Boy Critically Injured During Reckless Gun Play A 16-year-old boy is in critical condition after being unintentionally shot in the head by 20-year-old Joseph Hampton Roberts in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Several people were playing around with guns, pointing them at cameras and each other when the shooting occurred. Hampton Roberts believed the gun he held to …
Tag: Shooter Believed Gun Was Unloaded
TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2024
Man Killed While Filming Friend Playing with Gun In West Jordan, Utah, Dylan Douglas Miller-Mettome, 27, was accidentally shot and killed by his best friend, 29-year-old Anthony Sanchez. Miller-Mettome had started to record Sanchez on his phone, when Sanchez “pulled his gun out to be funny, not knowing it was loaded,” pointed it at Miller-Mettome, …
Adult Arrested Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) North Carolina Ohio Ongoing Investigation
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2024
Toddler Killed and Teen Injured After Shooting Themselves with Unsecured Guns Investigators believe that a 3-year-old boy in a Charlotte, North Carolina apartment, died after shooting himself in the head with his mother’s unsecured gun. The child was at home with his mother and was rushed to the hospital after the shooting but died a …
Adult Arrested Adult Death Adult Injury California Indiana Iowa No Charges Filed Ongoing Investigation Tennessee
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2024
Woman Killed, and Three Injured in Unintentional Shootings In Memphis, Tennessee, a woman was shot in a vehicle and died. Police say a man and a child were also in the car, and that the child accidentally shot the woman. The woman was a local schoolteacher. The school issued a statement saying they are “deeply …
Adult Arrested Adult Injury Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Louisiana Nevada No Charges Filed North Carolina
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2024
Toddler and Teen are Killed, and Police Officer Wounded in Unintentional Shootings In Greenville, North Carolina, Kayden Swinnely, 3, shot and killed himself after he found a loaded, unsecured gun inside his apartment. A 13-year-old had unlocked the gun safe and left the firearm where Kayden was able to access it. The two children were …
Adult Arrested Adult Death Child Injury (18 and Under) Florida No Charges Filed Pennsylvania South Carolina Tennessee
MONDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2023
Christmas Day Gun Accidents In Nashville, Tennessee, 81-year-old Johnnie Thompson was showing a friend how his Derringer pistol worked. He was fatally struck when he dropped the gun on the floor causing it to unintentionally discharge. Police don’t anticipate any charges being filed. Diego Diaz-Martinez, 31, was a guest at a Christmas family gathering in …
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2023
Woman Accidentally Shoots Friend Not Knowing Gun was Loaded A man and two women in Memphis, Tennessee, were joking around about guns and fighting, when one of the women, Tiosha Rogers, 20, accidentally shot the other woman in the chest. The man told police he had handed a loaded gun to Rogers, then heard it …
MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2023
Teen Injured After Being Unintentionally Shot By Older Brother In Maryville, Tennessee, a 15-year-old boy was treated for a gunshot wound to his arm after his 16-year-old brother accidentally shot him. At the hospital, the boy initially told police he was struck by a bullet fired in an altercation between neighbors. Police realized that wasn’t …
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2023
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 …
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2023
19-year-old Accidentally Kills Cousin with New Gun A 17-year-old juvenile was accidentally shot and killed by his cousin in Tuscon, Arizona. The shooting occurred near a medical center that went into lockdown while information was being gathered about the incident. The victim was hanging out with his cousin, 19-year-old Dadrian Daniel Torres, and some other …
Adult Arrested Adult Death Adult Injury Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Florida Minnesota No Charges Filed Virginia
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2023
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, …
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2023
Grandfather Shoots and Kills 16-year-old Grandson After Magazine is Removed Royce Osborn, 16, was accidentally shot and killed by his grandfather in Clinton, Missouri. Neighbors said that Royce lived with his mother and grandfather, 70-year-old Thomas Ribby, and wanted to have a future in law enforcement. A witness at the scene could be heard on …
Adult Arrested Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Illinois Indiana New Mexico Ohio Ongoing Investigation Tennessee Virginia
SUNDAY, AUGUST 20, 2023
Six Unintended Shootings of Children: Two Dead, Four Wounded Children playing with a gun resulted in an unintentional shooting that killed a 10-year-old girl in Roswell, New Mexico. Few details are reported other than that the incident is still under investigation. In Indianapolis, Indiana, 11-year-old Jordan Robertson was accidentally shot and killed in a home …
Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Illinois Juvenile Arrested Louisiana Maryland Ongoing Investigation South Carolina Uncategorized
SUNDAY, AUGUST 6, 2023
Boy Unintentionally Shot with a Ghost Gun and Three Other Children Wounded by Stray Bullets In Gurnee, Illinois, a 15-year-old boy is in the hospital in critical condition after being accidentally shot in the abdomen. He was in the basement with two 16-year-old friends, when one produced and discharged a semi-automatic ghost gun, unintentionally striking …
Adult Injury Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Illinois Kansas North Carolina Ongoing Investigation Utah
MONDAY, MAY 22, 2023
Four People Injured in Gun Accidents In Vale, North Carolina, 7-year-old Mai Yang’s 11-year-old brother, accidentally shot her in the face with a rifle. Mai was airlifted to the hospital and is in serious but stable condition. The children’s father, Thay Yang, explained, “[h]e didn’t realized the gun was loaded. He thought it was on …
TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2023
Deadly Accident After Cleaning Gun; Officer Injured When Backup Weapon Accidentally Fires In Columbus, Ohio, 16-year-old Elisha Judd was killed by 20-year-old Tejuan Stanley when he accidentally fired his gun striking her in the forehead. Stanley had taken apart his gun to clean it, and didn’t realize when it was reassembled that there was a …
FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 2023
14-year-old Girl Accidentally Shot and Killed by Older Sister Natavia Lewis, age 14, of Fort Worth, Texas, was accidentally shot and killed by her 21-year-old sister today. The two girls had found a gun in a closet at their home. They believed that the weapon was not loaded, but when the trigger was pulled, it …
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2023
Three People Injured When Guns Accidentally Go Off in Public Places An 18-year-old Anniston, Alabama High School student was injured by shrapnel when another student accidentally fired a gun inside the high school. The student was reportedly manipulating the gun in a backpack when it went off. The round struck the floor and the 18-year-old …
MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2023
Boy Accidentally Shot by Friend Who Didn’t Know Gun Was Loaded In Menifee, California, a 17-year-old boy was shot by his friend, Jesse Duncan, 19, during horseplay with a gun. “A preliminary investigation revealed [that four boys] were horseplaying with the firearm,” a police Captain said. “While horseplaying, and believing the firearm was not loaded, …
Adult Arrested Alcohol and Guns Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Florida Iowa Louisiana Ongoing Investigation
THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2023
Three Teens Unintentionally Injured in Shootings After a 13-year-old St Petersburg, Florida boy reported that he had been shot while riding his bike, investigating police concluded that he had accidentally shot himself instead. The boy’s injuries are not considered life threatening and police are investigating where the boy got the gun. In Alexandria, Louisiana, an …
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2023
Man Shoots and Kills Acquaintance with a Gun He Believed Was Not Loaded Frankie Morello, 22, of Chalmette, Louisiana, shot and killed an acquaintance while handling a gun that he believed was not loaded. He was arrested and charged with negligent homicide. This is yet another deadly gun accident that might have been prevented if …
Adult Injury Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Louisiana No Charges Filed Ongoing Investigation Pennsylvania
MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 2023
Woman Injured by Her Father Demonstrating How to Use a Gun Safely In Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, a man accidentally shot his adult daughter while giving her lessons in gun safety. “If you are going to use them, you should do it at a gun range, not in your own home,” the local Police Superintendent said …
SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 2023
Woman Killed by a Man Demonstrating How to Use a Gun Safely A Fort Worth, Texas woman was shot and killed today by a man who was attempting to demonstrate to her how to use a gun safely. The woman died at the scene. Based on witness statements, police found that the victim and and …
Adult Arrested Adult Death Adult Injury Arizona California Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Georgia Illinois Michigan No Charges Filed Ongoing Investigation Texas
SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2023
January 1, 2023 does not bode well for gun safety in the New Year because there were too many gun accidents to meaningfully consider, including many that appear to have resulted from celebratory gunfire. Among the reported incidents: In Van Buren County, Michigan, 62-year-old Christopher Toppenberg was charged with murder Wednesday in connection with the …
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 29, 2022
15-year-old Darrell Hobley of Miami, Florida was arrested and charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing 17-year-old Mekhi Stevenson at a gathering of kids. Hobley incorrectly believed that the gun was not loaded when it fired. According to the report, Hobley had pulled the gun to show it to other kids and was waving it …
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022
19-year old Dax Goodwin was arrested and charged with manslaughter after an unintentional shooting today in Tonopah, Arizona. According to the report Goodwin shot another teenager in the head with a gun he believed to be unloaded. The two were on a hunting trip driving in separate pick-up trucks at the time of the incident. …
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2022
Police confirmed today that the shooting death of 23-year-old Damian Gonzalez of Cape Coral, Florida, in a car was not intentional. According to the report, witness confirmed that the 18-year-old shooter did not know the gun was loaded when he pressed it to Gonzalez’s chest and pulled the trigger. The shooter, Giovanni Castro, was arrested …
Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Illinois No Charges Filed Ongoing Investigation Texas
MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2022
Eight-year-olds in Texas and Illinois were unintentionally shot and killed by young family members who were handling guns today. In Houston, Texas, an eight-year-old boy was unintentionally shot and killed by his 10-year-old sister who was handling a loaded shotgun. The family is believed to have recently moved to the Houston area from Venezuela. A …
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2022
Cesar Chavez, age 22, of Houston, Texas, believed a shotgun was unloaded when he fired it. He struck and killed his 12-year-old nephew, who was playing with a toy gun at the time of the incident. Chavez has been charged with manslaughter. Source: Moriah Ballard, “Bond Set at $100K for Uncle Who Discharged Gun at …
MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2022
Derrick Curtis, an alderman in Southwest Chicago, Illinois, shot himself in the wrist today while cleaning a gun. He is in good condition at the hospital. And in Salem Township, Minnesota, an unidentified 70-year-old man shot himself in the leg, also while cleaning a gun. According to the report, a police deputy applied a tourniquet, …
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2022
In Chantilly, Virginia, a man accidentally shot himself in the foot with his own gun Friday at a gun show. According to witnesses, the magazine had been removed from the firearm, but there was still a round in its chamber. The man apparently was unaware that the gun was still loaded. Source: “Man Accidentally Shoots …
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2022
Three people accidentally shot and killed others in gun accidents today. Each accident was caused by the shooter’s own negligence but was likely facilitated by faulty gun design. Two of the incidents occurred in vehicles. In Raleigh North Carolina, Barri Rogers, 21, was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of his friend, Ahmad …
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022
Aston Simmons, a 28-year old Apollo Beach man, was arrested after a 5-year old found a loaded gun in a bedroom and shot himself. A substantial amount of marijuana was also found at the scene. The child is in critical condition at the hospital. Simmons has been charged with unlawful storage of a firearm among …
SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2022
No charges were filed today after a West Palm Beach man claiming to have “dry-fired” a gun believing it was unloaded, shot and killed his good friend. The 25-year old victim managed to get outside before dying on the stairs. Witnesses told police that a group of six friends were gathered in an apartment when …
SUNDAY, AUGUST 21, 2022
22-year old Christopher Jordan of Fresno, California was arrested after he accidentally shot and killed his girlfriend, Deisha Guzman, age 20, at a local Hampton Inn hotel. Jordan initially claimed that he placed his gun on the bed and that Guzman had shot herself. After questioning, Jordan admitted that he accidentally fired the gun, striking …
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2022
Jesse Porter, 58, a retired Washington, D.C. police lieutenant, shot and killed Maurica Manyan, age 25, a woman who worked as a special police officer in the DC Public Library’s public safety division. Porter shot Manyan just after a police training that Porter had been conducting at the Anacostia Public Library. According to the report, …
MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2022
Dominique Poindexter, age 22, of Charleston, West Virginia was unintentionally shot and killed tonight by his friend Marcus Lee Linville. Linville, 23, is charged with wanton endangerment in connection with the shooting. Police Investigators said Linville “thought the gun was unloaded when he fired at Poindexter, shooting him in the head.” They added that Linville …
Adult Arrested Adult Death Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Juvenile Arrested Michigan Mississippi
TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2022
In Detroit, Michigan, a 13-year old playing with a gun accidentally shot and killed his 12-year old cousin, Kenyon Davis. The older boy was charged with manslaughter after the incident. “It is a sad, sad situation that could’ve been avoided if parents put away their guns,” said a neighbor. And in Rogersville, Mississippi, 20-year old …
FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2022
Austin Duhon, a Lubbock, Texas teenager was showing his friend, Christopher Stringer, a shotgun while they were watching television together. Duhon believed the gun was unloaded. Somehow the gun went off and Stringer was shot in the waist. At the time of the report, there was no update on Stringer’s condition. Source: James Clark, “Friday …
Adult Arrested Alabama Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Ongoing Investigation Texas
THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2022
A four-year old Dutton, Alabama boy accidentally shot and killed himself after apparently finding a loaded gun in an unspecified location. He was airlifted to a hospital where he died of his wound. No further information has been reported. Andre Sharp, a 29-year old Dallas man, surrendered to authorities after unintentionally shooting and killing an …
THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022
In Houston, Texas, a Texas Southern University senior was shot and killed in a gun accident today when a gun that his roommate was showing to the victim and a friend went off and struck the victim in the side. The three students believed that the gun was unloaded. No word about whether the gun …
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2022
Blake Miller, age 18, was charged today in connection with a March 12 unintended gun violence incident that allegedly occurred while Miller was showing his family’s .22 caliber rifle to his friends. The boys had had a few beers at the time of the incident. According to the report, Miller, of Omaha, Nebraska, pointed the …
Adult Arrested Adult Death Alaska Alcohol and Guns Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Louisiana Mississippi Pennsylvania
SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2022
There were at least four more serious gun accidents today, for a total of nine in two days. Several of the accidents occurred because the shooter wasn’t aware that the gun was loaded, making it unlikely that the weapons involved had a proper loaded chamber indicator, a common sense safety device. In North Pole, Alaska, …
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2022
In Denton, Texas, two friends were drinking and handling a firearm when it went off, injuring one of them. They say they didn’t know the gun was loaded. The injured friend was taken to the hospital and released. Source: Zaira Perez, “Friends Alleged Drinking, Negligence Led to Shooting at Denton Apartment,” Denton Record-Chronicle (March 2, …
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2022
Two young people, a ten-year old boy and an 18-year old girl, died in gun accidents today. The ten year-old, Charlie Patton, of Milledgeville, Georgia, died of a pellet gun wound after being accidentally shot by 17-year old Jamarius Walls, a friend of his family,. “All the evidence and witness statements we have from the …
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2022
A Houston, Texas woman is in critical condition after her boyfriend unintentionally shot her in the neck. He was playing with a gun that he did not know was loaded when it went off. No report on whether the gun had a loaded chamber indicator. At the Seventh Day Adventist Headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, …
MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2022
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 …
Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Florida Georgia Kentucky No Charges Filed Ongoing Investigation Texas
SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, 2022
Three children, aged 4, 7, and 11 were shot and injured or killed when they found loaded guns today. A fourth child, age 14, was shot and killed with a ghost gun he had built. In Lexington, Kentucky, a four-year old was injured in a gun accident that police have determined was accidental. However, the …
Adult Arrested Adult Death California Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Georgia Law Enforcement Action (At Time of Report) Texas
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2021
In North Hollywood, California, Valentina Orellana-Peralta, a 14-year old girl who was shopping for a quinceañera dress, was accidentally shot and killed in a department store dressing room when a bullet passed through a wall during a police action at the store. She died at the scene. Los Angeles police were shooting at an assault …
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2021
A teenager was killed and a young man was seriously injured today by rounds fired from guns that were believed to be unloaded. As always, this raises the question of why guns are manufactured without prominent loaded chamber indicators. Although safety protocols should always include checking the chamber for a live rounds, many gun users …
Adult Injury Alabama Child Injury (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Indiana Ongoing Investigation Tennessee Texas
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2021
In Granite Quarry, North Carolina, a middle school student shot and killed himself when he “mishandled a gun” that he thought was unloaded. At this time, the family has asked for privacy and we ask for everyone to keep the family in thoughts and prayers,” the local police chief said. “We have no further releasable …
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2021
In West Point, Georgia, a 17-year old and her 23-year sister were playing with a pistol when it fired. They didn’t know the gun was loaded. The 17-year old died of a single gunshot wound to the head. Although there is an ongoing investigation, Police have concluded that the shooting was accidental. There is no …
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2021
In Houston, Texas, a man accidentally shot his friend in the abdomen tonight while celebrating the Astros victory over the Chicago White Sox. According to the report, the celebration went “a little too far.” A group of people watching the game told police that they would dry fire their weapons whenever the Astros scored a …
Arkansas Child Death (18 and Under) Child Injury (18 and Under) Children and Guns Ongoing Investigation Utah
WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 2021
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 …
THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2021
Two children were killed in gun accidents today, a baby boy and a 16 year old. In Jackson, Mississippi, one-year old Jordan Bradfield was struck in the head by a bullet fired by a 14-year old who was handling a gun. Jordan died at the hospital. No charges have been filed. The 16-year old was …
SUNDAY, JUNE 6, 2021
In Miami Beach Florida, a Georgia woman accidentally shot her sister in the head while they were filming a video for Instagram. The sisters were riding in a Jaguar SUV at the time of the accident. The woman, Taniyria Akias Holt, age 24, was arrested “on charges of culpable negligence inflicting personal injury and improper …
SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021
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 …
THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2021
In Holt, Michigan, a woman accidentally shot both herself and her boyfriend with a single round fired from her recently purchased handgun. She had removed the magazine from the weapon and did not realize that there was still a round in the chamber. Apparently, the gun had no magazine safety disconnect. Both the woman and …
MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021
A four-year old in Columbus, Ohio was in stable condition at the hospital after rolling over onto a loaded gun on a bed in his home. A “911 caller told police that the child rolled over onto a gun that way lying on the bed, causing the gun to go off, shooting the child in …
Adult Death Child Death (18 and Under) Child Under 18 (as Shooter) Michigan North Carolina Ongoing Investigation
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2021
At a baby shower in Gaines Township, Michigan, a 26-year old man was killed when a “small cannon-like device” exploded. The man, Evan Thomas Silva, was struck by shrapnel from the explosion. He was ten to fifteen feet away at the time of the accident. The authorities are still “piecing together how the celebratory event …
TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2021
In Houston, Texas, Gerald Peavy was relaxing in his bed when he was killed by a shot accidentally fired by a friend staying in his living room. Peavy’s wife was with him at the time of the accident. The friend, Norez Hargrove, was examining a gun he had found in Peavy’s home. He told authorities …
SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 2021
In Washington Terrace, Utah, a 47-year old man and a 25-year old woman were examining a gun they believed was unloaded when it fired. Both were struck. The bullet first passed through the man’s leg, just below the knee, the Sheriff’s Office reported. It then entered the woman’s thigh where it lodged, breaking her femur …
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2021
More than a year after an incident in which University of Central Missouri University student Jeremy Allen Manley accidentally shot and killed his friend, Stephon Abron, Manley pled guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter. At the time of the incident, which occurred in University housing, Manley had been arrested but not charged. Manley told …
MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2021
In Houston, Texas, 25-year old Karina Montelongo was shot in the face when she was attempting to show her roommate how to use a gun. The roommate told officers that Montelongo was showing her a gun she owned. She had never handled a gun before and did not know it was loaded. According to the …
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2020
In what appears to be the third gun accident involving a San Antonio, Texas teenager this month, a 16-year old accidentally shot himself in the head. Two teenagers were playing with an AR-15 at the time of the accident, believing it to be unloaded. The boy was taken to the hospital with injuries that were …
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020
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. …
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2020
In Kearns, Utah, 16-year old Roman Karpunin was accidentally shot and killed by his 18-year old friend Kaden Christiansen. Christiansen was arrested and charged with a single count of manslaughter. According to the arrest report, “Christiansen told police he was ‘mimicking being a police officer and arresting’ the 16-year-old when he pulled the trigger, thinking …
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2020
In Luther, Oklahoma, a 74-year old grandmother was shot in the back and killed in an accidental shooting. Her name has not been released. According to police, five people were inside the home were the accident occurred. A family member was holding a gun that was believed to be unloaded. The gun accidentally discharged. There …
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2020
In Lincolnton, North Carolina, 18-year old Mathew Combs was arrested and charged with second degree murder after the shooting death of 13-year old Gabriel Teems. Teems was shot in the living room of his home and died at the scene. Surprisingly, Teems’ brothers rallied around Combs, a close family friend. They say the shooting was …
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020
In Okaloosa County, Florida, a 19-year old boy is under arrest for manslaughter after accidentally shooting his 21-year old friend shortly before midnight. The two men were tossing an AK-47 back and forth, believing it to be unloaded, when the 19-year old, Mathew Gunn, pulled the trigger. Hugo Sanchez, 21, died of a gunshot wound …
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2020
In Fairview Township, Pennsylvania, a 17-year old boy died in a gun accident at his home today. He was visiting with two friends, age 14 and 15, who were showing him a gun when it discharged. None of the three children apparently knew that the gun was loaded. There is an ongoing investigation. This is …
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 …
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2020
In Orlando, Florida, 20-year old Deontay Haynes was arrested and charged with manslaughter after he accidentally shot and killed his best friend. The charge is a first degree felony with the potential for up to 30-years in prison. He is being held without bail. According to police, Haynes pointed a gun that he believed was …
THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020
Two children were killed in gun accidents in their homes today. In New Haven, Connecticut, an 8-year old was unintentionally shot in the head. Police concluded that the death was accidental, but did not provide specific information about the circumstances of the accident, including whether the child shot himself. They seized a loaded handgun , …
SUNDAY, JULY 5, 2020
In Evansville, Indiana, 16-year old Rylan Conway was shot to death in an incident that occurred in a home where a group of kids were playing with a gun. The shooter, 19-year old Eriyon Gibson, says he unloaded the gun, then pointed it at Conway while they were joking around. He asserts he wouldn’t have …
SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020
In Rochester, Minnesota, a 16-year old fired a friend’s handgun at his own head, believing that it wasn’t loaded. He was injured but not killed. Would a loaded chamber indicator have prevented this accident? Source: “RPD: Teen Accidentally Shoots Himself, Not Seriously Hurt,” ABC6News (June 29, 2020).
SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020
Two men were shot and killed at gatherings today where someone present was handling a gun. One of the gun accidents occurred in Cleveland Ohio. The other was in Houston, Texas, continuing a depressing pattern of unintentional shootings in and around that city. In Cleveland, a 25-year old man was shot in the chest and …
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 …
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 …
TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2020
In another fatal gun accident, an unidentified 19-year old Goose Creek, South Carolina man is dead after he was shot inside a local home. According to investigators, the “shooter was trying to show the victim how to clean the weapon but failed to ensure the gun was empty, leading to the fatal shot.” The shooter …
THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020
19-year old Anthony Padilla, an Albuquerque, New Mexico man, accidentally shot and killed his 13-year old cousin while arming himself for protection against the Covid-19 scare. The boy, Patrick Arroyo, was shot in the torso and pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. According to a report of the shooting, “Padilla told police he was …
SUNDAY, MARCH 1, 2020
An 11-month old child in Plymouth Massachusetts was injured when a gun was accidentally fired near his home. The boy was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The boy’s neighbor, a licensed gun owner, accidentally discharged his gun, according to the local police chief. “He says he was putting a trigger guard on it, …
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2020
In Biloxi, Mississipi, Bennie Hiep Lu, a 15-year old, accidentally shot and killed another teenager. The boys were playing with a gun and Lu pulled the trigger in the belief that the gun was unloaded. Reports indicate that “Bennie has been placed under arrest and is being charged as an adult with manslaughter. … After …
MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2020
A bullet accidentally fired in Chesterton, Indiana, near Gary, passed through two adjoining apartments and narrowly missed a three-year old child. According to a police report, Samuel Duley, a 22-year old, was cleaning his rifle inside the apartment building when it went off. He had removed the gun’s ammunition clip, but “he must have spaced …
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2020
20-year old Gregory Lee Miller, Jr. of Lexington Kentucky died today of a gunshot wound. 25-year old Jaquan St. Louis has been arrested and charged with reckless homicide. According to police, St. Louis believed the gun was unloaded when he pointed it at Miller. Source: “Arrest Made in Lexington’s First Homicide of 2020, Victim Identified,” …
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019
In Buna, Texas, “a tragic end to Christmas left the town shaken.” 15-year old James Johnson was shot and killed when a 9 mm pistol was accidentally fired by his 10-year old brother. A cousin, 19, had brought the gun to Johnson’s home and the teens were passing it around, believing it to be unloaded. …
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 …
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2019
At a house party in Bedford County, Tennessee, a 19-year old man shot and killed his teenage friend, Riley Hancock, while they played with a gun. According to witnesses, the shooter thought a recently purchased pistol was unloaded and pointed it at his friend. He fired the gun, striking and killing Hancock. The 19-year old …
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 …