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. …
Tag: Child Found Gun in Home
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2020
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. …
Adult Injury Arizona Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Idaho Massachusetts No Charges Filed Ongoing Investigation
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020
Two men and a 10-year old boy were hospitalized with wounds suffered in accidental shootings today. Very little information is available about what happened in any of the gun accidents. In Bourne, Massachusetts on Cape Cod, a man was accidentally shot while cleaning his gun. He was hospitalized in Rhode Island with non-life threatening injuries. …
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2020
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 …
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2020
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, …
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2020
In Candor, North Carolina, an 11-year old was killed in a gun accident that occurred while he was visiting a friend. The child’s name has not been released. “Investigators learned there were six children in the home at the time of the incident and were left unsupervised, while the mother was at work,” the County …
Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Children and Guns Juvenile Arrested Maryland Mississippi New York No Charges Filed Ongoing Investigation
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2020
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 …
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2020
A nine-year old and an eight-year old were killed in gun accidents today. The nine-year old shot herself with a weapon found in her Detroit, Michigan home. Two other children 10 and under were home at the time of the incident. However, no adults were present. “We are seeing this too often, please put your …
Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Michigan Mississippi Ongoing Investigation
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2020
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 …
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2020
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 …
Adult Arrested California Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Indiana Ongoing Investigation
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020
Two children were accidentally shot and killed today. In Merced, California today, a 5-year old girl was shot and killed by another child who found a loaded and unsecured gun in the home. Her father drove her to the hospital where she died. The girl’s father, Rodney Mathews, left her at the hospital and led …
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2020
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 …
Adult Arrested Adult Death California Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Ongoing Investigation Oregon
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2020
James Kenneth Lindquester, a Beaverton, Oregon three-year old, found a gun in his home and shot himself in the head. According to authorities, the loaded gun was in a bedside table. James was pronounced dead at the hospital. In Hemet California, a 75-year old woman was accidentally shot and killed by her caregiver as he …
Adult Arrested Alabama Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Illinois No Charges Filed Ongoing Investigation Uncategorized Wisconsin
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2020
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. …
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2020
There were two reported gun accidents in Tennessee today. In Crossville, a man cleaning his gun at a firepit accidentally shot himself in the thigh. He was flown by “Lifestar” helicopter to a nearby hospital. In Memphis, two young brothers found a gun and one of them was shot in the hand. The boy went …
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2020
An 11-year old in Flint, Michigan is in critical condition after a gun accident. At the time of the shooting, the boy was home alone with three other kids ranging in age from 9 to 14. Investigators have not determined who pulled the trigger. “They got a hold of a firearm that was inside the …
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2020
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 …
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2020
A nine-year old Clayton, North Carolina boy shot his two-year old sister in the head today. The girl was taken to the hospital where she is in serious condition. Police were looking into how the boy found a loaded handgun in his home. Under North Carolina law, the boy’s parents could face charges if the …
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 …
Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) No Charges Filed South Carolina Uncategorized
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2020
In Eastover, South Carolina, a 12-year old boy was showing a friend a gun that he found in his home when he shot himself in the upper body. The boy was taken to the hospital where he was treated for the wound. Police say two 12-year old boys were home alone at the time of …
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2020
For the third day in a row, a child injured himself with a gun found in his home. In this instance, it is a three-year old in Baltimore, Maryland. He was treated at the hospital for a wound to the hand. We continue to need clearer legal requirements for safe storage, better child access prevention …
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2020
Two more children shot themselves today with found guns, one in Illinois and one in Oklahoma. In Chicago, a 5-year old boy shot himself in the thigh and was rushed to the hospital after accidentally shooting himself with a gun he found in his home. In Oklahoma City, a 13-year old who was left alone …
Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Juvenile Arrested Louisiana Michigan Ohio
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2020
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 …
Adult Arrested Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Juvenile Arrested North Carolina
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020
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 …
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2020
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 …
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2020
A nine-year old Grand Rapids, Michigan boy “somehow accessed a gun” in his home and accidentally shot himself in the arm. He was taken to a hospital for treatment. No arrests were made. The Michigan Department of State Police publishes a pamphlet which says, in part: Firearm ownership carries with it a responsibility of safeguarding …
Adult Arrested Adult Injury Child Death (18 and Under) New Hampshire North Carolina Ongoing Investigation Uncategorized
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
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 …
Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Delaware Florida Ongoing Investigation
MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 2020
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 …
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2020
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 …
THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2020
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. …
TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2020
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 …
MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020
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 …
Adult Arrested California Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Michigan Ongoing Investigation
TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2020
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 …
FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2020
In Indian Head, Maryland, police are investigating a gun accident in which a 12-year old boy was accidentally killed. He and a 13-year old relative were playing with a gun in a bedroom when the gun “discharged.” It is unclear how the boys came into possession of the gun. “This is such a tragic situation …
Adult Arrested Adult Death Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Georgia Hawaii Ongoing Investigation Tennessee
TUESDAY, JULY 28, 2020
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 …
SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020
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 …
FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2020
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 …
THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2020
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, …
TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020
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 …
SATURDAY, JULY 11, 2020
In a Detroit, Michigan accident, a 13-year old boy died when he mishandled a gun. There were no adults home at the time, but another child was present. It is unclear how the boy gained access to the gun. Source: Dane Kelly, “13-year-old Boy Killed in Accidental Shooting on Detroit’s West Side,” Click on Detroit …
CHILDREN AND GUNS
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 …
MONDAY, JULY 6, 2020
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 …
TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020
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 …
Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Juvenile Arrested Missouri Ohio Ongoing Investigation West Virginia
FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020
Three young children were accidentally shot and killed today, one at his own hand and the other two by relatives. In Springboro, Ohio, a five-year old boy shot and killed himself with his grandmother’s gun. The boy’s father told police that he woke to the sound of a gunshot. In Jackson County, West Virginia, a …
SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2020
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 …
THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 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 …
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2020
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 …
MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020
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 …
FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2020
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 …
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2020
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 …
SATURDAY, MAY 30, 2020
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 …
MONDAY, MAY 25, 2020
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. …
SUNDAY, MAY 24, 2020
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 …
WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020
In Peoria, Illinois, an eight-year old boy died in an accident that, according to police, involved “children handling a gun.” Jordin Wilson was taken to the hospital after being struck with a bullet in the chest. He died while being treated. Police are continuing to investigate. Source: Andy Kravetz, “8-year-old Boy Identified in Accidental Shooting,” …
SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2020
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 …
THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020
A three-year old in St. Louis was shot and killed with a gun. Although the police did not confirm that he shot himself, they did call the shooting an accident. “This is a heartbreaking and horrific tragedy,” St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said in a statement. “It’s also a serious reminder of the responsibility that …
SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2020
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 …
Adult Arrested Arizona Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Ongoing Investigation Texas
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2020
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. …
FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2020
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 …
Adult Arrested Adult Death Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Georgia Mississippi No Charges Filed Ongoing Investigation Tennessee
THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2020
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 …
Adult Arrested Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Colorado Ongoing Investigation Texas
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2020
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 …
MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020
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 …
THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020
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).
THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020
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 …
Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) North Carolina Ongoing Investigation Virginia
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2020
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 …
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2020
In Northwoods, Missouri, a 15-year old boy accidentally shot his 12-year old sister, Nakyah Durham. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The boy was handling a firearm when it accidentally discharged. He has been arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter. Source: Associated Press, “Police: 15-Year-Old Accidentally Shot 12-Year-Old Sister,” US News and World Report …
California Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Kentucky Ongoing Investigation Oregon
TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2020
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 …
SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2020
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 …
FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020
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. …
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020
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 …
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020
A 15-year old in Houston, Texas turned himself in to police after accidentally shooting his 5-year old sister in the stomach. The accident occurred while his parents were asleep. The boy panicked and ran from the home when his parents woke up to the sound of the gunshot. The 5-year old was rushed to a …
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020
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 …
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2020
Lincoln Mack, a 4-year old boy in Pemberton Township, New Jersey, accidentally shot and killed himself today after finding a loaded handgun in his home. His parents and two siblings were in the home at the time. Lincoln’s preschool teachers described him as a “sweet and fun little boy with a smile that lit up …
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020
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. …
FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2020
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 …
Adult Arrested Alabama Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Ongoing Investigation Pennsylvania Utah
THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020
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 …
MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 2020
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 …
SUNDAY, JANUARY 26, 2020
In another fatal gun accident involving a child in Pataskala, Ohio, a town of less than 16,000 people near Columbus (see December 14, 2019), 15-year old Noah Bigham shot and killed his best friend, Hunter Cooper, a high school freshman, while attempting to distract him from playing a video game. Noah was using the laser …
SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 2020
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 …
Adult Injury Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Florida Mississippi North Carolina Ohio Ongoing Investigation Wyoming
FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2020
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 …
MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020
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. …
TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2020
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 …
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2019
A 13-year old boy was killed in Tulsa, Oklahoma while passing around a gun with his friends. The wound was self-inflicted. The gun belonged to the parents of the boy who was shot. Police say the magazine was removed, but that there was a bullet in the chamber. “Parents do not educate their children enough …
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2019
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 …
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2019
In Philadelphia, PA, a 3-year old boy shot himself in the hand after he grabbed a gun when his father opened a gun safe. He was recovering at the hospital. Source: Dan Stamm, “Child Shoots Self After Grabbing Gun from Father, Police Say,” 10 Philadelphia (December 19, 2019).
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2019
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,” …
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2019
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 …
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2019
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 …
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2019
Steven Johnston of Lincoln Park, Michigan was arraigned today on child abuse charges after his three-year old daughter, Skylar, shot herself in the head after finding his loaded gun. His family called the accident a preventable tragedy. Mr. Johnston was not home at the time of the accident. Skylar was left in the care of …
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2019
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 …