playing outside when they got in a car and found a loaded handgun near the front seat. The 3-year-old was airlifted …
Four-year-old Boy and Three-year-old Twins Injured After Finding Unsecured Guns A four-year-old boy in Akron, Ohio is in serious condition after shooting himself with an unsecured gun. The incident remains under investigation as police try to determine what happened and how the boy gained access to the gun. Three-year-old twins in Florence, South Carolina, were …
Three-year-old Struck by Stray Bullet, and Off-Duty Detective Accidentally Shoots Herself In Ridge, New York, three-year-old Lovely Toney was struck by a stray bullet when, according to police, a murder suspect opened fire on detectives. Police had come to an apartment looking for the suspect Gary Jones, and when Jones fired at detectives, three rounds …
Three-year-old Finds Loaded Gun; Shoots and Kills Baby Sister In Fallbrook, California, a 1-year-old girl was unintentionally shot and killed by her 3-year-old sibling. The older sibling found an unsecured loaded handgun at home and fired it, striking the infant in the head. She was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. The …
Another Three-year-old Child Dies After Finding a Loaded Gun Three-year-old Kayden Goldman, of Birmingham, Alabama, found a loaded gun when a parent left him momentarily unsupervised and used it to shoot and kill himself. Kayden’s mother said, “Kayden was a bright boy. He was so full of energy. He loved to dance and watch different …
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 …
Three-year-old is Shot and Dropped Off at Fire Station in Critical Condition A three-year-old boy from Tukwila, Washington with a gunshot wound was dropped off at a local fire station along with a female family member. There, firefighters performed life-saving procedures before transporting the toddler and the woman to the hospital. The police are investigating …
Three-year-old Finds Gun Under Couch, Shoots and Kills Himself Jaxon Truitt, a three-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina boy, found a loaded gun under a couch in his home and shot and killed himself. The boy’s father, Richard Allen Truitt, age 36, was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter and failure to secure a firearm. Truitt is …
One Person Dead, Seven Wounded, in Unintentional Shootings Today In Plano, Texas, a three-year-old was hospitalized with an accidental gunshot wound. The circumstances of the accident were not reported. Deonte’ Thomas of Emporia, Virginia was arrested for reckless handling of a firearm after he unintentionally shot a 13-year-old boy in the head. The boy was …
Three-year-old Shot An Albany, New York three-year-old was shot and injured today. There are conflicting reports about the incident and police continue to investigate. No further information has been reported. “The children are becoming almost numb to it, and they’re kind of desensitized,” a local social worker says. “It’s gotten to the point where there’s …
Two People Killed in Gun Accidents, Including a Three-year-old Jaquan Askew, 20, a Portsmouth, Virginia man, was arrested after his 3-year-old child gained access to a loaded firearm at home. The boy shot and killed himself. Askew said that while he was using the bathroom, he heard a gunshot coming from his son’s bedroom. Court …
Toddler in Critical Condition after Shooting Herself with Found Gun A Toledo, Ohio three-year-old is fighting for her life after shooting herself in the head with a loaded gun she found in her home. She is in critical condition at the hospital and no charges have been announced. Source: “Toddler in Critical Condition After Accidental …
Houston Toddler Shoots Her Four-Year-Old Sister In Houston, Texas, a three-year-old girl found a gun and shot and killed her four-year-old sister. Investigators said, “the preliminary investigation showed that the two children had been inside an apartment with five family members and friends and each of the two children’s parents believed the other was watching …
Court Officer and Toddler Injured in Separate Gun Accidents An Elkhart County, Indiana court security officer was hospitalized after his gun accidentally discharged in a local courthouse. The officer, 23-year-old Joshua Troup, was treated at the hospital after his firearm discharged while he was putting it into his holster, striking his foot. His injuries were …
Three Children and an Adult Hurt in Gun Accidents In Fresno, California, a man beat up his friend after the friend accidentally shot the man’s three-year-old child in the leg. The man was both arrested and taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries suffered in the beating. A Tulsa, Oklahoma 17-year old was …
Three-Year-Old Son of a Corrections Officer Dies in Unintentional Shooting In Deland, Florida, a three-year-old boy left in the care of his 16-year-old sister found a loaded gun in a nightstand in his family’s home and accidentally shot and killed himself. The boy’s father is a Florida corrections officer. The children had been left home …
Texas Child Dies After Finding Loaded Gun on His Mother’s Nightstand In Wharton, Texas, a three-year-old found a gun on his mother’s nightstand and accidentally shot and killed himself. There is an ongoing investigation, but no other details have been reported. Source: Chloe Alexander, “3-year-old Dies After Accidentally Shooting Himself in Wharton, Police Say,” khou.com …
Two Children Shot as Innocent Bystanders An eight-year-old and a three-year-old were victims of other people’s gun violence today. The eight-year-old, Aacuria Hinton of Greensboro, North Carolina, was shot while sleeping in her bunk bed. The bullet was fired from outside for reasons that police are investigating. Her injuries are considered life-threatening, and she is …
On New Year’s Eve, two toddlers were shot in Shreveport, Louisiana, one fatally. Minimal details have been reported other than that the two kids found a gun in their home and one of them fired it. A four-year-old died and a three-year-old was struck in the arm and is expected to survive. Two adults were …
A three-year-old and a five-year old were shot today in incidents for which limited details are being reported. Leon Walker, Jr., a Birmingham, Alabama 19-year-old, is charged with aggravated child abuse after police said his three-year-old sister was shot in the abdomen. The circumstances of the incident have not been fully reported. It is unclear …
A three-year-old Stark County, Ohio boy shot and injured his mother today. She was shot in the leg and is expected to survive, but no other details have been reported, including how the boy accessed the gun. “This is an example as to why it is critical that firearms are properly stored inside the home,” …
William Harston, a Hendersonville, Kentucky man is dead after he accidentally shot himself in the chest outside a local pawn shop. According to the report, he was loading a gun in his truck when it went off. Also today, a Chicago, Illinois man shot a three-year-old boy in the shin while attempting to holster a …
In Kansas City, Kansas, police are investigating an incident in which a four-year-old boy shot himself after finding a loaded gun. He later died at the hospital. No other details are available. In Memphis, Tennessee, a three-year-old boy is in critical condition after finding and pulling the trigger on a loaded gun. Police say the …
Three more two-year olds were shot and killed today after small children found unattended loaded guns in their homes. Four American two-year olds have died from unintended gun violence in just two days. In Callaway, Florida, a four-year old shot a two-year old sibling, according to the Sheriff’s Office. “We’ll be evaluating and gathering evidence. …
Once again, a Columbus, Ohio child was hurt in a gun accident. This time a three-year-old girl was hurt when her four-year old brother found a loaded unsecured gun in their home and pulled the trigger. The girl was struck and was hospitalized in stable condition. Source: “Police: 3-year-old Girl Accidentally Shot by 4-year-old Brother …