Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
Two Boys Shot by Relatives, One is Killed A 16-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the scene, after being unintentionally shot in a barn behind a home in Tomball, Texas. Rhyder Tettleton, the victim’s 17-year-old brother, has been charged with homicide. The boys’ parents were not home at the time, and a group of teenagers had gathered …
Two People Killed, and One Injured in Unintentional Shootings In Baker, Louisiana, a 17-year-old male accidentally shot himself and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. He died later from his injuries. No other details have been reported. In Salt Lake City, Utah, a 33-year-old man fatally shot himself in the head while handling a gun that …
Two-year-old Boy is One of Three Victims Who Were Injured in Gun Accidents Today In Owensboro, Kentucky, a man was shot in the leg when a gun unintentionally discharged in the apartment next door. He sustained non-life-threatening injuries when the bullet came through the wall. The neighbor, Michael Chavez, 24, returned home from a bar with friends, and …
Gun Accidents Involving Law Enforcement Officers; One Woman Killed, Four Other People Injured In Ocala, Florida, a county deputy, Leslie Boileau, killed his girlfriend when he accidentally shot her in the head while they were cleaning guns. According to Boileau, he and his girlfriend both drank three margaritas at dinner. When they came home, they decided that …
Toddler and Teenager Killed in Gun Accidents A two-year-old boy in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Devonte Chambers, fatally shot himself in the chest with his father’s unsecured gun. His 29-year-old father, also named Devonte Chambers, told police that he took his son to the bedroom for a nap, and the toddler found the gun that was …
Man Unintentionally Shot by Acquaintance A 24-year-old man was accidentally shot by an acquaintance, 26-year-old Kenyon L. Best, in an apartment in Parsons, Kansas. Best took the victim to the hospital in critical, but stable condition. Police recovered evidence including a 9mm handgun, and determined through their investigation that Best had also been drinking. Best …
Three People Injured in Unintentional Shootings, Including a 2-year-old Girl A 2-year-old girl was shot and taken to the hospital in critical condition after a firearm unintentionally discharged in an apartment in Knoxville, Tennessee. All individuals involved were questioned by police, and two juvenile boys, ages 12 and 14, have been charged with felony reckless endangerment …
Toddler and Teen Killed in Unintentional Shootings In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 3-year-old Kayden Barnes died after shooting herself in the eye with a gun that her father had left out after cleaning it. Both of her parents were at home when the shooting occurred. Police recovered the gun and a male was questioned and released. No …
Man Injures Himself and Others When Concealed Gun Unintentionally Fires in Brewery In the dining area of the True North brewery in Ipswich, Massachusetts, a man accidentally discharged his concealed gun injuring himself and bystanders. He sustained a gunshot wound and was taken to the hospital for treatment. Several other people, including a child, received …
15-year-old is Killed, and Two Others are Injured in Gun Accidents In Fairmont, North Carolina, a 15-year-old was killed when the gun he was handling unintentionally fired. When police arrived at the home, they found the teen dead from a gunshot wound. Both the school district and police released statements expressing sadness about the tragic …
Christmas Day Gun Accidents In Nashville, Tennessee, 81-year-old Johnnie Thompson was showing a friend how his Derringer pistol worked. He was fatally struck when he dropped the gun on the floor causing it to unintentionally discharge. Police don’t anticipate any charges being filed. Diego Diaz-Martinez, 31, was a guest at a Christmas family gathering in …
Four People Injured in Unintentional Shootings A male driver accidentally shot himself in the knee as he fled police during a traffic stop in Birmingham, Alabama. When police tried to stop the man, he got out of the car and fled. While running he shot himself, and was quickly captured and taken to the hospital. …
8-year-old Killed; Two Teens Injured in Unintentional Shootings In St. David, Arizona, 8-year-old Bradley John Shockley was accidentally shot in the chest with an air rifle while riding on the back of a friends’s four-wheeler. He was pronounced dead at the hospital a short time later. The vehicle went through an area where people were …
Three Unintentional Shootings Leave One Woman Dead, Three Others Injured In a Glendale, Arizona shopping mall, a man received minor injuries when a gun unintentionally fired inside one of the stores. Police haven’t yet located the person who discharged the gun, and few other details have been reported. In a residence in Fresno, California, a …
Toddlers Injured After Finding Loaded Gun, and Woman is Killed in Accidental Shooting During Night of Drinking In Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a toddler found a loaded gun in the backyard of a home and accidentally shot themself and another toddler. Police confirmed that the children involved in the incident were a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old, …
Gun Accidents Kill One and Injure Two Others, Including a 4-year-old Shot by Her Younger Brother A 4-year-old girl in Miami, Florida, was shot in the head by her 3-year-old brother. The girl was taken to the hospital where, according to a police spokesman, she is “fighting for her life.” Her mother’s boyfriend, Quavanta Ennels, …
One Dead, Four Wounded in Accidental Shootings A 5-year-old boy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, shot himself in the hand while playing with a gun. Police said one parent was home during the incident, but did not say who owned the gun. There is an ongoing investigation, and so far no charges have been filed. Ari T. …
Three People Unintentionally Shot A 17-year-old girl was treated and released at the hospital after being shot in the foot by a 16-year-old boy in Watertown, South Dakota. The two were in an apartment where people were drinking alcohol, and when the group started handling a loaded pistol, the 16-year-old unintentionally shot the girl. He …
Man Killed in Gun Cleaning Accident In Prospect, Kentucky, 23-year-old Charl Hertzog was shot and killed by his roommate James Small, 20, who claimed he was drinking and smoking weed while cleaning a gun, when it accidentally discharged. Police say he left the scene after the shooting and got rid of the gun, then turned …
Two Gun Accidents Today Leave One Man Dead, and Two Soldiers Injured Police are not releasing the name or age of a man who was accidentally shot in the chest and killed in Yankton, South Dakota. Cody Auch, 20, has been charged with first-degree manslaughter. Police determined that the shooting took place in the victim’s …
Eight Unintentional Shootings Leave Two Dead and Six Wounded In Houston, Texas, an 18-year-old was shot and killed by a relative who was trying to take a gun away from him. According to police, the relative was upset the 18-year-old had brought a gun into the apartment, and during the struggle for it, unintentionally shot …
Six Unintended Shootings of Children: Two Dead, Four Wounded Children playing with a gun resulted in an unintentional shooting that killed a 10-year-old girl in Roswell, New Mexico. Few details are reported other than that the incident is still under investigation. In Indianapolis, Indiana, 11-year-old Jordan Robertson was accidentally shot and killed in a home …
Four Accidental Shootings: 14-year-old Boy and 83-year-old Woman Dead, 2 Others Injured In Fort Ann, New York, a 17-year-old didn’t know that the shotgun he had pointed in the direction of 14-year-old Rycky Stark Jr. was loaded. It unintentionally fired, hitting Rycky in the abdomen killing him. Three boys and one girl were playing with …
Five Unintentional Shootings, Including Two in Vehicles In Jupiter, Florida, a teenage passenger in a vehicle was handling a gun when it unintentionally discharged, fatally striking the driver. The teenager is facing a charge of negligent manslaughter. Police recovered the firearm as they continue to investigate. Another reported shooting in a vehicle, this time in …
Police Officer’s 2-year-old Child and Pregnant Woman Killed in Unintentional Shootings In Howell, Michigan, the 2-year-old child of veteran police officer David Lacey, shot and killed themself with a loaded, unsecured gun that they found in their home. So far, no charges have been filed and police call the incident a personal family matter. However, …
Man is Accidentally Shot in Bar When police responded to a call about a shooting in a bar in New Bedford, Massachusetts, they found evidence of a shooting but no victim. Apparently, the man, who had been shot when a gun went off accidentally, had already been taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No …
Two People Hurt by Single Shot Accidentally Fired at a Bar In Seneca, Illinois, two people were hurt by a single round accidentally fired at “3rd Bar.” Police are investigating the circumstances of the accident. Neither person suffered life threatening injuries. Source: “Man, Woman Injured by Accidental Gunshot in Seneca, Police Say,” Shaw Local News …
Three Teens Unintentionally Injured in Shootings After a 13-year-old St Petersburg, Florida boy reported that he had been shot while riding his bike, investigating police concluded that he had accidentally shot himself instead. The boy’s injuries are not considered life threatening and police are investigating where the boy got the gun. In Alexandria, Louisiana, an …
Teen Killed While Drinking and “Messing Around” with Gun In Rogersville, Missouri, a teenager was killed in a gun accident that occurred when he and two adults were drinking and playing with a pistol. The local sheriff says “three people, the teenage male, a man in his early 20s, and a woman in the similar …
In Indianapolis, Indiana, a man was cleaning a gun when it accidentally discharged striking a woman in the foot. A 9 mm round was found beneath a window next to a bed, according to the report. In Oak Hill, West Virginia, a man was playing with a gun when it discharged. He struck himself in …
33-year old Thomas Jackson of Phoenix, Arizona was unintentionally shot and killed by his older brother, Dominique today. Dominque mishandled a gun and it went off, striking Thomas, who died at the scene. Dominique was arrested and charged with manslaughter The two brothers were allegedly drinking and using drugs at the time of the incident. …
In Niles Ohio, an 11-year old girl was accidentally shot at a house party. Local police say that underage drinking and negligence factored into the incident. Three people were arrested and charged in the shooting, including two juveniles. The victim was not drinking and “the negligence pertains to other juveniles present and the adult that …
Two gun accidents involving animals occurred today. In West Palm Beach, Florida a police officer attempting to fire at an attacking pit bull accidentally shot and injured a fellow officer. Apparently, the round fired passed through the dog and into the officer that was being attacked. And in Kenyon, Minnesota, officers reported that a drunk …
In Charlotte, North Carolina, man “negligently discharged” his weapon inside his vehicle outside a local shooting range. He was transported to a hospital for treatment. In Mashpee, Massachusetts, a man negligently shot himself in the hand and was flown to a Rhode Island hospital for treatment. And in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, a man who was …
Witnesses to a Duluth, Minnesota bar fight and surveillance video confirms “that two men were fighting two other men when a gun fell out of a man’s waistband. When a bystander attempted to grab the gun, it fired and the victim was shot in the foot.” The shooting remains under investigation but police say “there …
Brandon Vanatter and Anthony Harris of Cincinnati, Ohio were drunk and playing with Harris’s gun in Harris’s apartment when it went off today, killing Harris. Vannatter has been arrested and charged with reckless homicide. “Anytime you have a firearm and you’re using alcohol, it’s reckless behavior, not accidental behavior,” the prosecutor said. Source: “Prosecutor: Mt. …
There were gun accidents across the country today resulting in at least six death or injuries: A person taking part in a gun training for Taylor, Michigan auxiliary police officers was shot in the abdomen and taken to the hospital. He was accidentally shot by another person participating in the training. “The volunteers with Taylor’s …
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).
Blake Miller, age 18, was charged today in connection with a March 12 unintended gun violence incident that allegedly occurred while Miller was showing his family’s .22 caliber rifle to his friends. The boys had had a few beers at the time of the incident. According to the report, Miller, of Omaha, Nebraska, pointed the …
28-year old Matthew Stafford was socializing in a Las, Vegas, Nevada apartment when the handgun he was playing with fired. Another man, also in his 20’s was shot and killed. Stafford has been arrested on unspecified charges. In Soddy Daisy, Tennessee, Michael Jarrell was shot and killed by his brother Larry, who was playing with …
A 48-year old woman was shot while sleeping on a couch in a Nashville, Tennessee apartment near Music Row. Jonerica Johnson, age 28, had fired her gun in the air after being told to leave a bar across the street. Johnson was taken into custody and charged with reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, disorderly contact, public …
In Denton, Texas, two friends were drinking and handling a firearm when it went off, injuring one of them. They say they didn’t know the gun was loaded. The injured friend was taken to the hospital and released. Source: Zaira Perez, “Friends Alleged Drinking, Negligence Led to Shooting at Denton Apartment,” Denton Record-Chronicle (March 2, …
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 …
An Ankeny, Iowa man was arrested after accidentally shooting his roommate in the face. The man’s roommate has been hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. According to the report, the unidentified shooter was intoxicated and handling a .9mm pistol in a reckless manner when it went off. He was released on bond after being charged with reckless …
Garrick Baker,an intoxicated Westfield, Indiana man shot and killed his stepson, age 18, who was sleeping on a couch at the time of the incident. According to the report, the man was handling a gun in his living room while “presumed to be intoxicated.” It went off. Baker was arrested and charged with criminal recklessness. …
In LaCrosse County, Wisconsin, the sheriff’s office is investigating an accidental shooting that occured after 1 A.M. at a French Island bar. A man was shot in the leg by another patron he did not know. The circumstances of the accident are unclear. Source: Jourdan Vian, “Police: Accidental Shooting Reported on French Island,” news8000.com (September …
In High Point, North Carolina, a four-year old boy found a gun underneath a couch cushion and shot himself in the head. He later died at the hospital. His mother, Jasmine Eagan, has been charged with felony child abuse. Several adults were in the home at the time of the incident. According to the report, …
In Pensacola, Florida, a patron of O’Reilly’s Uptown Tavern pulled a gun to show it to other patrons. The incident was apparently caught on video. When he mimed an attempt to return the gun to a shoulder holster, it went off, striking him in the upper torso. “I don’t know if he was pretending to …
A 22-year old was killed and three children were seriously injured in gun accidents today. In Dunmore, Pennsylvania, 22-year old Tyler Sitar was accidentally shot in the stomach by his friend Luigi Lorusso, who was handling a gun. Sitar died of his wound and Lorusso was arrested and charged with manslaughter. Another Columbus, Ohio child, …
In Newton, Kansas, a 14-year old girl was shot and killed by a drunk 16-year old boy while hanging out with friends. The intoxicated boy apparently was waving a gun around and pointing it at members of the group when it went off and the girl was shot. The report does not provide information about …
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 …
In an accident that appears to have been related to use of alcohol, a Cedar Falls, Iowa man was found on the street with a gunshot wound to his leg. Police applied a tourniquet until medical help arrived. Two other men were arrested at the scene of the accident, one on weapons charges and the …
Two young people were accidentally shot and killed by friends today while playing with guns. 18-year old Armani Hall of Louisville, Kentucky was shot and killed by her 21-year old friend Adrianna King. King admitted that she had been playing with the gun. She was arrested and charged with one count of reckless homicide. In …
In Jackson, Mississippi, a 15 year-old girl was accidentally shot in the neck when she found a gun under a couch. She remains in the hospital in critical condition. According to a witness, when the girl found the gun, a 14-year old boy attempted to take it away from her and the gun went off. …
As a society, we spend substantial resources trying to prevent accidents caused by drunken drivers. Efforts include ubiquitous public service announcements, enhanced criminal and civil penalties, and legal remedies creating potential liability for those selling or otherwise providing alcohol to inebriated people. Many of these efforts are designed to deter drunken driving by the in …
Police announced today that they are still considering filing charges against an unidentified 21-year old in White Township, Pennsylvania, who accidentally shot his four-month old son with a 9-mm handgun. The boy suffered significant injuries after being hit in the upper body, but is expected to survive. At the time of the shooting, the boy’s …