Corrections Officer Killed in Training Accident On the firing range at the prison training facility in Orient, Ohio, Lt. Rodney Osborne was killed after being accidentally shot in the chest during training. Details about the incident have not been reported, and the ongoing investigation will be carried out by the state highway patrol that has …
Tag: Police Accidents
THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2024
Police Chief Faces Discipline for Leaving Gun In Restroom For The Second Time Todd Raybuck, the Kaua’i, Hawaii police chief, is being investigated after a complaint was filed today saying that he left his duty weapon inside a police department restroom. The gun was a loaded Glock with a round in the chamber. The disciplinary …
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2024
Police Officer’s 4-year-old Son Shoots Himself with Father’s Duty Weapon The Columbia, South Carolina police department placed officer James Peter Tidot on investigatory suspension after an incident in which Tidot’s 4-year-old son shot himself in the head at a family member’s home in North Miami Beach, Florida. The investigation involves an “improperly secured and loaded …
Adult Injury Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Children and Guns Georgia Louisiana Tennessee Texas
TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2024
Three Juveniles and Police Chief Injured in Separate Unintentional Shootings In Savannah, Georgia, a 9-year-old boy accidentally shot himself. Few details have been reported, but police say the boy was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A juvenile in Nashville, Tennessee, was accidentally shot through the arm and taken to the hospital for treatment. …
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2024
Three Injured in Accidental Shootings In Cahokia Heights, Illinois, after crashing his car in a police pursuit, a man pulled out a gun while trying to flee and accidentally shot himself. State police will investigate the incident. A person was accidentally shot in the neck in an apartment in Seattle, Washington. Police found multiple people …
Adult Arrested Adult Death Adult Injury Child Injury (18 and Under) Florida Kentucky Ongoing Investigation
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2024
Reserve Deputy Dies, and Two Other People are Injured in Gun Accidents Today Marion “Scott” Fawbush, 60, a reserve deputy with the sheriff’s office in Louisville, Kentucky, died after shooting himself in the leg. Fawbush was in his car after getting off from work when the incident occurred. The accidental discharge struck an artery. Police …
MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 2024
Two People are Accidentally Shot in Separate Incidents In Coos Bay, Oregon, three men and three dogs were involved in a dispute that resulted in a dog and a man sustaining gunshot wounds. Robert Pierce, 57, shot at one of the dogs that was attacking him, hitting the dog and one of the men. The …
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2023
Self-Inflicted, Accidental Shootings Injure Two Men An investigation is under way after a police officer in Bronx, New York, accidentally shot himself in a public housing project. He was patrolling one of the buildings when his gun fired into his leg. He is expected to recover. A man tried to run from police in San …
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2023
Three People Injured in Gun Accidents During a struggle for a gun in a home in Hope Mills, North Carolina, two people were unintentionally shot. Police responded to a call of a reported break-in and found the resident with a gunshot wound. The resident said a person with a handgun broke into the home, and …
Adult Injury Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Indiana New York No Charges Filed Ongoing Investigation Texas
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2023
Five-year-old Boy Kills Himself with Unsecured Gun and Two Law Enforcement Officers Unintentionally Shoot Themselves A five-year-old boy found an unsecured gun and unintentionally shot and killed himself in Gary, Indiana. A 32-year-old man was to check in on a 17-year-old girl and the boy while adults were away. He arrived at the home after …
Adult Arrested Adult Death Adult Injury Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Kentucky Nevada North Carolina Ohio Ongoing Investigation
THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 2023
One Dead, Three Injured in Four Unintentional Shootings Kelsey Moore died from an accidental shooting in a vehicle in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Few details have been reported but the alleged shooter is in custody as the investigation continues. A two-year-old was napping in bed with his mother in Burlington, North Carolina. While she was sleeping, he …
TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2023
Three-year-old Struck by Stray Bullet, and Off-Duty Detective Accidentally Shoots Herself In Ridge, New York, three-year-old Lovely Toney was struck by a stray bullet when, according to police, a murder suspect opened fire on detectives. Police had come to an apartment looking for the suspect Gary Jones, and when Jones fired at detectives, three rounds …
Adult Injury Alabama Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Kentucky North Carolina Ohio Ongoing Investigation Texas Washington, DC
TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2023
Six Unintentional Shootings Today Malachi Hagan Moses, a 12-year-old from Corbin, Kentucky died after a weapon discharged in the bedroom of a residence, striking him in the stomach. An autopsy was conducted and there is an ongoing investigation into the middle schooler’s death. An 8-year-old girl in Fayetteville, North Carolina, is in critical condition after …
Adult Death Adult Injury Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Illinois Indiana Juvenile Arrested No Charges Filed Ongoing Investigation Pennsylvania Tennessee Virginia
MONDAY, JULY 24, 2023
Five Unintentional Shootings: Three Involving Teens, Two Involving Security Personnel; One Dead, Four Injured Yoel Lopez, 21, was unintentionally shot and killed by 18-year-old Josue Cruz in Nashville, Tennessee. Lopez was in a parked car with his cousin and Cruz, when an AR-style pistol that Cruz was playing with, went off, striking Lopez. Cruz fled …
Adult Arrested Adult Death Adult Injury Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Hawaii Idaho Ohio Ongoing Investigation
WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2023
Two Dead and One Wounded in Shooting Accidents Maden Thapa, a 30-year-old Columbus, Ohio man, was unintentionally killed in his truck by another man who was handling a gun. According to the report, 25-year-old Lok Nath Acharya, had been alerted to the presence of the gun in a bathroom at a local newsstand. He removed …
Adult Death Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Michigan Mississippi No Charges Filed Ongoing Investigation
SUNDAY, JUNE 11, 2023
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, …
Adult Injury Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Children and Guns Law Enforcement Action (At Time of Report) Mississippi No Charges Filed Ongoing Investigation Texas
THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2023
Six-year-old Shoots Sister While Looking for Candy; Deputy’s Rifle Discharges While Executing a Warrant In Marion County, Mississippi, a 3-year-old was unintentionally shot in the head by her 6-year-old brother. During the investigation, the sheriff’s office learned that the boy came across a loaded firearm while looking for candy in their grandmother’s bedroom. The victim …
Adult Injury Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Juvenile Arrested Louisiana Ohio Ongoing Investigation Texas
THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2023
Three More Unintended Gun Injuries In Shreveport, Louisiana, a 6-year-old girl was rushed to the hospital after being hit by a stray bullet. Her condition is described as “life-threatening.” She was playing in her front yard when the occupants of two vehicles began shooting at each other as they traveled down her street. Describing it …
Adult Arrested Adult Injury Child Death (18 and Under) Kentucky Ongoing Investigation Tennessee Virginia
FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2023
Three Gun Accidents, Including a Fatal Shooting While Middle Schoolers Were Filming a Video with Guns as Props A 13-year-old seventh grader in Richmond, Virginia was killed inside a local home while filming a video with friends. The children were using guns as props to film the video when one went off. Local authorities are …
Adult Arrested Adult Death Adult Injury Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Georgia Louisiana Massachusetts Missouri No Charges Filed Ongoing Investigation South Carolina
SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2023
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 …
Adult Arrested Adult Injury Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Missouri Montana New Jersey No Charges Filed Ongoing Investigation
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2023
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, …
Adult Injury Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Florida Mississippi Missouri No Charges Filed Ongoing Investigation Pennsylvania
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2022
A child in Springfield, Missouri died today in an unintentional shooting, but few details have been reported, including the circumstances of the accident. Not even the child’s age is available. A neighbor said, ”[m]y kids play with their kids, and I’m just glad my kids weren’t over there because an accident could happen to anybody.” …
MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2022
A Zebulon, North Carolina police officer shot himself Monday night during an attempt to arrest a suspect in Wake County. Zebulon Police say that Officer Colby James responded to a suspicious car at Zebulon Community Park. The suspect, 51-year-old Deserie Byrum, was subject to an outstanding county warrant. When James tried to arrest her, Byrum …
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2022
One of the police officers conducting a “welfare check” on a Hobart, Wisconsin resident, accidentally shot himself in the hip while attempting to subdue the man. The incident occurred alongside a highway and closed down all eastbound lanes. The man had pulled over on the side of the road where the incident occurred. The officer’s …
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2022
In a Brevard County, Florida incident that is being reported as an accidental shooting, one sheriff’s deputy shot and killed another while the two were playing the video game Call of Duty. According to the report, Deputy Andrew Lawson, 22, pulled the trigger twice on a Glock pistol while aiming it at his roommate, Austin …
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2022
Local authorities in Haralson County, Georgia announced that detention officer Daniel Salazar was killed by an accidental shooting in his home. The details of the accident were not released. “Daniel was a good officer,” the Sheriff said. “He did his job well. He would jump in and help when needed and always had a smile. …
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2022
Lorenzo Morgan, a Colton, California police officer, accidentally shot and killed himself in a vehicle while off duty, the sheriff’s department announced. The specific circumstances of the incident have not been reported. “No foul play is suspected in the shooting and it is believed this was a tragic accident,” the Sheriff’s Department statement said. Morgan …
MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2022
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 …
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2022
In Detroit, Michigan, a police officer firing at a dog missed the dog but struck his partner in the leg. The injured officer was taken to the hospital where he is in stable condition. Source: “Detroit Police Officer Hurt in Accidental Shooting by Partner,” Fox 7 (September 18, 2022).
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2022
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 …
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2022
Police are investigating an incident in which an off-duty Harris County, Texas sheriff’s deputy accidentally shot himself in the chest in his home. No details of the incident have been reported and the deputy’s name has not been released. Source: “Off-duty HCSO Deputy Accidentally Shoots Himself in the Chest at Magnolia Home, Officials Say,” khou.com …
MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2022
A Philadephia, Pennsylvania FBI agent suffered minor injuries when his gun discharged on the loading dock of the local federal building. In the statement, the FBI said, “The FBI takes all shooting incidents involving our agents or tasks force members seriously. In accordance with Bureau police, the shooting incident is under investigation by an FBI …
FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2022
In an episode apparently involving celebratory gunfire during fireworks, an 18-year old was struck by a falling round in a Seattle, Washington park. The teen’s injuries were not considered life-threatening. A Brownsville, Texas police officer shot himself in the foot during a “SWAT competition”. The competition involved a hostage rescue, sniper spotter and a team …
TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2022
In Piqua, Ohio, three police officers returning from the range after qualifying with their service weapons were struck by shrapnel when a gun discharged while it was being cleaned. All three officers were taken to the hospital. The officer who was cleaning their gun apparently did not know the gun was loaded. According to the …
Adult Arrested Adult Injury Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Juvenile Arrested Kentucky Michigan Ongoing Investigation Pennsylvania South Carolina Wisconsin
SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2022
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 …
Adult Death California Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Massachusetts Tennessee Texas Virginia
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2022
Gun accidents occurred all over the country today. In Henrico, Virginia, a 7-year old found his father’s loaded gun and shot himself. His injuries are not considered life-threatening. The boy’s father, Landin Lewis, Sr., was arrested and charged with allowing his son to access the gun. In Somerville, Massachusetts, a police officer shot himself while …
Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) North Carolina Ongoing Investigation Texas
MONDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2021
A Jacksonville, North Carolina police officer accidentally shot his 15-year old son in the head. The injury is considered life-threatening. Reported details are scarce other than a statement that preliminary indicators suggest that the shooting was accidental. There is an ongoing investigation. Tiffani Tant, age 18 of Gladewater, Texas was accidentally shot and killed by …
Adult Injury Alabama Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) New Hampshire New Jersey Ongoing Investigation
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021
For the second day in a row, a law enforcement officer was shot in a training accident. A correction officer requalifying on her weapon at a training facility in Cedar Grove, New Jersey was reportedly struck in the buttocks when her weapon misfired. Her name was not released and she is expected to be OK. …
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2021
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a two-year old boy found a gun next to a bed in his home and shot himself in the stomach. The bullet exited through the boy’s back. The boy’s parents drove him to hospital, where he is listed in stable condition. “Yet another one of our precious children has suffered a critical …
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2021
An off-duty Upper Marlboro, Maryland police officer accidentally shot herself while reporting to a purported crime scene. Following the accident, she was taken to the hospital for surgery and is now in stable condition. According to the report, she responded to an argument at a local barbershop and believed there was a robbery in progress. …
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2021
A Chicago, Illinois police officer, engaged in a struggle with an unarmed suspect, accidentally fired his service weapon and struck two other officers. One was shot in the arm and the other in the shoulder. Both officers are reported to be in good condition. A gun was later found in the suspect’s car. Source: Charlie …
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2021
A Louisville, Kentucky police officer who was cleaning his service weapon in the property room at the station accidentally shot himself in the stomach. He is recovering at the hospital according to the report. Query whether the officer’s gun was a Glock or a similar pistol that requires a trigger pull as part of the …
SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 2021
Whitney Cloud, a Tallahassee, Florida corrections trainee was shot and killed in a gun accident during firearms training. She had been with the Department of Corrections since June. “We are absolutely devastated by the loss of Officer Whitney Cloud,” said a corrections official . “As a newly hired officer trainee, Officer Cloud vowed to make …
TUESDAY, JULY 20, 2021
In Westport, Massachusetts, an off-duty police officer shot himself in the thigh with a .40 caliber round while training with his gun at a local firing range. According to the report, the incident occurred while he was “putting in or taking his gun out of the holster.” The officer’s injury was described as “minor” but …
Adult Injury California Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) New York No Charges Filed Ohio Ongoing Investigation
SUNDAY, JUNE 27, 2021
In Manhattan, New York, a newly commissioned off-duty New Jersey trooper accidentally fired a round on a Penn Station train platform while adjusting his holster. He shot himself once in the leg and was treated at the hospital. No word about whether the gun had a manual safety and whether it was deployed. There …
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 2021
In Surry County, North Carolina, two Sheriff’s deputies were injured due to “accidental discharge of a firearm” during a training exercise at a local firing range. Both deputies were treated for minor injuries and the Sheriff’s department has opened an internal investigation. Source: Paul Choate, “2 Surry County Deputies Injured by ‘Accidental Discharge of a …
MONDAY, MAY 17, 2021
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 …
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021
In Fort Wayne, Indiana, an Indiana State trooper called in a report of a gun accident at his own home. According to the report, the trooper, who was on duty at the time, was notified of an accident involving a 6-year old child. He reported it to authorities and responded personally. The trooper took the …
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2020
In Batavia, New York, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were qualifying at the local shooting range when one person was accidentally shot in the leg. The local Sheriff’s department is investigating. Source: Scott Desmit, “Person Shot in Leg at Emergency Training Center,” The Daily News (October 22, 2020).
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2020
Twice today, a gun accidentally discharged in public, injuring four people. In both cases, a loaded gun was discharged inside a place of business while being carried by its owner inside his pants pocket. In Camden, New York, at the Grape and Grog restaurant, a police deputy accidentally discharged one round from his gun while …
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2020
Two people were injured today when guns were accidentally discharged. In each incident the victim was not in the room where the gun was fired. At John Wayne airport in Orange County, California, a sheriff’s deputy accidentally fired his service weapon at 7 AM this morning. The round penetrated a wall and hit an airport …
TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020
In Ottumwa, Iowa, Brian Rainey, an off-duty deputy sheriff for the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed in a gun accident. Authorities say he was shot in the torso. According to the Ottumwa police, the shooting was accidental. They have not said who fired the gun that killed Rainey. Other details of the …
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2020
For the second time this week, a Los Angeles County police officer accidentally shot and injured another officer while responding to a problem involving the mental health of a resident. In this incident, the call involved a suicidal man armed with a pair of scissors. The responding officers apparently drew guns to fend off a …
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 …
MONDAY, MAY 18, 2020
Police accidents are sometimes reported with a remarkable lack of agency. Here is the entire substance of the report: “An officer is hospitalized after he shot himself in the leg while he was off-duty in west Houston, according to the Houston Police Department. Authorities say his gun went off, and the officer was shot in …
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2020
In Edinburgh, Indiana, a police officer who was cleaning a personal weapon accidentally shot his wife in the leg. According to investigators, he did not know that there was a round in the chamber. The woman is in stable condition at a hospital in Indianapolis. Officers are trained to be careful when cleaning their weapons …
FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2020
In another accident involving a police officer, this time in Detroit Michigan, an officer shot herself at police headquarters. She was taken to the hospital where she was listed in serious condition. Compared to most American gun owners, police officers undergo significant firearm safety training. Even with training, accidents frequently occur. Police, for their own …
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020
In Bryan, Texas, two police officers were injured when a gun “accidentally went off” at the police station. Both officers were taken to the hospital, treated and released. A release issued by the Bryan police department says that an administrative review of policies, procedures, and training will take place to determine what can be done …
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020
The Police Chief in Magnolia, Arkansas, Todd Dew, was accidentally shot by a fellow officer while attempting to serve a warrant on a man who had violated the terms of his probation. According to a statement, the officers were entering a home when the gun went off and struck the Chief in the back. Chief …
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2019
A Davie, Florida police officer shot himself in the hand while attempting to shoot at a dog that was charging at him. The dog was grazed by the bullet and is said to be OK. Source: “Davie Officer Shoots Himself While Attempting to Shoot Charging Dog,” 7 News Miami (December 20, 2019).
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2019
A 15-year old Jasper, Georgia boy was struck by shrapnel at a Walmart when Pickens County Sheriff Donnie Craig’s pistol accidentally discharged during a “Shop with the Sheriff” event at the store. The boy’s injuries were minor. According to the Sheriff’s office, the gun was in the sheriff’s waistband went it went off. The bullet …
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2019
A Waycross, Georgia police officer was suspended for 84 hours after he accidentally discharged his gun inside his apartment. The fired round passed through an apartment wall into the living room of his next door neighbor and then through two additional walls in that apartment. Two children were playing in the living room at the …
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019
In Detroit Michigan, a 20-year old woman was seriously injured when she was accidentally shot by an off-duty police officer while the two were sitting together in a car. According to a preliminary investigation, the officer was moving her weapon when it discharged, striking the other woman. The officer told investigators that the gun accidentally …