Reports of Unintended Gun Violence Collected from Media Reports Across the United States
Man Killed and Boy Injured in Unintentional Shootings In Enterprise, Oregon, Emanuel “Bill” John Ziegler was killed after unintentionally shooting himself while hunting ground squirrels. He was hunting with friends on private property when the incident occurred. And in the backyard of a home in Houston, Texas, several teenagers were playing with a gun when a 15-year-old …
Toddler and Turkey Hunter Injured in Accidental Shootings A 2-year-old in Cincinnati, Ohio, found a loaded gun on a windowsill and shot himself in the leg. He was taken to the hospital in stable condition. The stolen gun belonged to his mother’s boyfriend who is a convicted felon. The mother was charged with child endangering, …
Two People in Florida Injured in Unintentional Shootings A 12-year-old boy unintentionally shot himself in the head in Homestead, Florida. He was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition, but is expected to fully recover. It has not been determined who owned the gun, or how the boy got access to it. No one has …
One Person Dead, Two Wounded, in Gun Accidents Today According to witnesses inside a home in St. Louis, Missouri, 15-year-old Dalton Escobar-Piatcheck was trying to load a gun when it unintentionally went off striking him in the head. He was seriously injured and died later at the hospital. In the restroom of a Brunswick, Georgia …
Boy Kills Father in Duck Hunting Accident; Two Children Shoot Themselves with Unsecured Guns Police have determined that it was an accident when a 13-year-old boy fatally shot his father during a hunting trip in Dunnigan, California. They both had hunting licenses and were hunting ducks when the boy’s gun accidentally discharged. No charges will …
Eighth Grader Killed by Best Friend in Hunting Accident Cameron Connor, 13, was accidentally shot and killed by his best friend while they were hunting on a property in Santee, South Carolina. Both boys were in the eighth grade at a local private school. They played together on the school’s football and baseball teams. According …
Two Georgia Children and a Coyote Hunter Injured in Accidental Shootings A 7-year-old boy in Macon, Georgia, thought a .22-caliber handgun was an air-soft gun and accidentally shot his 12-year-old sister. The sister is recovering in the hospital. The incident is under investigation and it is unclear if anyone will be charged. Few details have …
Accidental Shootings in Mississippi Leave Three People Dead There were three accidental shootings in Mississippi today that resulted in death. Two were hunting accidents. Marcus Lowe Jr., a 19-year-old from Columbia, Mississippi was pronounced dead at the hospital after being shot in the torso in what is believed to be an accidental shooting. Though no …
Three Children Accidentally Shot on the Day Before Christmas, One Fatally Jamycah Ramone Frazier-Turner, age 12, of Birmingham, Alabama was unintentionally shot and killed today while visiting friends and family. He was handling a gun when he accidentally fired it, according to police. No information was reported about how he came into possession of the …
Man Dies in Hunting Accident In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Thomas Franklin, age 54, accidentally shot Jacob Altazan, 34, while deer hunting. Altazan died at the scene. Franklin was arrested and charged with negligent homicide. Source: “Man Charged with Negligent Homicide After Deadly Hunting Accident, BRPD Says,” wafb.com (December 24, 2023).
Two Children Killed in Unintentional Shootings Today While duck hunting with two close friends in Ashburn, Missouri, 18-year-old Trent Busch, was accidentally shot and killed. There is a continuing investigation and officials say it’s too soon to release specific details, but preliminary findings indicate this was an accident with no malicious intent. Trent was a …
Children Injured in Gun Accidents Today A 10-year-old in Toledo, Ohio, was accidentally shot by a 15-year-old and is in stable condition after undergoing surgery. The 15-year-old said he found the gun, but police say it’s unclear how he got it. He has been charged with felonious assault. While hunting rabbits in Ovett, Mississippi, an …
Men Wounded in Two Accidental Shootings When firefighters responded to a call at a shooting range in Newhall, California, they found a 34-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his chest. It is believed the wound was accidentally self-inflicted, and he was transported to the hospital. Few details have been reported as the sheriff’s department …
Multiple Accidental Shootings Today Involving Children An accidental shooting in Cleveland, Ohio, resulted in an injured 19-month-old taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound. Few details have been reported, but the child is in stable condition and a 26-year-old man was charged with child endangerment. In Mankato, Minnesota a 7-year-old boy was shot in …
Three People Dead in Unintentional Shootings Today Derrick White Jr., 16, was accidentally shot and killed inside his home in Kansas City, Missouri. His mother said he was in a back room with a friend when she heard the gunshot. Police are still investigating but they believe the shooting was an accident. Derrick’s father who …
6-year-old and Two Men Killed In Unintentional Shootings Avery Davis, a 6-year-old, was killed in a hunting accident in Cameron, South Carolina. Avery was in an elevated stand at the time, when it appears he was struck by a stray shotgun pellet fired by someone on the ground. Investigators are waiting for the coroner’s report, …
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 …
Hunter Injured in Winchester Model 94 Accident In Big Flats, New York, a 41-year-old hunter was accidentally shot in the arm and had to be airlifted to the hospital for treatment. Police determined that the rifle, a scoped Winchester Model 94, lever action 30-30, belonged to a 29-year-old man who had placed it on the …
One Killed, Two Injured in Gun Accidents David Shane Nance, 46, was killed in what appears to be an accidental shooting at a makeshift gun range in Mooresville, North Carolina. The suspected shooter and the victim knew each other. The suspect called 911 and is cooperating with deputies in their investigation. Few details are reported, …
One Dead, Three Wounded in Unintentional Shootings In Augusta, Georgia, a 4-year-old boy is in critical condition after he found a loaded gun and shot himself in the head. The boy’s mother, 35-year-old Brittany Ryans, has been charged with cruelty to children, and another son, 19-year-old Ladarion Ryans, is at large and wanted in connection …
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 …
Hunter Struck in Face by Stray Bullet A 70-year-old hunter was accidentally shot at a Walk-in Hunting Program area in Catherine, Kansas. A witness who was hunting with the victim said that someone repeatedly fired their rifle at a deer decoy that had been set up in a pasture. One of the bullets struck the …
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, …
Child Killed in Accidental Shooting and Two Men Injured During Youth Deer Hunt In Youngstown, Ohio, 7-year-old Devonte Housley Jr. was shot and killed in what police believe is an accidental shooting. Detectives are still investigating the details in the death of the boy and are not saying if he found the gun and shot …
Hunting Accidents Today: One Man Dies, and Heroic Boy is Injured In Seaboard, North Carolina, 34-year-old Chase Colas was shot and killed in a hunting accident. Few details are reported about the incident as the wildlife department continues to investigate. A friend set up a GoFundMe page and described Colas as “[g]enuinely one of the …
Two Accidental Shootings By Family Members, and Two Self-inflicted A 13-year-old was unintentionally shot with a shotgun by their 11-year-old sibling in Ashford, Alabama. The 13-year-old’s injuries don’t appear to be life threatening and they were taken to the hospital for treatment. No other information was reported. Two family member were hunting on private property, …
Man Shot and Killed While Hunting Coyotes While hunting coyotes in Hardin County, Iowa, 53-year-old Mark Arends was accidentally shot and killed. He was hunting with friends on private land and was shot around 8 p.m. Coyotes are nocturnal, so hunters often hunt them in the dark with night vision equipment. The friends were separated …
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 …
Store Employee Shot While Loading Groceries into Customer’s Car; Two Others Shot and Injured In Linden, Texas, a store employee was accidentally shot and killed while helping a customer load their vehicle. According to the report, Larry Lawrence, an employee of Crump Food Stores, placed a bag in the rear of a customer’s car near …
Accidental Shootings Leave One Dead, Five Wounded In Columbia, South Carolina, a 7-year-old girl died from what is reported as an accidental shooting. She died at the hospital from a gunshot wound to her upper body. The incident is under investigation. One child accidentally shot another in Austin, Texas. The victim was transported to a …
Two Dead, Two Injured, in Accidental Shootings A 7-year-old child shot a 5-year-old child inside a home in McKee, Kentucky today. The child died at the scene. Police said in a statement that the shooting was “accidental,” but no further information has been reported. In Gloversville, New York, Dante Edwards-Morrison, age 30, was killed accidentally …
Two Children and Two Hunters Injured in Gun Accidents A 2-year-old in San Antonio, Texas was playing with a 9-millimeter handgun when it fired, shooting them in the face. The child was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and police are continuing to investigate. Walking with her boyfriend near a middle school in Ladson, …
Fifteen-year-old Dies While Hunting Turkeys A fifteen-year-old boy who was turkey hunting in Perquimans County, North Carolina accidentally fired his rifle and shot and killed himself today. According to a spokesperson for the Wildlife Resources Commission, “[t]he 17-year-old stood up to look across a field with binoculars, and while he was standing, he heard the …
Three Unintended Gun Injuries A Memphis, Tennessee child was struck by a bullet that “fell out of the sky” today. The child’s father told Memphis Police that his son was picking up trash in the front yard, when a bullet “fell from a tree, causing his head to hurt.” The child was taken to the …
Two Kids Injured in Gun Accidents in the Same Texas County In Kaufman County, Texas, a 15-year-old was target shooting when he accidentally shot himself in the face. He was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition. It is unclear if he was being supervised at the time of the accident. Early the next morning, …
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 …
Dog Shoots Hunter by Stepping on Gun In Sumner County, Kansas, a hunter died from his injuries in a gun accident that was reportedly caused by a dog stepping on a gun. The sheriff’s office determined that “the man was sitting in the front passenger seat of the pickup when a dog stepped on the …
3-Year-Old Shot by Sibling After Finding Loaded Gun in a Drawer Two St. Louis, Missouri siblings found a loaded handgun in a dresser drawer in their home. One of the children shot the other, age 3. Police took the injured child to the hospital, where he is reported to be in serious condition. Markeith Mayo, …
A young child in Phoenix, Arizona was taken to the hospital in critical condition after shooting themselves with a gun they found in their home. In Little Rock, Arkansas, a person on the street accidentally shot themselves in the leg, but their injuries are not considered life-threatening. A Grand Rapids, Michigan man shot his gun …
40-year-old Mathew Roach of Elgin, South Carolina was killed in a hunting accident today. The circumstances of the accident have not been released. His obituary says, “Matt loved his family with all his heart. He enjoyed spending time at the ocean, saltwater fishing, golf, Gamecock football, coaching baseball, grilling, ‘playing’ guitar, dancing in the living …
When five Kansas children went hunting without supervision, one of them, Cash Stein, 15, was accidentally shot in the head. He was flown to a hospital where he underwent surgery to remove pellet fragments. Doctors are keeping him sedated to control swelling. The family said Cash and his friends have hunted together for years, and …
In Jackson, Mississippi, a game of Russian Roulette resulted in the death of 12-year-old Markell Noah. He had been originally thought missing before authorities found his body in an abandoned home. Two minors face murder charges, while an adult is facing an accessory to murder charge, authorities said. The investigation is ongoing. A newly enacted …
Easton Thom, an 11-year old boy in Green Lake County, Wisconsin, was shot and killed today in an incident that authorities have deemed a hunting accident. Thom was a middle school student. He was flown to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries. Authorities say the boy was shot in the chest …
In Winnemucca, Nevada, a 48-year-old man died Tuesday morning after being accidentally shot by his friend on a hunting trip. A preliminary investigation by Sheriff’s Deputies and game wardens determined that the man’s friend “was attempting to place his weapon into a plastic gun case attached to a[n] ATV when the rifle accidentally fired, hitting …
In Clearwater County, Idaho, a man shot and killed a woman with his AR-15 rifle. Raoel Brown, 36, claimed he was attempting to shoot an elk on his property when his girlfriend, Lanae Tackely, 38, stepped in front of the gun while he was firing. According to court records, Brown was distraught about the incident. …
In Motley, Minnesota, Jeremy Her, a 12-year old boy, was unintentionally shot and killed by his uncle while squirrel hunting on public land. He was airlifted to a local hospital but did not survive. According to a Go Fund Me page, the boy was struck in the spinal cord. Source: “12-year-old Fatally Shot by Uncle …
An Athens, Georgia woman was seriously injured when she was unintentionally shot while lying on a couch in her apartment. According to police, multiple rounds were fired in a domestic violence incident in a neighboring unit. One of the rounds apparently passed through an apartment wall and struck the woman in the back. A Vermont …
In Randolph County, North Carolina, a an 8-year old boy was struck in the head by a round fired from a 9 millimeter gun. According to the report, the boy and his grandfather were returning from turkey hunting and had placed their guns in the bed of a pick-up. One of the guns fired and …
Two children were killed and two were injured by unintended gun violence today. In Shreveport, Louisiana, 13-year old Landry Anglin was shot and killed as an innocent bystander when a round was fired from a vehicle in a rolling gun battle. Landry was a middle school student and was inside a home when she was …
Kyler Jackson, a South Bend, Indiana 5-year old was accidentally shot and killed by a 9-year old relative today. “We ask that you please respect the family,” the Police Department wrote, adding that the 9-year-old is “trying to recover from the trauma.” Additional details are not available. Colton Jon Shoemaker of Burlington, West Virginia was …
Lynette Billeter, age 58, a cherished teacher at a school in Sandy, Utah for adult special education students was shot and killed in a hunting accident today. She was returning to a utility terrain vehicle after hunting with family members when “a gun fired” and she was struck in the mid-section. First responders arrived at …
No charges will be filed after a teenage girl participating in dog drive hunt in Darlington County, South Carolina fired a shotgun round at a deer and struck an adult male who has also a participant in the hunt. The man was struck by a pellet in the torso. According to authorities, the man was …
A 12-year-old Michigan boy was seriously injured Monday when he was accidentally shot by his 17-year old brother after being mistaken for a deer. Sheriff’s deputies said the older boy was hunting from a tree stand when his younger brother came into the woods to call him to dinner. The 12-year old is in serious …
Nathan Sharpnack, age 37, was accidentally killed while hunting in Marion County, Iowa. He and a large group of hunters were engaged in a deer drive when he was shot in the torso. There is an ongoing investigation and no other details are yet available. Also today, Jordan Griffey of Clark County, Missouri, accidentally shot …
In Twilight, West Virginia, David Green, age 30, was digging for roots in the woods when he was accidentally shot by a local hunter. Search crews responding to a missing person’s report later found Green’s body in a remote area. The hunter, Jimmy Castle, age 70, subsequently turned himself in and was charged with …
A sixth grader and a 71-year old were killed today in separate hunting accidents. Both were shot by relatives. Daisy Grace Lynn George, age 11, was shot by her father in Hallsville, Texas while he was hunting with a high-powered rifle. Rescuers arrived on the scene, but rescue helicopters were grounded due to poor weather. …
A 65-year old Minnesota man was shot in a hunting accident in Northwestern Wisconsin today. Rescue workers arrived too late to revive him. No other circumstances of the accident were reported. Source: Associated Press, “Minnesota Man Dies in Apparent Hunting Accident in Wisconsin,” Fox News 11 (November 24, 2021).
In St. Louis, Missouri, a two-year old accidentally shot his father in the back with a rifle. The unidentified man, who was in his 20s, died at the scene. No further information is available. A Corry, Pennsylvania man, 64-year old Gary Hunt, was shot and killed while hunting bear with a friend. According to an …
Three common types of gun accidents were illustrated on Friday. In Meeker County, Minnesota, Mike Hendrickson, a hunter, unintentionally fired a gun into his thigh while climbing a tree stand. He was airlifted to the hospital after a tourniquet was applied at the scene of the accident. “His first surgery revealed significant loss of tissue, …
There were accidental shooting deaths today in Beaumont, Texas, where an 18-year old boy died at home and in Kansas City, Missouri, where a woman died on the street. Few details were reported. And in Clark County, Illinois, a child accidentally shot their father while the two were walking in the woods. Sheriff’s deputies called …
A hunter looking for turkey accidentally shot a woman today in Leeds, Maine “at the end of Walton Way.” It is unclear if hunting was legal in that area. The hunter remained at the scene to provide first aid until emergency personnel arrived and the woman is in stable condition at the hospital. There is …
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 …
A child, believed to be 6 or 7 years old, shot themselves in their Burbank, Illinois home today, sometime in the mid-afternoon. No details of the circumstances of the accident were released. In Milton, New Hampshire a 32-year old man was shot in the head by his 8-year old nephew while hunting chipmunks. “It’s not …
In Clendenin, West Virginia, Heather Marie Allen, age 30, was coyote hunting when she placed her loaded rifle up against her SUV. The rifle fell and discharged without a trigger pull, striking Allen in the leg. Her injuries are not expected to be life threatening. As a recent Violence Policy Center gun safety study noted, …
In Beaver Township, Ohio, police charged a hunter with “discharging a firearm near a protected premises” after a round he fired hit a man inside his home. According to the report, hunter Kasen Smith fired at a deer on protected land. The bullet passed through the wall of a nearby home and struck a man’s …
In Engelhard, North Carolina, Brandon Marshall was accidentally shot and killed while duck hunting with his son. Details of the accident were not released other than that Marshall was in a duck blind at the time of the accident and that he died on the way to the hospital. An enforcement officer with the North …
A 20-year old Arkansas hunter was killed in an accident today. Yell County deputies responded to a shooting near the Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge where the young hunter had died from a single accidental gunshot wound. No further information has been reported. Source: “20-year-old Shot and Killed in Hunting Accident in Arkansas,” KATV (January …
An 18-year old Lincoln, Nebraska man was shot and injured in a hunting accident today. Deputies said a 41-year-old man was putting a rifle in the backseat of a truck after deer hunting. The firearm discharged, went through the seat and hit the 18-year-old in the leg. The injured 18-year old suffered serious injuries but …
In Hamilton, Montana, 51-year old Steve Burgess died when a rifle accidentally discharged inside a vehicle. Burgess was on a hunting trip at the time of the accident. His companions drove to meet responders, but Burgess was pronounced dead at the scene. “The Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office offers condolences to the families affected by this …
A hunting accident in Hartford, Arkansas killed 14-year old Newt Hodge and wounded his 21-year old brother. While the boys were loading a deer they had killed into a truck, a rifle leaning on the truck fell and discharged. The bullet passed through Newt and struck his brother Kasey in the shoulder. Arkansas Fish and …
In Seward, Nebraska, a nine-year old boy died after shooting himself accidentally while pheasant hunting. According to the local sheriff’s office, the boy, Gunnar Holte, was hunting with his father. Gunnar “had fired his shotgun at a bird, then went to reload when his dad heard another shot go off, turned around and saw his …
A Cambria, Wisconsin woman was struck by shrapnel in her home and was flown by medical helicopter to a nearby hospital for treatment. According to authorities, the accident occurred as others in her home were preparing to go coyote hunting. Source: Bridget Cooke, “MedFlight Takes Woman from Cambria Residence after Accidental Shooting, Police Say,” Madison.com …
Zachary Rock, an 11-year old boy died in a gun accident in Clay Township, Michigan at a “youth deer hunting event.” The boy was shot by his stepfather and died at the hospital. While police were at the scene, the boy’s mother accidentally discharged a gun while attempting to unload it and was struck in …
In Allen County, Indiana a man shooting at a varmint accidentally struck his neighbor. Although both parties agree that the shooting was an accident, the neighbor is in serious condition at a local hospital. Source: Kayla Crandall, “County Police: Man Accidentally Shoots Neighbor,” WPTA21.com (May 21, 2020).
Another young boy, this time in Pinson, Alabama, was accidentally shot this week while turkey hunting with his father. He died at the scene. The shooting remains under investigation. The report does not specify whether he was wearing blaze orange at the time of the accident. Source: Joshua Huff, “11-year-old Killed in Apparent Accidental Shooting …
For the second time in less than a week, a child was injured in a hunting accident. A child and an adult were turkey hunting in Camp Creek State Park in West Virginia when they were injured by a shot fired by another hunter. He had “mistaken them for a turkey.” The boy suffered more …
A seven-year old boy in McPherson, Kansas was in serious-to-critical condition after he was shot in the head in a hunting accident. According to the report, “an adult hunter thought he shot at a turkey, but it was a decoy the boy was near.” The boy was taken to a local medical center. Source: “7-year-old …
A 15-year old boy was injured in Fannett, Texas when a dog jumped into his four-wheel UTV and discharged his .22 caliber rifle by knocking it over. The gun fired one round into the boy’s stomach. According to reports, this was the third accidental shooting involving a Southeast Texas teenager in less than 60 days. …
41-year old Brian McManemy of Blairstown, Iowa was shot in the leg when one of the guns in the vehicle in which he was riding discharged. He was transported to a Cedar Rapids hospital. Mr. McManemy was coyote hunting at the time of the accident. He was a passenger in a vehicle driving through a …
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources reported today that there were 11 hunting accidents across the state in 2019, including two that resulted in deaths. The year 2020, however, started badly when hunter Kim Drawdy and his 9-year old daughter were mistaken for deer on New Years day and accidentally shot by other hunters. …
Colton Williams, of Williston, South Carolina was accidentally shot and killed by his father while rabbit hunting on Thanksgiving Day. He was a fourth grade student at Kelly Edwards Elementary School. In a Facebook post, his school said: It is with great sadness that we share news of the passing of one of our beloved …
In a hunting accident in Lonoke County, Arkansas, a 13-year old boy underwent surgery after he was shot in the arm while handing his stepmother a gun as she was getting into a deer stand. Trey Reid, a spokesperson for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission said, “[i]ts disappointing. Folks weren’t following the proper safety …
The Meadville Tribune in Meadville, Pennsylvania reported today that 19-year old Jacob S. Smith accidentally shot himself to death in a hunting accident. According to the local coroner, “Smith was removing items from a hunting sled when his shotgun accidentally went off with shotgun pellets striking Smith in the abdomen.” Smith was a sophomore majoring …