Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
Two deaths today occurred when guns were unintentionally fired by young boys. In both cases an older boy accidentally killed a younger child. Both of the shooters are being prosecuted. In a third incident, two boys were injured after shooting themselves with a gun they found in a car. In Canton, Ohio an 11-year old …
For the second time in two weeks, a young Cincinnati, Ohio boy found his mother’s loaded gun and shot himself. In this incident, a 6-year old shot himself in the leg. His injuries are not considered life threatening. Once again, the boy’s mother has been arrested. Once again, the report does not indicate how the …
In Stokes County, North Carolina, a 6-year old found a gun at home this afternoon and shot themselves to death. The child’s name and gender were withheld as were the circumstances in which they got their hands on a gun. A parent was home at the time of the accident. “I couldn’t believe what had …
An 11-year old and a 12-year old were involved in gun accidents today. In Lake County, Florida, 12-year old Jeremyah Wyatt found an unsecured gun in his home and accidentally shot and killed himself. “This is that one of those calls that deputies don’t want to ever go to — and paramedics. No one wants …
During a police action in Taft, Texas, a woman was accidentally shot by police. She was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition. According to the report, an identified man pointed a gun at police and then retreated into a home. The woman was injured when police then fired into the home. When …
A young child in Virginia Beach, Virginia found a loaded unsecured firearm today, picked it up and accidentally shot himself. The child’s age was not released. His injuries were not considered life-threatening. In Virginia, it is illegal for a person “to recklessly leave a loaded, unsecured firearm in such a manner as to endanger the …
In Evansville, Indiana, nine month old Iowa Meriweather was accidentally shot in the face and killed by her father. At the time of the shooting, the girl’s father was handling a friend’s gun that he had found in a couch while his friend was out of the room. The situation was initially complicated because the …
A 6-year old Cincinnati, Ohio child found a gun and shot himself while his mother slept. His mother, Darnasia McKinney, 26, was arrested and charged with felony child endangerment. The boy was hospitalized. No information about his condition is available. It is unclear how the boy will be cared for upon release from the hospital. …
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 San Angelo, Texas, another 2-year old was shot by a young sibling who had found a gun. It is unclear whether the injuries are life threatening. Police and the local child services agency are investigating. No arrests have been made. Source: “San Angelo Police Respond to an Accidental Shooting Incident Involving a 2-year Old …
Continuing a string of horrific accidents involving Indiana children, a 9-year old South Bend boy was shot today, apparently by his older brother. Tre’von Barnett and a group of neighborhood kids were playing with a gun which went off. Responding police found Tre’von dead in the yard. Investigators are attempting to figure out how the …
A four-year old Gary, Indiana girl found a gun at 5:00 AM this morning and shot herself in the foot. She is hospitalized in stable condition. Police are investigating the incident as a gun accident and no arrests have been made. Source: David Struett, “Unattended 4-year-old Shoots Self in Foot in Gary: Police,” Chicago Sun …
Two children found guns in their homes and accidentally shot and killed themselves today. In Saginaw, Michigan, a five-year old boy found a gun. According to police, he died of “self-inflicted gunshot wounds.” They have called the incident a “tragic accident.” While they investigate to determine how the boy got ahold of the gun, “their …
Two more children died this week in gun accidents that might have been prevented by safe storage laws. Also today, a popular former North Carolina law enforcement officer died while working in Hawaii when a rifle accidentally fired inside a police station. In Memphis, Tennessee, a 14-year old girl died when a boy was handing her …
In yet another incident involving an Indiana child, a 2-year old found a gun at home and was shot in the arm. According to police, there was an adult in the home at the time. Others left the apartment before police arrived. The child is in serious but stable condition. Source: “IMPD Investigating 2-year-old Shot …
In Idaho Falls, Idaho, a teenager accidentally shot and injured himself with a gun he found in a local canal. The Sheriff’s Office says a 16-year-old and 14-year-old were handling a gun when it accidentally fired, hitting the 14-year old. He was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A statement issued by …
A Laramie, Wyoming 14-year old has been arrested and charged with manslaughter after an incident in which he killed a 13-year old. Although the details remain murky, comments on the Laramie police department’s Facebook page by relatives and others suggest that the children were playing with a gun while drinking in the park. It is …
For the third day in a row, a young child was killed in a gun accident. In Commerce City, Colorado, a three-year old boy was found shot to death in an incident that involved “mishandling” of a gun. Two siblings, ages 12 and 13, were present in the home at the time of the incident, …
In a gun accident in Rochelle, Georgia, a four-year old girl was shot and killed. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation found that “the child was shot while she and her 3-year-old brother were playing with a gun.” The GBI found that the gun was unsecured. The girl’s father, Johnny Lee Kellom, was arrested after the …
Criminalizing the Negligence of Caregivers May Let Manufacturers Off the Hook It is quite clear from any rational child safety perspective that manufacturers should be discouraged or prevented from designing guns that children can easily fire. Better designs can be achieved with effective external manual safeties, magazine safety disconnects, heavier trigger pulls or trigger designs …
In separate incidents, two young children found unsecured handguns today and accidentally shot and injured a sibling. In Beulaville, North Carolina, a 6-year old girl found a handgun in her home and shot her 12-year old sister in the back. The 12-year old is at the hospital in critical condition. An 18-year old was charged …
In Hendersonville, Tennessee John Robert Moore, a two-year old boy, found an unattended loaded handgun in his father’s car and shot himself. His father was a volunteer firefighter and the two were visiting the Shackle Island fire station at the time of the accident. “Everybody loved that little boy,” said Martin Bowers, fire chief for …
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 …
A three-year old boy died after a gun accident in Lima, Ohio. The circumstances of the accident are not available. The accident brings to mind the accidental shooting of Aubrie Moore, a four-year old Middle Point, Ohio girl who shot herself with a found gun in April. On June 11, her parents were charged with …
The local sheriff’s office is investing the accidental shooting death of a male “juvenile” in Kalona, Iowa. The boy was found dead when police responded to a 911 call. No further information about the circumstances of the shooting have been released. Source: Mike Bunge, “Investigation Underway Into Deadly Kalona Shooting,” KIMT3 (June 20, 2020).
One-year old Javion Sexton of South Bend, Indiana was shot and killed today by his four-year old brother, according to the County Prosecutor’s office. “An autopsy conducted Friday found the cause of death to be a gunshot wound and the manner of death to be accidental,” the office said. Javion’s obituary states, he “liked being …
In Atlanta, Georgia, a 6-year old boy was shot and killed by a young sibling who found a gun. “During the course of the investigation, it was determined that the siblings of the victim, ages 8 and 4, were also present during the shooting,” a police spokesman said in a news release. “Preliminary investigation …
Another two-year old Jacksonville, Florida toddler died after an apparent gun accident today. Although some of the circumstances of the accident are unclear, the child and/or a young sibling apparently found a loaded gun in their home. One of them fired it and the toddler is dead. Police confirmed that there were also adults present …
Two young boys were shot today in separate gun accidents. A teenage boy accidentally shot himself in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Police are investigating. The boy is at a local hospital in unknown condition. In Covington County, Alabama, a “juvenile” was shot and flown to a Florida hospital in stable condition after playing with a gun he …
Two children were injured in gun accidents today. In Panama Beach City, Florida, a toddler found a gun in the family car and shot himself in the stomach. He is recovering at the hospital. In San Antonio, Texas, a 14-year old girl was shot in the chest and arm when she was grabbing something from …
11-year old Cash Cover of Kamas, Utah, apparently found a gun in his home. Although details of the incident are scarce, he shot himself in the chest and later died of his wounds. Cash “lost his life in a tragic accident involving a gun,” the family said in a statement. “Our hearts are broken, and …
In Gladwin County, Michigan a man was shot in the leg during target practice. The Sheriff’s Office says that the injury appeared to be accidentally inflicted. Deputies also found damage to a home in the area where a bullet went through the outside wall and hit an inside wall. Four other people continue to practice …
The reports for May are consistent with expectations for a time when families are home together in a society that overvalues the need for guns in the home. Children unexpectedly home from school found guns, and shot themselves, their siblings or others far too often. Reports describe accidents in which at least 14 children died. …
Police announced that Chance Gilbert, an 8-year old Hamilton, Ohio boy who was killed by an accidental gunshot earlier this month, was shot by his nine-year old friend. Chance and the 9-year old were playing with guns. “The only one in this whole investigation really who has shown courage and told the truth was the …
In Las Vegas, Nevada, a woman was shot and killed at an apartment complex when she and a man dropped a gun that they were looking at. According to police, the man said “that he and the woman both grabbed for the gun when it fell, and it accidentally went off, striking the woman.” A …
Memorial Day was marked by accidental gun violence and the death of two children. In North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, 16-year old Nathaniel Brooks was accidentally shot in his home by his father, Mathew Brooks. The local chief of police determined that the shooting was an accident involving a semi-automatic handgun. Mathew was cleaning the gun. …
In Morris, Alabama, a five-year old boy found a gun in his home and shot himself in the face. He later died of his wound. “It’s just a tragic accident it appears,” the Morris police chief said. The police will present findings to the District Attorney’s office on Monday. In Portland, North Dakota, a newspaper …
For at least the sixth time this month and the third time this week, a toddler died in a gun accident. This time a three-year old in Flint, Michigan found a gun in his home and shot and killed himself. Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley said, “[t]his is a tragedy and a loss no one should …
In White, Georgia, a five-year old girl shot and killed herself while playing with a gun she found at a campsite. Her grandmother, Kimberly Anne Roberts, and an unrelated man were arrested and charged with felony involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct. Both adults are being held at Bartow County Jail. Source: Asia Simone Burns, “Grandmother, …
Griffin, Georgia police announced today that a 5-year old boy and his brothers found a loaded gun in the woods near their home. The boy, believing the gun was a toy, discharged it and shot his 12-year old brother in the chest. The 12-year old died at the hospital. Evidence suggests that the gun was …
Five-year old Ja’Cari Ellis found a gun and shot himself in St. Petersburg Florida today. He was rushed to the hospital where he later died. “Our preliminary investigation has so far revealed that this was a tragic accident, that Ja’Cari got a hold of a gun and accidentally shot himself,” a St. Petersburg Police spokesperson …
Few details were reported about three incidents in which people were shot and injured in gun accidents today. In Auburn, Alabama a young person was flown to the hospital and is in stable condition after being accidentally shot at an apartment complex. The child’s age and the circumstances of the accident were not reported. In …
Two toddlers died in gun accidents today. One found a gun and shot himself, the other was shot by a young sibling. Three-year old Bryson Skinner died after finding in a handgun in his home and shooting himself by accident. A related 22-year adult and his girlfriend were arrested and charged with felony child abuse. …
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 …
Three children and an adult were killed in gun accidents today. The adult was shot to death by his two-year old child. Each of the news stories marking these deaths was brief: In Ooltewah, Tennessee, Jermaine Vincent, a three-year old, found a gun that a family friend had brought to his home and fatally shot …
Two more young children died in gun accidents in their homes today. In Westminster, Colorado, a three-year old girl, Ruby Jackson, was shot and killed while playing with her seven-year old brother. She was shot in the chest as the children played ‘swords.’ “Ruby was using a broomstick, but at some point her brother picked …
A four-year old girl, Kastari Nunez, was accidentally shot and killed in Northeast Philadelphia today. According to the report, a “.357 revolver with five live rounds and one spent cartridge casing was found on a living room sofa.” Police ultimately charged three adults who were present in the home at the time of the accident. …
In an Evans, Georgia gun accident, a 2-year old girl was shot in the abdomen by her 8-year old brother. The child had found a gun while watching TV and was playing with it when it went off. Police are investigating who brought the gun into the home. Source: “Who Owned Gun Used in Accidental …
A young Roanoke, Virginia boy was found in a vehicle with gunshot wounds. He later died at the hospital. The boy’s age was not released. Police responded to a “shots fired” call and later found the boy. A man separately arrived at the hospital with gunshot wounds. Police assume that the two injuries are related …
The latest gun accident involving a child happened in Jackson, Mississippi, where a 5-year child found a gun in his home and shot himself. He was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. There is an ongoing investigation. Source: Justin Victory, “JPD Investigating after 5-year-old Accidentally Shoots Himself,” Clarion Ledger (April 9, 2020).
In Chester, Pennsylvania, 7-year old Sinsir Parker was found dead after being hit by a “stray bullet” during an apparent drive-by shooting. He had been shot in the face and was discovered lying in the middle of the street. Police are investigating. The report noted that the incident was the 14th homicide in Chester in …
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 …
Two young children gained access to guns today and shot themselves. At a Wawa grocery in Henrico County Virginia, a 5-year old found a loaded gun in a car while her parents were pumping gas at the Wawa. She shot herself in the hand. In Charlotte, North Carolina, a 3-year old was taken from her …
In Torrington, Connecticut, two people were injured by a single round fired accidentally from a 9-mm handgun. Their wounds are not considered life-threatening. According to a statement made by a police investigator, “[u]pon arrival of the officers, it was found that a male party, and a female party had both suffered non-life threatening injuries as …
Three children were accidentally shot in their own homes yesterday. Each incident involved a handgun apparently left unsecured. Two 12-year old boys in Springfield, Oregon, who were off from school due to the coronavirus on Tuesday morning, found a gun belonging to a family member and were playing with it when it went off. One …
A three-year old Louisville, Kentucky girl is dead. According to a report, Fayth Graham found a loaded gun in her home and shot herself. “We’re still in the very early stages of the investigation, and really, at this point, that’s way down the line,” a police spokesperson responded when questions were raised about whether the …
A 13-year old boy in Memphis Tennessee was charged with negligent homicide after accidentally shooting 9-year old Xavier Jackson with a gun that he found unsecured. A 26-year old man, Lindsey Williams, was also charged with negligent homicide in connection with the incident. “Too many kids in Memphis have died this year,” a relative said. …
A three-year old shot himself in the head today in Columbia, South Carolina with a gun he found in a bedroom in his home. He is hospitalized in critical condition. His mother was later charged with “unlawful conduct toward a child.” In Bolivar, Missouri a two-year old child shot his four-year old brother in the …
Sadly, in this month of 29 days, we reported on gun accidents that killed 12 children. Serious injuries to at least one child were described in another 9 reports. Children frequently found guns and shot themselves or other children. They were accidentally shot by parents, caregivers, siblings, partners and friends. In connection with many of …
The clearest lesson that emerges from the tragedies reported in this journal is that we all can do more to make guns safe. Some recommendations: Better and More Frequent Safety Training. Many gun advocates and gun organizations like to say that all gun accidents are caused by the shooter. According to these activists, the …
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 …
14-year old Jesus Jimenez Solis was cleaning a gun in his bedroom when it accidentally fired, killing his 15-year old friend, Sylas Lieb. Jimenez Solis, an Omaha Nebraska boy, was holding the gun in his lap and wiping it with a towel when it went off. Lieb died at the scene. According to investigators, Jimenez …
To the extent that data does exist, it does not tell the whole story. Even if researchers could gather and study every relevant death certificate and hospital record, we would still be unable to fully understand the nature of the safety problems that cause the reported deaths and injuries. It would be impossible to tell, …
A five-year old boy in Macon, Georgia accidentally shot his six-year old brother in the shoulder while they were playing with a handgun they had found in their home. The injured boy went to the hospital and is listed in stable condition. The boys’ mother was charged with cruelty to children in the second degree. …
In Harvest, Alabama, five-year old Maxton Hughes, the son of a Huntsville police officer, apparently found a gun in the family car and accidentally shot himself in the head. A parent found the child and drove him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. An investigation is ongoing but no charges are expected. “This …
Three-year old Keegan Vasquez shot himself in the face with a .25 caliber pistol he found on a TV stand in his great-grandmother’s home. The Callaghan County, Texas boy was taken to a hospital in Fort Worth, where he later died. The boy’s great-grandmother said that she had forgotten that the gun was there. The …
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 10-year old St. Louis, Missouri boy found a gun outside his apartment building, brought it inside and accidentally shot himself in the leg. The gun had earlier been stolen in Springfield, Missouri according to police. Source: “Boy, 10, Accidentally Shot Himself With Stolen Gun He Found Outside, Police Say,” KMOV4 (January 30, 2020).
Every day in the United States, there are many media reports about unintentional shootings that cause injury or death. Such incidents are often reported in sources that would not come to the attention of even the best informed among us. Each day, I run a straightforward internet search for “gun accident” news. I also periodically …
In Byesville, Ohio, 37-year old David Wray was charged as: “a parent, guardian, custodian, person having custody or control, or person in loco parentis of a child under 18 years of age, who did create a substantial risk of the health or safety of an unidentified child, by violating a duty of care, protection or …
3-year old Amir Antoine of Baton Rouge, Louisiana shot and killed himself Saturday morning in his home. He was handling a gun and accidentally pulled the trigger. This was the second accidental shooting in the Antoine home in the last four years. In 2016, 17-year-old Ahmad Antoine was charged with negligent homicide after he accidentally …
Of eight reports of accidental shootings today, involving a total of 11 shooting incidents, three occurred in Ohio, one each in Mississippi, Wyoming, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia. None of the 11 shootings was fatal. Two of the incidents involved accidental self-inflicted shootings, three involved young children shot accidentally by others, three involved women apparently …
A 57-year old Hackensack, New Jersey man was placing his Smith & Wesson .45-caliber handgun on his nightstand as part of his preparation for bedtime when it accidentally fired. The victim was struck in the abdomen. He remains in critical condition with severe internal injuries. “We are doing our due diligence, as always, in investigating,” …
In Allentown, Pennsylvania, an accidentally discharged round passed through the shooter’s bedroom door, across a hallway and through another door where it struck 52-year old Virgen Milagros Rivera, who was critically injured. The shooter, who was found to have negligently handled the firearm, was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless endangerment. He was …
Providence, Rhode Island police found 22-year old Edward Rodriquez in a hallway in his apartment building at 16 What Cheer Avenue, without pants, with a gunshot wound to his scrotum. Martinez said that he had been handling a gun on his bed when it fired. According to police, no charges will be filed. Mr. Martinez …
In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, an 8-year old found his father’s loaded handgun when his father left him alone briefly in the car while shopping. The boy shot himself in the leg. He was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Just over a month ago, a Fort Lauderdale toddler also found his father’s loaded handgun …
According to a Riverside, Ohio police sergeant, “a 3-year-old got ahold of his father’s weapon and accidentally shot himself in the leg.” The boy found the gun in a bedroom and brought it to the living room where he was playing with it when it went off. The boy’s father was home at the time. …
In separate incidents in different parts of the country, two women were struck by stray gunfire while walking on the street. In Detroit Michigan, a woman walked to the hospital, where she was found to be in serious condition, after being hit by a bullet along Crusade Street near Liberal. Police said she was struck …
A Daytona Beach, Florida woman, Lauren Sherriffs, was arrested and charged with child abuse after a minor in her care shot himself in the foot with a .40-caliber handgun. The boy found the gun in a closet and was attempting to unload the gun went it off. Initially, the boy told police that he was …
A 20 year-old Rio Communities, New Mexico man was airlifted to the hospital after suffering injuries from a close range shotgun blast in his own home. The round was fired by the man’s 12-year old brother. The shooting was found to be “negligent/accidental in nature.” The New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department was notified. …
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources reported today that there were 11 hunting accidents across the state in 2019, including two that resulted in deaths. The year 2020, however, started badly when hunter Kim Drawdy and his 9-year old daughter were mistaken for deer on New Years day and accidentally shot by other hunters. …
In San Antonio, Texas, police are investigating after 7-year old Jeffrey Taylor found a gun in his home this morning and shot himself while his family was sleeping. The child was pronounced dead when authorities arrived. The adults in the family are weapons trained and did not know why the gun was unsecured. Source: Gerald …
A Pataskala, Ohio girl was shot and killed by her 6-year old brother on the day after her second birthday. The boy had found a loaded gun in the home. A newspaper obtained the transcript of the call to 911: “There’s been an accident with a weapon. … My daughter’s been shot with a gun,” …
15-year old Bradley Hulett was shot and killed in Lithia, Florida at the home of his friend, the son of a Tampa police officer. A group of four teenage boys was present at the time of the shooting. According to a subsequent news report about the investigation, some of the boys found the gun in …
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 …
Jaeden Livingston, a 14 year-old Abilene, Texas boy, died at Cook’s Children Medical Center today after accidentally shooting himself at a friend’s home on Friday night. He and two boys found a gun in the home and were passing it around, believing it to be unloaded. Jaeden’s mother later said, “I explained about the dangers …
In Memphis Tennessee, no charges were filed after a 11-year old boy found a gun in a cousin’s apartment when no adults were home. He accidentally shot and killed himself. The boy found the gun in a holster under the mattress in a room that he was told was off limits to him. The gun’s …
In California, a state that requires safe storage of guns, a five-year old boy found a gun in his home, shot himself, suffered extensive injuries and later died at the hospital. The boy was described by a family friend as “very, very sweet, young boy.” At the time of his death, the boy was under …
A 13-year old boy was charged with murder after shooting and killing his 14-year old friend, Zavier Mendoza, in Olathe, Kansas. Because of the defendant’s age, his name was not released when the murder charge was announced. The boy who was charged claimed that he didn’t know the gun was loaded when it went off. …