Valerie Arreola

In Phoenix, Arizona, 15-year old Valerie Arreola-Loya was accidentally shot and killed by a 21-year old relative who was cleaning his gun. He had removed the magazine from the gun, and then apparently believed that the gun was unloaded. The 21-year old who fired the fatal shot, Alexis Vidrio, was arrested and charged with manslaughter. …

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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 the victim. The boy who fired the gun was charged with two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, reckless discharge of a firearm and reckless conduct.

There is no report about how the boys got a ghost gun, whether they made it themselves, or whether the gun’s lack of safety features played a role in the accident.

And there are three instances of children injured by stray bullets today:

In New Orleans, Louisiana, a 3-year-old is in critical condition after being struck by a stray bullet fired by his next door neighbor. The neighbor, Javonte Shelton, 22, was inside his apartment dry firing his weapon when the gun discharged, sending a round through the wall striking the toddler who was asleep in the adjoining apartment. Shelton was charged with 2nd degree battery and obstruction of justice.

A 1-year-old child was s truck by a stray bullet in Hartsville, South Carolina, but is expected to make a full recovery. Andrew Toney, 45 has been charged in the incident and police are looking for a 19-year-old who is also allegedly connected to the shooting.

And in Germantown, Maryland, a 12-year-old girl was in her home when she was struck in the foot by a stray bullet from gunfire that erupted in her neighborhood. She was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police do not have a suspect in custody and did not release any other information.

Sources:

Hyperlinks above are to source material.

Shattered – The Gun Accident Journal

Tag: Valerie Arreola

SATURDAY, AUGUST 7, 2021