Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
At least five people died in unintended shootings in the United States today. In Charlotte, North Carolina, Demario Warren, a four-year-old, apparently found gun in his home and accidentally shot and killed himself. Dayshawn St’Paul Warren, the boy’s father, was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter. “This isn’t a situation where we are asking the …
On Halloween day in Bridgeport Township, Michigan, a seven-year-old found an unattended gun in his home and shot himself in the head. T-Keeyha Lane, a woman who lived with the boy and his mother, was arrested and charged with second degree child abuse, presumably for having left the gun where the boy could gain access …
Warren Oser, age 2, of Benson, North Carolina, climbed into the cab of his father’s pickup truck where found a loaded handgun. The sheriff’s office reported that “Oser was able to discharge the weapon, which resulted in injuries to himself.” The toddler later died at the hospital. “The death investigation is considered to be an …
Isreal Whirley, a St. Louis, Missouri two-year old, found a loaded gun in his father’s car and shot himself in the parking lot of a local auto parts store. He later died at the hospital. According to reports, Isreal found the gun between the center console and the driver’s seat of the car. His mother …
At least three accidental shootings were reported today. In Lubbock, Texas, near Texas Tech University, a man suffered “moderate injuries” when he shot himself while attempting to unholster a gun. A man in a Bridge City Texas RV park was struck in the leg random gunfire that came from nearby. He is in stable condition …
In Little Rock, Arkansas, Raniyah Basir, a one-year old child, died of a gunshot wound today. Although details are murky, it appears that the child found a gun belonging to her father and shot herself while unattended. Raniyah’s mother, Keiundrea Davis, was arrested and charged with manslaughter. Her father, Rahim Basir, who was apparently not …
Tykeese Dondasse, age 5, of Columbus, Ohio and his mother were visiting his aunt today, when the boy found a loaded gun at his aunt’s house and shot himself in the head. The gun belonged to his aunt’s boyfriend, who had left the gun on a bed while playing video games. According to the report, …
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 were called today when a Storm Lake, Iowa man accidentally shot himself inside an apartment. Police found that the man had shot himself in the hand and transported him to the hospital for treatment. No charges were filed. Source: “One Person Injured In Storm Lake Shooting Incident,” kicdam.com (September 27, 2022).
A 12-year old Milwaukee, Wisconsin boy found an unattended gun in his home and accidentally shot himself to death. According to police, “a 33-year-old woman was arrested for leaving the gun unattended.” The news release added, “MPD would like to remind the public to secure your firearm with a gunlock and storage it [sic] out …
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, …
According to the Escambia County, Florida Sheriff’s Office, a local gun club patron fired the wrong type of ammunition for his weapon and it ricocheted back off a steel target. The man was struck in the arm, but his injuries are not considered life-threatening. According to the gun club “[t]he injury sustained by a club …
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, …
A Detroit, Michigan mom has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of her 8-year-old daughter. Officials said that the woman’s 10-year-old son found an unsecured handgun while he and his 8-year-old sister were home alone. He fired a round that struck and killed the girl. “How many children have to die because …
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 …
Aston Simmons, a 28-year old Apollo Beach man, was arrested after a 5-year old found a loaded gun in a bedroom and shot himself. A substantial amount of marijuana was also found at the scene. The child is in critical condition at the hospital. Simmons has been charged with unlawful storage of a firearm among …
One-year old Khori Patterson of St. Louis, Missouri found a loaded gun in his home and shot himself in the head. He later died at the hospital. “This is just a terrible tragedy that should have never happened. Guns are inherently dangerous,” a police colonel said. Khori’s grandfather said that Khori “loved animals, eating ice …
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 …
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 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).
In Ruskin, Florida, a 17-year old brought a gun to high school in his car. When his friend, a former student, found the gun, he accidentally shot himself, but was then able to drive himself to the hospital. The 17-year old was arrested and charged with possession of a gun on school property. The school …
We recently posted on the likely impact of the Supreme Court’s decision in New York Rifle and Pistol Ass’n v. Bruen on gun safety. In Bruen, the Supreme Court ruled that all “law-abiding” Americans have a Second Amendment right to carry a gun outside the home for self-defense. Several states quickly responded by considering or …
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 …
“A person” in Hertford, North Carolina was killed in an accidental shooting today. The Sheriff’s Office found that an accidental discharge of a weapon resulted in the death of the victim. According to another report, the “person” involved was an 18-year who died from a single accidental blast of a shotgun. Sources: Alton Worley, II, …
In Eastpointe, Michigan, a five-year old boy found a loaded .40-caliber Sig Sauer handgun in his home and shot himself in the foot. The boy’s uncle, Laron Alston, who was looking after the boy, had hidden the gun in the cushions of a recliner because there was no gun safe at the residence. The boy …
In Atlanta, Georgia, four-year old Kendall Lewis found a loaded gun in the back seat of her car while her mother was driving on the interstate. She shot and killed herself. Her mother, Kaelin Lewis, was charged with murder. The family remembered Kendall as a “boisterous and lively four-year-old.” She was excited about starting Pre-K. Source: …
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 …
A Muncie, Indiana six-year old shot his five year old sister in the head today with a loaded handgun that he had removed from his parents’ gun safe. The girl died at the hospital. According to the report, the child found the key to the safe and removed the gun while his mother was napping; …
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 …
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 …
In Union County, Tennessee, a “small child” found a handgun in their parent’s car and used it to shoot one of their parents. The injured parent was taken to the hospital for treatment. No other details were reported. Source: “Union Co. Deputies: Parent Hospitalized After Small Child Accidentally Shot Them,” wbir.com (July 16, 2022).
In Guthrie, Oklahoma, a ten year old found a gun in his home. He shot and killed his 12-year old brother. The boy died at the hospital. There is no report that anyone has been charged in connection with the incident. In New Orleans, Louisiana, 18-year old Zyaire Cornelius was arrested after his two-year old …
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 …
Lynzell Anderson of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, age 34, is facing negligent homicide charges after his four year old son found a loaded gun under the seat of the family car and shot himself in the face. The boy died at the scene. Anderson told police he had left his son momentarily unsupervised when he went …
In Wynne, Arkansas, a 10-year old was shot by his 13-year old brother in their home with an unsecured gun. The younger boy was found “bleeding profusely” from a chest wound and was taken the Memphis for treatment. Local police said the shooting appeared to be a “heartbreaking accident.” The police chief added, “[i]f your …
In yet another incident that appears to have been caused by celebratory gunfire, an Akron, Ohio mother, Chelsey Jones, died today after being struck by a round that was fired from across a lake. The bullet apparently traveled more than a thousand feet and through a window before it struck Jones, where she was sitting …
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, …
In St. Louis, Missouri, a 4-year old found a loaded gun and died after accidentally shooting himself today. Minimal details were reported and there is no word about charges. In Dekalb, Illinois, three men were arrested after they failed to take proper safety precautions while engaging in target practice. One of their rounds passed into …
In Campbell County, Wyoming, a three-year old found a loaded gun “lying around” in a bedroom and accidentally shot himself in the stomach. The boy was taken by air ambulance to a hospital in Casper and is expected to survive. Wyoming has no safe storage or child access prevention law and no arrests were made. …
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 …
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 …
In Denver, Colorado, a 38-year old man unintentionally discharged a gun which fired and injured his 8-year old son in the next room. The boy is at the hospital, but is expected to survive. There is no report of an arrest at this time. In Houston, Texas, a woman accidentally shot and killed her partner …
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 …
In Bountiful, Utah, a police officer accidentally shot himself in the leg during gun training. Police are reviewing their safety protocols for training. And in Lake City, Florida, a maintenance man went to the wrong apartment to fix the lock. He was shot four times from inside the apartment. Police found seven bullet holes in …
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 …
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 …
Back in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where gun accidents involving children appear common, two children found a loaded gun in their home. A four-year old was shot and injured, but is in stable condition at the hospital. The children’s uncle, Kiante Hawkins, was arrested and charged with negligence. Police determined that he had left the gun …
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 …
A man claiming that he fired his gun in the air to stop a knife fight in Columbus, Ohio, accidentally shot an eight-year old girl. The girl was later found by police lying in the park in critical condition with a gunshot wound that required surgery. However, she is expected to survive. 28-year old Torrance …
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 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 five-year old Middletown, Ohio boy left at home with his 14-year old brother and two other kids found his father’s loaded 9 millimeter pistol in a bedroom and shot himself in the leg. As a result of the investigation, Fernando Enamorado, 31, was charged with “felony endangering children.” According to the report, the boy’s …
In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a fiv-year old found a loaded gun in his home and shot his mother in the leg. Police have not said how the child got hold of a gun. The woman’s injuries are not considered life-threatening. In Detroit, Michigan a 16-year old boy left a loaded gun on his bed where his …
Kaden Vera, a 14-year old high school student at Reitz High School in Evansville, Indiana accidentally shot and killed himself today, according to Evansville police. He was found at home with a gunshot wound to the head. The boy’s school released the following statement, “[w]e have sad news to share with the Reitz community. Freshman …
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 …
Gun accidents occurred all over the country today. In Henrico, Virginia, a 7-year old found his father’s loaded gun and shot himself. His injuries are not considered life-threatening. The boy’s father, Landin Lewis, Sr., was arrested and charged with allowing his son to access the gun. In Somerville, Massachusetts, a police officer shot himself while …
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 Belleville, Illinois, a 3-year old found a loaded gun in his home and used it to shoot himself. The boy is in critical condition at the hospital. And in Lubbock, Texas, John Carrasco was arrested for illegal gun possession after he accidentally shot his father in the leg. According to the report, Carrasco initially …
A three-year old Jacksonville, Florida boy found a loaded and unsecured gun in the bedroom of his home today. He shot himself in the head and died. Alexander Sibley, a 36-year old man, was later arrested and charged with illegal gun possession based on a prior felony conviction. A neighbor told a reporter, “I do …
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 …
Surveillance footage confirmed that a man accidentally shot himself in the leg in a white Porsche outside a Houston, Texas hookah lounge today. The man was alone in the vehicle in the parking lot of the Hush Hookah Lounge when the incident occurred. According to police, the injured man’s cousin unsuccessfully attempted to drive him …
Janiyah Jenkins, an Atlanta, Georgia four-year old, found her uncle’s loaded and unsecured gun in her home and shot herself in the leg. The round passed into her intestines and Janiyah died at the hospital. Janiyah’s uncle, LeVante Cummings, age 26, was arrested and charged with second degree murder and cruelty to a child. He …
Bryson Jackson, a Memphis, Tennessee three-year old, shot himself to death today with an unsecured and loaded AR-15 that he found in his home. The guns belonged to his mother’s friend, Tedrick Butler. Bryson’s mom, Tinesha Jackson, had left Bryson and another child at home in the care of an uncle while she and Butler …
Yaniel Rivera, age 11, of Cleveland, Ohio was found dead in a Cleveland home after being shot in the abdomen. Police are investigating the incident as a likely unintentional shooting on the basis that Yaniel got access to an unsecured firearm. No arrests have been made. Yaniel is the fourth Cleveland child to die in …
The unintended consequences of gun violence were felt across the country on Sunday, including incidents on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, three incidents in Chicago and single incidents in Georgia and Maryland. In New Orleans, Louisiana, Charles Hudson, a bar employee, was shot and killed in the Cat’s Meow, a crowded Bourbon Street karaoke bar, …
A Fremont, Ohio 22-year old was found dead from an accidental gunshot wound after police received an emergency call. They believe that alcohol played a role in the accident and are investigating. Source: “22-year-old Fremont Man Killed in Apparent Accidental Shooting,” 13 ABC Action News (March 18, 2022).
A Ripley, Tennessee three-year old found a loaded gun in his home and shot himself in the head. He was found dead at the scene. No arrests have been made, but there is an ongoing investigation. Also today, the father of a Dolton, Illinois three-year old who accidentally shot and killed his mother was arrested …
Three children found loaded guns in their homes today and injured themselves, two of them in Baton Rouge Louisiana. The two incidents make three accidental shootings in Baton Rouge in just two days. Deetroy Watkins, 26, of Baton Rouge was arrested after he left his gun in a couch cushion. His three-year old son found …
Several types of common American gun accidents were on display today in cities across the country. In Memphis, Tennessee, a man died in an apparent shooting range accident. Two children found loaded guns at home and shot themselves. Again, in Memphis, Tennessee, a toddler is in critical condition after a self-inflicted shooting. Memphis officials say …
In Mobile, Alabama, Jacoby Smoots was charged with first degree assault after shooting his teenage brother in the shoulder in what police called “a prank gone wrong.” According to the report, Smoots found his brother asleep in a car that he was supposed to be repairing. He pointed his gun at his brother’s chest in …
For the third day in a row, a four-year old boy found a gun in his home and used it to shoot himself. Today’s accident involved a four-year old named Roman in Coatesville, Pennsylvania who shot himself in the face. Although investigatory details have not been released, a neighbor said, “”[h]e played around with a …
Four-year old Miyell Hernandez of Lithonia, Georgia, found a loaded gun in his mother’s car while she was at the grocery store and shot and killed himself. Miyell was waiting for her with two other children when the accident occurred. “We talked all the time,” said Miyell’s grandmother, April Griffin. “I never felt that kind …
In Hickory, North Carolina, a four-year old boy suffered serious injuries after shooting himself with a loaded gun he found in his home. “This is a tragic situation and our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time,” the police department said in a statement. The boy remains in critical condition at …
Reports suggest that accidental shootings often happen during crimes. This is not surprising because guns obviously highly correlate with criminal activity and accidents happen frequently when guns are present. An example from today’s news: In Nashville, Tennessee, a teenager was driving a stolen car with a gun on his lap when it fired and struck …
Nydia Wynn, a Virginia Beach, Virginia mother was arrested and charged with felony child neglect after leaving her ten-year old child alone in a hotel room with a gun. The child found the gun and shot themselves in the leg. Additional criminal charges are pending. Source: “Woman Charged with Felony Child Neglect After 10-year-old Shoots Self …
A man who was playing with a gun while walking near the freeway in San Clemente, California accidentally shot himself in the chest. He was found by police lying on the highway. He initially told police that he had been attacked by two men in a car, but later admitted that he had shot himself …
A Robstown, Texas man was charged with manslaughter after he accidentally shot and killed 47-year old Patricia Blanco. The man, Arturo Gonzalez, age 50, admitted to officers that he was very drunk when his revolver “went off.” In Cumming, Georgia, a teenager was arrested on multiple charges after he shot another boy in the chest …
Gun accidents involving children appear to have become so routine that they are sometimes barely reported. In Florence, South Carolina, there was an accidental shooting involving a child that resulted in hospitalization. No other information was reported. And in Detroit, Michigan, a five-year old was shot and taken to the hospital. Either he or another …
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility is investigating a gun accident in which off-duty border agent Stevan Djordjevic shot and killed a relative who was visiting his home. The victim, Jacob Sellors, age 26, was visiting Sierra Vista, Arizona from out of town and was found on a bedroom floor in …
In Johnston, Rhode Island, the local police chief announced that the gun death of a 15-year old boy was not a suicide and is being treated as an accident. No other details have been released. And in Siler City, North Carolina, Patricia Stanley, age 38, died in an apparent gun accident in an RV. A …
A Detroit, Michigan 14-year old has lost his life as the result of an incident that appears to have involved “horseplay” with a gun. A weapon was found “near the child,” according to police. There may have been a second person involved and police are investigating. Source: Hani Barghouthi, “Saturday Evening Shooting That May Have …
In Sunny Valley, Oregon, a man took his own life after accidentally shooting and killing his brother. According to the source, the man called 911 to report that he had accidentally shot his brother while loading a gun after discovering a bear on their property. When police arrived, they found both brothers deceased and concluded …
Three children, aged 4, 7, and 11 were shot and injured or killed when they found loaded guns today. A fourth child, age 14, was shot and killed with a ghost gun he had built. In Lexington, Kentucky, a four-year old was injured in a gun accident that police have determined was accidental. However, the …
A Toledo, Ohio man was charged with child endangerment and tampering with evidence after a toddler found a loaded gun in the man’s pocket and used it to shoot himself in the chest. The man was lying down in bed when the incident occurred. The toddler is in critical condition at the hospital. In Miami, …
An eight-year old girl was shot in the head and killed on the street in Chicago, Illinois today. Police are clear that neither she nor her caregiver were the intended targets of gun violence, but rather that they were innocent bystanders. A pool of blood could was visible at the scene of the crime and …
A Storm Lake, Iowa nine-year old was struck in the lower body by an accidentally fired handgun round today. Another child living in the home had found an unsecured gun and fired it. The child is expected to survive. Two children, an 11-month old in the Bronx, New York and a five-year old in Atlanta, …
Three children, age 2, age 4, and age 15, were shot and injured in gun accidents today. The two year-old, of Spring Lake, North Carolina, was shot with a semi-automatic pistol as he was sitting in his mother’s car, while she was speaking with someone through the window. Police have declined to say whether he …