In a chaotic incident, a Chicago, Illinois man appears to have accidentally shot his girlfriend, the mother of his two children, while futilely trying to defend himself after a minor traffic accident. The accident occurred during Chicago’s Puerto Rico day parade on June 19, but the circumstance are just being reported today. The man, Gyovanni …
Tag: Accident in Public Place
TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 2021
Michelle Cummings, a Houston mom visiting Annapolis, Maryland to drop off her son at the Naval Academy was killed as an innocent bystander when someone opened fire near the hotel where she was staying. She was on the patio of the hotel at the time of the shooting. Apparently the round that killed Ms. Cumming …
Adult Injury California Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) New York No Charges Filed Ohio Ongoing Investigation
SUNDAY, JUNE 27, 2021
In Manhattan, New York, a newly commissioned off-duty New Jersey trooper accidentally fired a round on a Penn Station train platform while adjusting his holster. He shot himself once in the leg and was treated at the hospital. No word about whether the gun had a manual safety and whether it was deployed. There …
MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2021
Thomas Marrinan, a retired New York transit police officer was shot by a friend, a former corrections officer, when the two attempted to subdue an unruly man during a street fight in Brooklyn, New York. Robert Velasquez, the former corrections officer, accidentally shot his friend when he pulled his gun to end a scuffle with …
TUESDAY, MAY 18, 2021
At a Desoto, Texas Walmart, one person was injured when a concealed weapon carried by another Walmart customer accidentally discharged. The victim was treated at the hospital for injuries that were not considered life-threatening. According to police, the person whose weapon fired left the premises before they arrived. When they tracked down the shooter, they …
MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2021
The Burnett County sheriff’s department responded today when a Siren, Wisconsin man was shot inside a bar. The Siren police and the St. Croix tribal police also responded. Investigators determined that the shot that injured the bar patron had been accidentally fired in a house across the street. The round apparently pierced both the wall …
SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 2021
A man’s gun fell out of his pocket today while exiting a vehicle in a parking lot on Tiny Town Road in Clarksville, Tennessee. It drop-fired and struck him in the leg. He was taken to the hospital in unknown condition. The potential for any gun to be dropped is, of course, foreseeable. Some guns …
SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 2021
One woman was killed and another injured in innocent bystander incidents today. There have been three such incidents in the last two days. In Waco, Texas, a woman was inside her apartment when she was struck and killed by a bullet fired in an incident outside her home. She was found later by her roommate. …
MONDAY, MARCH 8, 2021
Jalynn Lester, age 17, of Dallas, Texas was arrested and charged with manslaughter after accidentally shooting and killing Don-Yeah Hill, also 17, at a shopping center in the middle of the afternoon. Lester told police that he was breaking down a gun when it went off. Hill died at a local hospital. Source: Catherine Marfin, …
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021
After investigating, police determined that a man found shot on the street in South Sioux City, Iowa had accidentally shot himself. The man had been taken by two good Samaritans to a local hospital. He is not facing charges. Nor will the unidentified man pay, apparently, for the various police and health care resources triggered …
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2021
At Desert Sky Mall in Phoenix, Arizona, a 17-year old boy was shot as an innocent bystander to an argument between others about a pair of sneakers. Alejandro Martinez, a high-school student, was shot and killed on the anniversary of the Parkland High School murders. According to the report, gunfire erupted at a kiosk inside …
SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 2021
Nia Reyes of Phoenix, Arizona was attempting to shoot a shoplifter, but instead accidentally struck an Ace Hardware store employee in the leg. The employee was in pursuit of the shoplifter at the time of the incident. It is unclear why Ms. Reyes, age 45, believed it appropriate to use potentially lethal force on a …
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2021
Two innocent bystanders were accidentally shot at 2:06 A.M. on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. According to the report, two people opened fire on each other. Neither of the shooters was hit. The two victims were an 18-year old woman and a 57-year old man. Police are looking for the shooters. Source: “NOPD Investigating Double …
SUNDAY, JANUARY 10, 2021
A Sun Prairie, Wisconsin man was hospitalized after shooting himself in the leg. The accident happened while he was parked in the lot of a Nitty Gritty restaurant. There is an active investigation. Source: Emily Hamer, “Man Hospitalized after Shooting Himself in Leg, Sun Prairie Police Say,” Wisconsin State Journal (January 10, 2021).
MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2021
Indianapolis, Indiana police officers working part-time at Sam’s Club responded when they heard a shot fired inside the store. An armed shopper had accidentally discharged a gun and hit a store employee. The employee was grazed by the bullet and was hospitalized after the shooting in stable condition. The customer was not being charged with …
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2020
On Venice Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, a homeless fired a gun into the air at about 10:00 PM on Christmas Eve and accidentally injured another homeless man. The victim is in stable condition at a local hospital. Police are investigating. Source: “Homeless Man Firing Gun Into Air Wounds Man,” LA.com (December 25, 2020).
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2020
At Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta, Georgia, a city plagued with recent gun violence, police responded to shots fired inside the Neiman Marcus store. Police concluded that “the gunfire was the result of a person walking through the store and adjusting his pants when the firearm he had in his waistband went off.” No one …
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2020
In New Castle, Pennsylvania, at a business called New Castle Brothers Market, a 17-year old accidentally shot his brother in the chest. The victim suffered “serious bleeding” and was taken to a hospital. According to police, the investigation is ongoing. This is the second gun accident in two days involving teenage siblings. Source: Pete Sirianni, …
MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2020
In Channelview, Texas, a 15-year old boy accidentally shot his 16-year sister in the arm in a hotel room. Both children were listed as runaways. The local family-violence unit will investigate to determine if charges will be filed. Source: “15-year-old Possibly Playing with Gun Shoots Sister in Channelview, Deputies Say,” ABC13 (October 6, 2020).
Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Louisiana Ongoing Investigation Uncategorized
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2020
A six-year old boy was shot by a sibling while sitting in the parking lot of a Family Dollar Store in Dutchtown, Louisiana. He is in critical condition after being taken by MedEvac helicopter to a nearby hospital . No information is available other than that the siblings were sitting together in a car. Presumably, …
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020
Two people were accidentally shot today at a motel in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Neither injury was considered serious. According to police “it was determined after further investigation that the shooting was accidental. Police said others at the scene who were involved in the argument have not filed any criminal charges.” Source: “HPD: Shooting Incident that Injured …
Adult Death Adult Injury Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Florida Michigan Ongoing Investigation Oregon
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2020
Three individuals shot themselves in the lower body today in various handgun accidents. A toddler is severely injured, a man is dead, and another appears to have lost his ability to reproduce. A three-year old in Jupiter Inlet, Florida gained access to his uncle’s handgun and shot himself in the thigh and hand. He is …
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2020
Twice today, a gun accidentally discharged in public, injuring four people. In both cases, a loaded gun was discharged inside a place of business while being carried by its owner inside his pants pocket. In Camden, New York, at the Grape and Grog restaurant, a police deputy accidentally discharged one round from his gun while …
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2020
Two people were injured today when guns were accidentally discharged. In each incident the victim was not in the room where the gun was fired. At John Wayne airport in Orange County, California, a sheriff’s deputy accidentally fired his service weapon at 7 AM this morning. The round penetrated a wall and hit an airport …
FRIDAY, JULY 10, 2020
In Anderson County, South Carolina, a woman who was legally carrying a firearm shot herself in the hip as she was entering the Dollar General store. According to the Sheriff’s office, the gun accidentally discharged while inside her purse. The woman was the only one injured in the accident. She was flown to the hospital …
FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2020
An unidentified person was accidentally shot in Dayton, Ohio today. “I just accidentally shot somebody please get down here. Please, it was an accident, it was an accident” a man who called 911 said. … “I’m going to jail, I’m going to jail.” One person was shot, but there was no information about the person’s …
THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2020
To pick up where we left off yesterday, in New York City today, 7-year old Kayley Santiago was struck in the thigh by stray gunfire while walking in the street with family members. 16-year old Isaiah Vazquez was firing at a rival and Kayley was an unintended victim. Vazquez was charged with attempted murder, assault …
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020
The pandemic of gun violence across the country continues to have unintended consequences for innocent bystanders. Two children who were playing in an empty lot in Kalamazoo, Michigan were struck by gunfire today during a gun battle between people firing shots from two different vehicles. Although the shooting was presumably intentional, the accidental injuries to …
MONDAY, JUNE 22, 2020
In Danville, Virginia, an Alabama resident has been arrested and charged with negligent handling of a firearm after her gun accidentally fired while she was putting it away. The bullet passed through a wall of the hotel where she was staying and struck a guest in the next room. The victim was taken to the …
SUNDAY, MAY 31, 2020
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 …
TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2020
Another innocent bystander was struck by gunfire today. In North Charleston, South Carolina, a woman trying to hide from gunshots was accidentally struck by a man who appeared to be firing for no reason outside a club. The suspect was apparently shooting in the air without intending to hit anyone. Source: Tony Fortier-Bensen, “Female Injured …
SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2020
For the second day in a row, a child was shot in a gun accident in Central Alabama. Today, a Fairfield four-year old was shot in the back of a car by a younger sibling. The accident occurred in the parking lot of a local mall. The child remains in critical condition. Police are investigating. …
THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020
A man was killed today in an accidental shooting on a Houston, Texas street. According to authorities, a group of friends had congregated despite coronavirus related social distancing concerns and were playing with a gun when it when off. The deceased man was in his 20’s. Source: “Man May Have Been Playing with Gun When …
SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 2020
In Colonie, New York, Denzel Grimes, a 29-year old man, accidentally shot and killed himself in a hotel with a 9-mm pistol. The gun apparently discharged and struck Mr. Grimes in the groin. He later died of the wound. Police identified Grimes’s gun as a “Jennings/Bryco Arms, Model 59,” a type of cheap handgun that …
SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2020
In an incident in Craigsville, Virginia, a 14-year old girl was accidentally shot in the hip during an altercation. The girl was attending a party where a fight broke out. One of the participants fired a warning shot into the ground. A bullet fragment ricocheted and struck the 14-year old. The man who fired the …
MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2020
The Augusta, Georgia sheriff’s office mobilized units to look for a suspect when an individual was shot in the leg on a city street on Monday afternoon. Investigators later concluded that the shooting was accidental. No charges are pending. The report does not discuss whether the resources used to investigate the incident can be recovered …
THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2020
In Laurinburg, North Carolina, a 27-year old man accidentally shot himself outside a Golden Corral restaurant. According to police, the man, who has a concealed-carry permit, “had been trying to take the gun out of [his] holster to put away before going into the restaurant when the gun went off.” The report did not disclose …
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2020
In Brooksville, Florida, an unidentified man accidentally shot and killed himself while playing with a gun. He was waiting for a haircut at the time. The sheriff’s office called the incident a “horrible accident.” The make and model of the gun that accidentally fired was not released. Source: Associated Press, “Florida Man Waiting for Haircut …
TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020
An unidentified man died today after accidentally shooting himself while in line at the Supreme Bean coffee shop in Spokane, Washington. No further information about the accident has been reported. An investigation is ongoing. On the other side of the country, in Cedartown, Georgia, at Zorba’s restaurant, a man accidentally shot himself in the parking …
THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2020
In Prestonburg, Kentucky, a messenger for an armored car service was shot when his gun accidentally discharged while he was making a drop at a Big Lots store in a strip mall. “His weapon became lodged between himself and items he was carrying,” according to Prestonburg police detective Ross Shurtleff. “While it was lodged between …
SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2020
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 …
SUNDAY, JANUARY 5, 2020
Gringo Tacos + Burgers Restaurant In St. Louis, Missouri closed early on Sunday after an employee of the restaurant accidentally shot and killed himself while changing clothes in the bathroom. Police said the shooting is not suspicious. It is unclear whether the restaurant prohibited guns on the premises. Employees declined to comment, stating that the …
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2019
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 …
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2019
At the Fashion Square Mall in Saginaw Township, Michigan, a 29-year old man accidentally shot himself in the leg. According to police, the man was shopping at Victoria’s Secret. When he went to put his wallet in his back pocket, his pistol discharged. Source: Michael Percha, “Accidental Shooting at Fashion Square Mall Injures One” NewsRadio …
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2019
A Florence, Alabama man accidentally shot himself in the parking lot of a sporting goods store. At the time of the shooting, he was on his way to buy a holster. After the man, who was not identified, was airlifted to a hospital in Huntsville, police said he had lost a lot of blood but …
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2019
A Harwich, Massachusetts police chief appealed a court decision that restored Jeffrey Gomes’ Massachusetts license to carry a firearm. The license had been restored by the Court even though Gomes had accidentally fired his gun while holstering it during Harwich’s Pilgrim Masonic Lodge corned beef dinner. The bullet passed through the floor of the lodge …