Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
Three People Killed in Accidental Shootings Wyatt Oser, a 13-year-old, eighth-grader, killed himself In his Meraux, Louisiana home, when a gun he was handling unintentionally discharged. Two of his friends were with him at the time. A GoFundMe page set up to help with expenses called Wyatt bright and kind, with “…a contagious smile, a loving spirit…” This …
Man Accidentally Shot and Killed By Acquaintance David Kueker, age 41, unintentionally shot and killed an acquaintance in Pensacola, Florida. Kueker and the victim thought someone had threatened them and they were “standing watch” outside Kueker sister’s house. Kueker got into a car’s backseat and fell asleep. According to a statement from the sheriff’s office …
Two People Injured in Unintentional Shootings A 13-year-old boy sustained a gunshot wound to his hand in an accidental shooting in Waterloo, Iowa. He was treated at the hospital for the injury. Police found blood and a spent .380-caliber shell casing at the boy’s home, as they continue to investigate. And in Houston, Texas, an armed …
Two Teens Unintentionally Shot; One is Killed In Charlotte, North Carolina, 16-year-old Jaiden Harris, was unintentionally shot and killed by a 12-year-old. Jaiden was pronounced dead at the scene. Few details about the shooting were released, but the 12-year-old suspect has been charged with involuntary manslaughter. And in Erie, Pennsylvania, 24-year-old Marquel A. Duck, thought …
Three More People Injured in Unintentional Shootings, Including a Child At a hotel in Evansville, Indiana, a man accidentally shot a pregnant woman in the calf while drawing a gun from his holster. She is expected to survive. Because the shooting was “considered accidental,” no charges were filed. In Kansas City, Missouri, a girl described as …
Gun Accidents Kill Two People in Texas In San Antonio, Texas, 86-year-old Sylvia Llanes was unintentionally shot in the chest by her son, and pronounced dead at the scene. The son had picked up his gun after hearing a noise in the backyard. It accidentally discharged, sending a round through a wall that struck his …
Three Unintentional Shootings Leave One Dead and Two Injured In Marion County, Florida, Abraham Bordas was charged with manslaughter after accidentally firing a gun while visiting the victim’s home. The victim died at the hospital. According to the report, Bordas was “playing around” with the gun when it went off. In Sacramento, California, Rubin Ramirez …
Three Accidental Gun Deaths A San Angelo, Texas man playacting with his friend’s loaded Radical Arms AR-15 rifle, which he believed was unloaded because the magazine was removed, accidentally shot and killed a relative. According to the report, Benjamin Ibarra was “conducting a fake ‘sweep’ … of the house after the thought-to-be unloaded rifle was …
Two Hunters are Killed, and Two Boys are Wounded in Gun Accidents Seth Egelhoff, 26, was shot and killed while hunting waterfowl in Panora, Iowa. A member of Egelhoff’s hunting party accidentally shot him in the face. He died on the way to the hospital and authorities are investigating. Another hunting accident resulting in a …
Mistaken Fatal Shooting of Woman Believed to Be Intruder According to authorities, a 38-year-old man shot and killed the woman who lived with him, 31-year-old Tiffany Angel, in the mistaken belief that she was an intruder at his home in Bucyrus, Missouri. No charges have been filed but the case is still under investigation. One …
Man Accidentally Shoots Himself in Vehicle In Lake Worth, Texas, a man accidentally shot himself while parked in his vehicle outside a Walmart. He was taken to the hospital for treatment. He told police he thought someone was approaching his vehicle, and when he pulled out his gun, he accidentally shot himself in the hand …
Two People Killed in Unintentional Shootings Hussein Mohamed, 14, unintentionally shot and killed 14-year-old Madden Gouveia in Bristol Vermont. The boys were with at least two other people in a car, including an 18-year-old man, as Gouveia passed around a 9mm Smith and Wesson handgun he had with him. The others in the car were …
Three People Unintentionally Shoot Themselves, Including 2-year-old Girl A 2-year-old girl found her father’s unsecured gun in a kitchen drawer and shot herself in the hand in Chicago, Illinois. She was taken to the hospital in good condition. Police charged her father, Demetrius Williams, 29, with child endangerment. Williams had a valid COID card and …
Two Accidental Shootings Involving Teens Leaves One Dead and One Injured A 16-year-old boy in Bridgeport, Connecticut, was killed when a gun he and 15-year-old girl were handling accidentally discharged. He was shot once in the face and died later at the hospital. No other details have been reported as police continue to investigate. Tallahassee, …
One Dead, Three Injured in Four Unintentional Shootings Kelsey Moore died from an accidental shooting in a vehicle in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Few details have been reported but the alleged shooter is in custody as the investigation continues. A two-year-old was napping in bed with his mother in Burlington, North Carolina. While she was sleeping, he …
Two Dead and Four Wounded in Unintentional Shootings Jordan Rosales, a 12-year-old from Lubbock, Texas, was accidentally shot and killed in his house in front of his three siblings. Two boys had came over to the victim’s house; one of them, a 13-year-old, brought a loaded gun with him and while handling it, shot and …
Police Responding to Wrong Home Unintentionally Shoot Armed Homeowner When Farmington, New Mexico police responded to a domestic violence call by going to the door at the wrong home, they were greeted by an armed homeowner. The police responded by shooting and killing the homeowner, 52-year-old Robert Dotson. Police assert that they had announced themselves …
No Charges to be Filed After 10-year-old Dies in Gun Accident The sheriff in Calhoun County, Mississippi announced that no charges will be filed after Oaklee Brasher, a 10-year-old boy, died in an accidental shooting today. No other information about the circumstances of the incident have been released. Four other shootings resulting in injuries …
Six Reported Unintended Shootings Today, Including the Death of an Innocent Bystander Hundreds of people fled a mall in Holyoke, Massachusetts after a fatal shooting inside a nail salon. Kenneth Santana-Rodriguez, who claimed to be firing in self-defense after being confronted by a former boyfriend of his girlfriend, fired two rounds, one of which struck …
The Harris County, Texas sheriff announced that a Humble, Texas man was cleaning his shotgun when it discharged inside his apartment. Another man was struck and killed. It is unclear whether charges will be filed. In Andrews, South Carolina, a man fired a pistol when he heard someone entering his home through a window. A …
For the second day in a row, unintentional gun violence killed an Indianapolis, Indiana teenager. In today’s incident, Michael Mason, Jr., a 16-year old, was shot and killed in the parking lot of a local mall when he and a friend mistakenly approached a white Chevy Impala that was identical to his own. When Mason …
Quezariah Jackson, age three, of Kansas City, Missouri, was shot and killed on Christmas Eve. Police have released few details of the incident other than to state that the killing was unintentional and that they are not looking for any suspects. Cesar Montelongo, 53, a Grand Prairie, Texas maintenance worker was found lying on a …
In Donaldsville, Louisiana, Perry Smith, age 33, shot and killed Trevon Henderson, age 21, who he mistakenly believed was an intruder in his home. A sheriff’s spokesman, said the shooting was a “really unfortunate case of mistaken identity.” Smith was arrested and charged with negligent homicide, among other crimes. Source: David J. Mitchell, “Man Accused …
Lindell Mays of New Orleans, Louisiana was arrested today after a four-year old boy was shot in the parking lot of a local store. Mays was charged by New Orleans police with mishandling a firearm “with respect to minors.” It is unclear if the boy got ahold of the gun in a car when he …
In Houston, Texas, 17-year old Dominque McCoy was unintentionally shot and killed today. According to authorities, he was shot by another 17-year old, Reginald Smalls, who says he was startled by McCoy and was firing in self-defense. Smalls has been arrested and charged with manslaughter. It is not clear how Smalls got a gun. Source: …
In Sumter County, Florida, a father mistakenly shot and killed his 19-year old son, Jaiden McGeorge, whom he mistook for a burglar, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The report about the incident indicates that burglars had been to the house earlier in the evening. A 14-year old Los Angeles, California boy is in stable condition after …
In Georgetown, South Carolina, an 18-year old boy attempting to defend himself in the dark against a neighbor’s dog pulled a gun and fired at least four shots at the dog. One of the shots struck his 15-year old friend, who had fallen down, in the leg. The boy was treated at the hospital. The dog was …
The Supreme Court ruled today, in New York Rifle and Pistol Ass’n v. Bruen, that all “law-abiding” Americans have a right to carry a gun outside the home for self-defense. This will have very serious implications and, as its most near-term consequence, will likely eliminate existing gun license procedures in at least five states. Perhaps …
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 …
Two 12-year olds were injured in gun accidents today. In Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, a 12-year old boy was struck by a pellet from a shotgun shell that fired accidentally while a relative was unloading the gun inside his home. The pellet passed through a wall and struck the boy in the neck. His relative had gone …
In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 23-year old Kendrick Wilson was shot to death by 26-year old Deangelo Coleman while Coleman was allegedly playing with a gun. Coleman was arrested and charged with negligent homicide. The shooting was reportedly just one of three in Baton Rouge today. A Lexington, Kentucky firefighter who was chasing a “squatter who …
Savannah Holmes, an Ankeny, Iowa four-year old shot herself in the face with her father’s gun. She later died at the hospital. According to the police, Savannah’s father responded to people pounding on the door by getting a gun and leaving it on the couch while going to get his son. Savannah got out of …
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 …
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 …
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, Fong Vang, age 40, was charged with manslaughter after he accidentally shot and killed his younger brother Dan. Fong was staying with his siblings and his mother temporarily and was sleeping on the floor. When he heard a loud noise in the middle of the night, he fired multiple rounds through the …
Kenesha Tyson, a Memphis, Tennessee woman involved in an altercation with her boyfriend, pulled a gun in an attempt to frighten him. She says the gun went off by accident, hitting the man in the chest. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Tyson has been charged with criminal attempt 1st-degree murder, aggravated …
In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, a woman who was attempting to shoot at an intruder instead accidentally struck her husband, Brent Barnes. Barnes was struck in the arm and the stomach. According to the report, the intruder got away. Source: Jennifer Pierce, “Woman Accidentally Shot Husband Multiple Times Instead Of Home Intruder,” news9.com (March 4, 2022).
Today’s story is another example of a gun accident that occurred in the context of a confusing crime scene, this one involving a man confronting a group of children with a gun: In Wichita Falls, Texas, a man grabbed a gun to confront a group of teenagers who he believed were stealing his car. He …
In Columbus, Georgia, a three-year old was shot and killed under circumstances that have not been described, but which authorities say are likely to be ruled accidental. No follow-up news stories appeared in the first five days following the incident. In Chicago, Illinois, a security guard who had been shot in the leg in a …
During an argument at an Atlanta, Georgia CVS, a man accidentally shot himself with his own gun. He had apparently pulled the gun during an argument with another pharmacy patron about misuse of the victim’s cell phone. According to a somewhat confusing report, the other man had borrowed the victim’s phone purportedly make an emergency …
A Columbus, Ohio man mistook his 16-year old daughter, Janae Hairston, for an intruder at 4:30 A.M. today. He accidentally shot and killed her. She was in the family’s garage when the accident occurred. Authorities say the girl’s mother called 911 at 4:30 A.M. In a recording of the 911 call, the father asks “his daughter …
Terrence Smith of Fredericksburg, Virginia fired several shots through the door of his mobile home and struck and killed his roommate, Dequan Thomas, whom he thought was a burglar. Thomas suffered a single gunshot wound to the upper body and was pronounced dead at the scene. The gun used in the incident was identified as …
Every type of gun safety problem was on display in gun accidents that occurred today. All of today’s accidents are tragic, but none more so than the death of a Texas two-year old in Lawrence, Kansas who was shot in the chest while visiting at a local home. Details of the circumstances of the accident …
Two Memphis, Tennessee girls were shot and killed in separate gun accidents today. In the first incident, at 2:30 A.M., William Oliver accidentally shot and killed his own eight-year old daughter, believing she was an intruder. He has been arrested and charged with reckless homicide. In the other incident, a Memphis six-year old was shot …
In Southport, Florida, a five-year old child shot a seven-year old sibling with a 20-gauge shotgun while their mother slept in another room. Sheriff’s deputies found the seven-year old bleeding on the bathroom floor in her mother’s arms with “severe and life-threatening injuries.” According to the report, the injured girl told investigators that her brother …
A San Antonio, Texas woman who heard gunshots and retrieved her gun to protect herself shot herself in the leg while putting the gun away. She was taken to the hospital in stable condition. Source: “Woman Hears Gunshots, Pulls Out Gun for Protection, Shoots Herself Putting Gun Away,” News4SA (July 29, 2021).
Jason Smalley of Athens, Texas accidentally shot and killed his friend Stoney Conley in the mistaken belief that he was acting in self-defense. The two men were smoking meth together when they heard a suspicious noise. Smalley went to fetch his .22 caliber rifle and aimed at a person he could only see from the …
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 …
For the second time this week, a man who believed he was acting In self-defense shot and killed someone in error. In today’s incident, 37-year old Matthew Sharpf shot and killed his best friend, Jonathan Hankins, also 37, in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. Hankins was knocking on a window of Sharpf’s home when the fatal shot …
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 …
A good deal has been written about the risks of paint ball weapons and toy guns that are designed to look real. The marketplace has far too many facsimile weapons that can be mistaken as potentially lethal. Police officers frequently report being unable to tell the difference between individuals armed with real guns from kids …
A Mission Bend, Texas woman who went to her daughter’s home after an argument with her husband was shot multiple times by her son-in-law. He believed she was an intruder. According to the report, the 43-year old woman, who had been drinking, was banging on the back door when her son-in-law fired multiple shots through …
Erik Keith Wood of Fortuna, California, age 42, was arrested and charged with attempted murder today after shooting a teenager who apparently was playing Ding Dong Ditch at Wood’s home. The game involves ringing someone’s doorbell and then running away. The teenager was treated at a hospital for a shotgun wound and released. Source: “Fortuna …
Ken Thomas of Wichita, Kansas was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated battery after what appears to be a property-defense situation gone awry. Two teenagers were apparently trespassing at TreatCo, a pet treat factory that had been shuttered at some point in the past. Thomas, the business’s owner, fired a shotgun toward them, …
In Detroit, Michigan, an altercation concerning a stolen Uber Eats delivery led to the accidental shooting of a 21-month old girl who was sitting in her mother’s car. The girl’s mother believed that chicken she had ordered had been stolen by her neighbors. In the ensuing argument, one of the neighbors apparently brought out a …
Continuing a spate of recent incidents in which people have been shot by relatives who mistakenly believed that they were defending their homes, a Port Salerno, Florida man shot and killed his pregnant wife. “I just shot my wife. My life is over,” the unidentified man is quoted as saying. He told investigators that he …
In Clay, Alabama, a teenage girl returning home after 2 A.M. was mistaken for an intruder by her stepfather. She was accidentally shot in the abdomen. Her parents say they “heard the garage door open and thought someone was breaking into the home. The stepfather retrieved his firearm and went to investigate.” After the shooting, …
For the second time this week, a woman was mistaken for an intruder in the middle of the night and shot by her partner. In an incident that bears a startling similarity to one reported in Utah on Tuesday of this week, a man was woken by noise in his home and grabbed a loaded …
A Provo, Utah woman is in critical condition after being accidentally shot by her husband. He had woken in the night and mistaken her for a burglar. According to a police detective, ““[h]e had heard some noise in the house, gotten up from bed still tired but he suspected it was a burglar. He grabbed …
In Pasco, Washington, a man using his gun for self-defense in his home accidentally shot himself in the calf and may require surgery. According to the report, the man heard a noise that he thought was a burglar. He was walking with a handgun when it accidentally discharged. Source: Monica Petruzzelli, “Pasco Man Accidentally Shoots …
In Maquoketa, Iowa, a 20-year old man falsely claimed that he was shot in the abdomen by an unknown assailant outside his home. Upon investigation, police learned that he accidentally shot himself. The wounded man, Thomas A. Detro, “admitted in an interview that he walked outside with a revolver and fired multiple ‘warning’ shots into …