Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
Shamyrion Alexander of Dayton, Ohio, age 11, was shot and killed by an 11-year old relative today. The boys had “gained access” to a .40 caliber handgun when it fired and killed Shamyrion, according to police. “It is a huge concern when young people gain access to firearms. Obviously, we see the tragic result that …
In Groveton, Texas, Daniel Kee, the interim Chief of Police, announced in a raw post on Facebook that a four-year old cousin to his wife had found a gun in her home and shot herself to death. “4 years and 4 days old just to be killed because those who claimed to be the caretaker …
Two children were accidentally shot and killed by older siblings in their homes today. A third child, age 8, found a loaded gun in his home and shot himself. A 12-year old Baton Rouge, Louisiana child was arrested and placed in juvenile detention after admitting that he accidentally shot and killed his four-year old sister. …
Three children shot and killed themselves today with loaded guns they found in their homes. In each case, few details were reported. In Smithfield, Utah, a five-old and his family returned from a camping trip on Tuesday night and left their camping gear in a downstairs room. The boy came downstairs early on Tuesday morning …
Columbus, Ohio police urged residents to take advantage of a free gun lock program after a 5-year old girl found a loaded gun in her home and shot herself in the head. She died at the hospital. Columbus appears to be a city where gun violence involving children is common. The City of Columbus recently …
Once again, the focus today is on the rash of gun violence affecting American children. Three toddlers were shot in apparent gun accidents today. At least ten teenagers were also killed or injured in eight shootings across the country. Two four-year olds and a three-year old were involved in gun accidents that were barely covered …
One child was killed and three were injured in accidental shootings today. In each case, reports of the incident contain minimal details. In Dallas, Texas, 17-year old Chadrick Good was shot and killed by a 16-year old who accidentally fired a gun while sitting behind Good in a vehicle. The 16-year old has been charged …
In Little Rock, Arkansas, a three-year old found a loaded gun and shot himself in the eye. The boy is in critical condition at the hospital. There was no discussion in the article about how the boy obtained an unsecured loaded gun or about why manufacturers are allowed to design guns that a three-year old …
In Hickory, Mississippi, a three-year old found a loaded gun in the glove compartment of his family car and shot and killed himself while his parents were inviting people to a revival meeting. The boy’s parents were not charged. The local sheriff called the incident a “horrible accident.” No other details were reported. Sources: “Newton …
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 Wichita, Kansas, a three-year old found a gun and shot herself and her father while he was sleeping. The girl was struck in the hand and her father was struck in the leg. Both were treated at the hospital. Police are investigating how the firearm was stored. During the investigation, three other children have …
According to Maple Heights, Ohio police, 5-year old Princeton Patterson found a loaded gun in his home and shot himself in the head. They found him dead at the scene. There is an open question about whether an adult will be charged for failing to properly secure the gun. A local law professor says state …
A four-year old and a three-year old apparently found guns and shot themselves to death today. In Colorado Springs, Colorado, a four-year old found a gun in the family car and shot himself in the head. He died at the scene. At the time of the incident, which occurred in a parking lot, the boy’s …
Adam L. Carroll of Lenexa, Kansas, died today after his friend negligently fired a gun inside an apartment building. The shooter, who was not identified, immediately called 911 and attempted life-saving measures. There is an ongoing investigation. “I just hope it was an accident and, at the end of the day, they just get down …
Although there were many hundreds of incidents of gun violence on Independence Day, there were thankfully no deaths clearly associated with celebratory gunfire. However, several people were injured in such incidents across the country. Also today, a six-year old Knoxville, Tennessee boy found a gun and shot himself to death. In Raleigh North Carolina, Alexandria …
In Moore, Oklahoma, a 19-month old baby was taken to a local trauma center with an accidental gunshot wound that occurred, according to his family, when a gun “fell off a dresser and discharged.” The baby was shot in the abdomen. The family is cooperating and no charges are contemplated. “It’s sad and our prayers …
A three-year old and a ten-year old died in gun accidents on opposite sides of the country today when they found loaded guns in their homes. In Fresno, California, 3-year old Bryson Vang found his father’s loaded gun and shot and killed himself. His parents and siblings were home at the time. The gun was …
In Temple, Maine, a two-year old found a loaded gun in his home and used it to accidentally shoot and kill himself. Other family members were home at the time of the accident. The incident comes just over a month after another Maine two-year old found a loaded Glock piston on a nightstand in his …
An Atlanta, Georgia three-year old shot himself in the hand when he found a loaded gun in his home. The boy’s mother was in the next room at the time of the incident. The boy is in stable condition at the hospital. And no decision has been made about whether his mother will be charged. …
In Americus, Georgia, a 16-year old boy was listed in critical condition after being accidentally shot. He and a group of boys were horsing around with a gun on the back deck of a local home. One of the boys, Jordan Hamilton, age 17, was arrested and charged with reckless conduct. In Waterbury, Connecticut, a …
In Dallas, Texas a five-year old boy was shot and killed by an eight-year old who found a loaded gun. Authorities announced that they are investigating how the 8-year old got access to the gun. No other details have been released. Source: Jozelyn Escobedo, “5-year-old Boy Dies After Being Shot by Another Child in Dallas …
For the second day in a row, a two-year old toddler got hold of and fired a loaded gun. In this instance, a Joliet, Illinois toddler shot herself. According to the local police, she “unfortunately succumbed” to her injuries. No other information is available. Source: “2-Year-Old Child Dies of Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound in Joliet, Police …
A nine-year old Canton, Mississippi child is in stable condition at the hospital after his two-year old sister found a loaded gun in the family truck and shot him in the head. Police say that the children’s parents had gone inside a home and had left the children in their truck unattended. The Canton police …
Once again, multiple children were unintentional victims of gun violence today. One 7-year old was shot by a 9-year old relative. The other three victims were innocent bystanders to intentional gun violence. In Houston, Texas, a 7-year old child was shot by a 9-year old relative who found a loaded gun on the bed in …
Seven children under the age of six were killed or injured by gunfire today. All of them were innocent bystanders to adult gun violence. In Memphis Tennessee, a one-year old child was shot and killed inside a vehicle. “Our kids are scared to death out there,” a local community group leader said. The other incidents …
In Lakeland, Florida, a man unsuccessfully hid a loaded gun in a couch to keep it away from children while he and a friend watched a basketball game. A 3-year old found it and used it to shoot his two-year old sister. The girl is in critical condition at the hospital. The gun’s owner was …
At the home of a Helena, Alabama police officer, a three-year old child found a loaded gun and shot and killed a six-year old sibling. The officer was not home at the time of the incident. “This was a truly tragic morning for Shelby County. Our agency grieves with the family of this child. I …
Two young girls were accidentally shot and killed today, one in Arizona and the other in Michigan. In Tempe, Arizona, a four-year old girl found an older sibling’s loaded gun hidden under a piece of furniture and shot and killed herself. The girl’s sibling apparently told police that the gun was placed out of sight …
In Union, Missouri, a four-year old founded a loaded gun under the couch where his father was sleeping. The boy shot and killed himself. According to the local sheriff, the boy’s father, Scott E. Hilton, Jr., was restricted from having a gun in the home. Hilton was arrested and charged with second degree murder during …
Three people were injured when a Bath, Maine two-year old found a loaded 9 mm pistol on a nightstand in his parent’s bedroom. According to a report of the incident, the boy’s mother “sustained a ‘clean gunshot wound’ to her leg and the father, 25, sustained a minor injury to the back of his head. …
Police in Orlando, Florida are investigating an incident in which a four-year old child found a loaded gun and fired it. These are the available details according to a tweet by the Orlando police: “Upon investigating, officers determined that a 4-year-old child picked up a firearm and accidentally discharged it. The child suffered a non-life-threatening …
Police in Statesville, North Carolina announced that a two-year old child found a loaded gun on a bed in their home and shot themselves. The child is in stable condition. The owner of the gun and the child’s mother were arrested. The gun owner, Erin Vanderburg, was charged with failure to secure a gun to …
In Elkhart, Indiana, a five-year old boy found a loaded gun in his family’s mobile home and shot himself in the chest. Police have confirmed that the shooting was accidental. The boy went to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, although after surgery, he is expected to survive. “My child. That’s what ran through my mind,” …
Two three-year old boys gained access to loaded handguns in separate accidents and shot themselves. Available reporting suggests that the parents were treated differently after the two incidents. Neither report suggests that police are asking why gun manufacturers are allowed to make guns that a three-year old can fire. In Bakersfield, California, 29-year old Shawndel …
In Fort Worth, Texas, three-year old Lauryn Barrett found a gun in the door of the family car during a trip to Oakland Lake Park. She fired the gun and killed herself. A witness said he looked out the window of his home to see a family begging for help. “I saw the woman on …
Three-year old Jamayla Marlowe of Nashville, Tennessee was shot and killed when she was caught in the crossfire of a shootout that erupted between several individuals. Her sister, Antania Butler, age 2, was injured in the incident. The two girls were in a parked car when the shooting started. Afterwards, police identified several men who …
In Hartford, Connecticut, a three-year old boy died today when someone fired into the car in which he was riding. The boy’s mother and two other young children were in the car at the time of the incident. A male passenger was also present, but he ran off after the shooting. According to police, the …
Police believe that a Houston, Texas three-year old found a loaded gun in his home today. He shot and killed his 8-month old brother, Royal Gordon. Four adults were home at the time. Police say it is unclear how the child got ahold of the weapon as they continue to investigate. As usual, there was …
In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Trevion Cole, a 5-year old, was shot and killed by another child. The two children had found a loaded gun. An adult who was home at the time was not in the room when the accident occurred. On the same day, Sara Collins, a 14-year old Oklahoma City girl, was also …
A three-year old in Baker, Louisiana, found and pulled the trigger on his father’s loaded gun while his father was making lunch. The gun had recently been purchased for the family’s protection. The boy is now dead. It was unclear whether the boy’s father will face charges. “I believe in gun ownership. I grew up …
Two three-year olds were killed in gun accidents today. In Monroeville, Pennsylvania, a three-year old girl was shot by a five-year old sibling who had apparently found a loaded gun in their home. The child was identified as Braya Sanders. Police are investigating, but have stated that the girl’s parents are cooperating and that the …
In Detroit, Michigan, a 13-year old and a three-year old were hurt in separate gun accidents. The three year old was shot by a four-year old sibling while they were playing with a gun. They were being supervised by another sibling, age 13, while their parents were at work. The injured child was in stable …
In a complicated incident today, Houston, Texas police accidentally shot a one-year old child in the head. They were reportedly attempting to prevent a carjacking at the time of the incident. The baby is in stable condition at the hospital. Police report that they were chasing an armed suspect, wanted for several aggravated robberies. At …
An 88-year old woman was killed and a three-year old child was seriously injured in separate gun accidents today. In Warren, Ohio, 88-year old Ruth Lewis was planning a funeral with family members when someone shot through a window and killed her. “This was a senseless death caused by a random bullet. Obviously, she wasn’t …
In Clarksville, Tennessee, a two-year old child was killed in a home where there were three children under the age of four. One of the toddlers found an unsecured gun and shot the two-year old. He died at the hospital. Julian Chester, the child’s mother’s boyfriend, was arrested on unrelated charges. Source: “Tenn. Toddler Dies …
In East Chicago, Indiana, a two-year old found an unattended loaded gun in his home and shot himself in the side of the head. The child was conscious when officers found him, a police deputy reported. Family members told police that the boy had located his father’s gun in the residence and shot himself with …
In Edwardsville, Pennsylvania, a 10-year old boy named Connor died in a gun accident at his home. At the time of the accident, he was jumping on a couch. One of the adults in the home was clearing the chamber of a gun when it fired. According to a report, the gun was sent to …
In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a three-year old boy found a loaded gun in his home and shot himself. Police were alerted to the incident by a call from the hospital. Although the child is expected to survive, there is an ongoing investigation. Source: “Toddler Expected to Survive after Accidental Shooting, Police Say,” Fox 8 Live …
In Ellisville, Mississippi, a four-year old toddler found a loaded semi-automatic pistol in his family car and accidentally shot and killed his two-year old sister. Their mother had left them in the back seat of the car temporarily. The toddler was able to climb out of his car seat and grab the gun. “It’s just …
There was another accidental gun death of a young child today. A three-year old in Owosso, Michigan found a gun in his home and shot himself. He later died at the hospital. “Owosso Public Safety offers its condolences to any family or friends who have been impacted by this tragic event,” the local public safety …
Two young children were killed in preventable accidental shootings, one in Philadelphia, the other in Detroit. The incidents are strikingly similar. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, balloons were released at a vigil for nine-year old gun accident victim Nyssa Davis. Davis was shot and killed by a 5-year old relative in her home. The boy had found …
Once again, a Columbus, Ohio child was hurt in a gun accident. This time a three-year-old girl was hurt when her four-year old brother found a loaded unsecured gun in their home and pulled the trigger. The girl was struck and was hospitalized in stable condition. Source: “Police: 3-year-old Girl Accidentally Shot by 4-year-old Brother …
Two three-year old children and a five-year old were injured in gun accidents today. Reported facts about each incident are minimal. A five-year old Columbus, Ohio boy was playing with his mother’s loaded handgun when it fired. He is expected to survive. A Wichita, Kansas teenager was handling a handgun when it fired accidentally and …
In Fort Wayne, Indiana, a toddler found a gun and used it to shoot his mother. Her injuries are not considered life threatening, but local police are investigating “possible child neglect.” No other information is available. The incident is one of many recent incidents in Indiana in which young children have been involved in serious …
Four-year old Andre Walker of Sedalia, Missouri, found a loaded gun in his home. He shot and killed himself. Two other children were in the home at the time. Police say the investigation is continuing but no foul play is suspected. Source: “Sedalia 4-year-old Dies after Accidentally Shooting Himself,” Fox 4 KC (January 5, 2021).
A pair of two-year old children were shot and critically injured today, one in Kentucky and the other in Maine. Police are investigating both incidents. In Louisville Kentucky, a two-year old girl found a gun and shot herself. She is expected to survive. Police are investigating how she got the gun. In Waterville, Maine, a …
Across the country, people young and old were injured or killed by celebratory gunfire on New Year’s morning. The incidents are too numerous to fully describe. Returning to Texas, the site of one of last year’s worst celebratory gunfire tragedies, at least four people, including a sleeping eight-year old Houston boy, were struck by celebratory …
In Richmond, Indiana, a four-year old child was flown to a Dayton, Ohio hospital after suffering an accidental gunshot wound. Police arrested 23-year-old Khylier Childress-Shelby and preliminarily charged him with possession of a handgun without a license and neglect of a dependent. Although the charges are consistent with an incident in which the child found …
In Denver, Colorado, a four-year old girl sitting in a parked car was critically injured when a nearby dispute about a car improperly parked in a handicapped space resulted in gunfire. According to police, the girl “was caught in the crossfire when the suspect left a business and started shooting at another man taking pictures …
In Las Vegas, Nevada, Jasmin Vargas was charged with two counts of “child abuse and neglect with substantial bodily harm leading to death” after she accidentally shot her 3-year old son. Vargas was a new gun owner who was showing the gun off to her friends in the parking lot of a local apartment complex. …
Children in Michigan, Indiana and Idaho died in gun accidents today. The Michigan accident occurred in Canton Township. Eight-year old Jack Bennett, an only child, died when a bullet discharged as his father was cleaning a gun. According to his mother, Tammy Snyder, “[i]t was a freak accident. It was supposed to be an unloaded …
For the second day in a row, a three-year old boy found a gun at home and shot himself. Today’s accident occurred in Isbell, Alabama. The boy was airlifted to a hospital where he is in stable condition. Authorities have not said whose gun the boy found or why he was able to fire it. …
On Thanksgiving Day, a three-year old in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan found a gun in a bedroom at his home and shot himself in the head. He is in critical condition at a local hospital. “There’s really no words to describe it in most cases like this,” said Grand Blanc Township Police Chief Ron Wiles. …
In Forney, Texas, a 14-year old boy was taken into custody after accidentally shooting and killing his 1-year old neighbor at her home. A 9-year old child was also injured. At the time of the incident, four children were in the home. No adults were present. The 14- year old was charged with ‘Unlawful Carrying …
In Columbus, Ohio, a 23-month old toddler found a loaded gun in his home and shot himself in the stomach. He was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive. Several adults and other children were reportedly in the home when the accident occurred. No arrests have been reported. Source: “Toddler Taken To …
For the second day in a row, a four-year old child was an unintended shooting victim. In Tacoma, Washington, shots were fired into the window of a home. The four-year old was the only person struck. She was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Source: Stacia Glenn, “4-year-old Girl Shot, Injured While Inside …
A four-year old North Charleston, South Carolina boy died in a gun accident today. He apparently found a loaded gun and accidentally shot himself, though few details are available. No arrests have been made, but the police continue to investigate. According to the report, “South Carolina doesn’t punish firearm owners for leaving their weapons out, …
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 …
At least three children were shot in separate gun accidents today. Two were wounded. One was killed. In Senatobia, Mississippi, a two-year old girl found a loaded gun and shot herself. She is being treated at a local hospital and is in stable condition. The incident is being reported as an “accidental discharge.” It is …
Three children under ten-years old were shot by accident in separate incidents today. Two of the incidents occurred in connection with drive-by shootings in Mississippi. In the first, in Roxie Mississippi, six-year old Robert London was killed when someone fired into his home for unknown reasons. He was hit in the head. “They went by …
An unidentified three-year old in Porter, Texas found a gun and shot himself in the chest at his own birthday party. He later died at the local fire station. The boy’s family members were playing cards at the time of the accident. The gun had fallen out of the pocket of someone present at the …
Two children under the age of five were involved in fatal gun accidents today. Details are scarce. In Adams Township, Ohio, a four year-old died at the hospital after being shot in the chest. The local Sheriff’s office confirmed that the shooting was an accident. It is not clear who fired the gun and no …
In Montgomery, Michigan, a group of curious toddlers found a loaded gun while their parents were in the kitchen making dinner. One of the kids used the gun to shoot another child, age three, in the neck and face. The three-year old was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition. The Michigan State …
Three children under age 10 shot themselves today. In Chicago, Illinois, three boys left home alone while their father was picking up their mother from the hospital found a loaded gun. One of the boys, a five-year old, accidentally shot his nine-year old brother in the head. The boy, Ashton Lipscomb, died at the hospital. …
A two-year old in Bakersfield, California accidentally shot a relative with a loaded gun he found inside his apartment. The unidentified woman is in critical condition at the hospital. “At this point, we are going through all the various interviews and still doing some follow-up investigations as far as where the gun was located, how …
Details are scarce about an incident in which 5-year old Amani Barringer was shot in the neck by her 14-year old brother with an unsecured gun. Amani was home, in Charlotte, North Carolina, with two teenagers age 14 and 15, when she was killed. The 14-year old was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter. An …
A 5-year old and a 4-year old were victims of shootings today as innocent bystanders. The 5-year old was attending a birthday party in Fresno, California when she was struck by a stray bullet fired by one of several people arguing in the neighborhood. According to the report, police do not believe that the 5-year …
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 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1-year old Zykier Young was killed inside his home by a bullet fired outside. According to investigators, the shot traveled through a window and then two walls before hitting Zykier. A Pittsburgh police press release stated, “[w]ith a police sergeant driving, two police officers held the baby in the backseat and worked …
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 …
Police in Shreveport, Louisiana are investigating an incident in which a five-year old child was accidentally shot in the leg. According to a report, the gun went off when the child jumped on a bed where the gun was placed. The child suffered non-life threatening injuries. Source: “Shreveport Police Investigate 2 Shootings Monday Night,” KTBS3 …
In Charlotte, North Carolina, 2-year old Amor Cureton shot and killed himself with a loaded handgun in a motel. His father Antonio Cureton was arrested and charged with “involuntary manslaughter, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a stolen firearm and failure to secure a firearm to protect a …
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 …
A two-year old girl who was caught in the crossfire when shots were fired is dead. A girl the police identified only as “Jo Jo” was in a car in Hammond, Indiana with her mother when the incident occurred. Jo Jo’s mother was unharmed. According to police, neither Jo Jo nor her mother had a …
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 …
A two-year old boy died in a gun accident Saturday night in Graniteville, South Carolina. He “accessed a handgun and shot himself” according to a news report. Deputies arriving at the scene “observed a complainant sitting on the ground in the roadway holding her 2-year-old son, Jamarious Rogers, in her arms.” He later died at …
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 …
A three-year old Arlington, Texas boy died today in yet another tragic gun cleaning accident. According to police, an “adult relative” was cleaning a gun when it fired and shot both the boy and the person who had been cleaning the gun. That person suffered non-life threatening injuries. The toddler died at the hospital. No …
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, …