Gun Fail

Sat Jun 08, 2013 at 02:20 PM PDT
GunFAIL XXI

This week's compilation includes: six concealed carry ninjas who accidentally shot themselves; four cops who shot themselves (including two local chiefs of police); one gun store owner (i.e., a civilian "gun expert"); one person who shot themselves supposedly teaching another person how to shoot safely; two people cleaning loaded guns (and one who claims he was cleaning it, but sounds like he really wasn't); four kids shot by other kids and one adult shot by a 4-year-old; two pre-schoolers who shot their own fingers off; three home invasion shootings, plus one accidental shooting of someone on an adjacent property and one shooting inside of a single house, but between floors of that house; two gun carriers who accidentally discharged their weapons while out shopping among the public they were making safer, and; 14 kids accidentally shot, aged 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 10, 12, 13, 13, 14, 16, 16, 17 and 17. Six of those kids were killed.

Stories of note would have to include that of the 19-year-old man who killed his 13-year-old step-sister on her birthday, while handling an AK-47 in which he "forgot he had a loaded magazine." And the 16-year-old shot by his 15-year-old friend while "playing a zombie game." And the 4-year-old who killed his father, having found an unsecured gun in the friend's home the two were visiting. This one highlights the need for more universal gun safety precautions. Most parents probably wouldn't think about how any guns are stored in homes they're visiting, nor risk insulting their hosts by asking.

In a similar vein, the owner of the gun involved in the fatal shooting of a 10-year-old boy in San Diego this week insisted that it had been stored unloaded and separately from the ammunition, both of which had been hidden from his children. But hiding guns isn't the same thing as securing them. If you're depending on just not being inquisitive enough to find them, you might be kidding yourself. And if you're depending on them being disciplined enough not to touch them if they find them, how much do you know about the kids they play with, and how much faith have you got in them?

One story not so easily categorized as classic #GunFAIL, but of interest nonetheless is that of the stolen gun sales ring broken up by police at Martin County, Florida's ... Community Christian School. Of particular note here: "Investigators went to the school and following several interviews, determined that one student had burglarized a home on six different occasions and stole five weapons from a safe."

Here's some interesting follow-up from previous #GunFAIL episodes that show an interesting contrast. During the past week it was announced that suspects in two accidental child shooting cases, both from Oregon, would face no charges. The first involved a 4-year-old who found a gun and shot himself, and the second, an adult male who accidentally shot his girlfriend's 9-year-old daughter while practicing quick draws with a loaded pistol. By way of contrast, there was a third case resolved this week, involving a Minnesota father whose 4-year-old found his gun and killed his 2-year-old brother. No charges in the first two cases, but a guilty verdict and the possibility of 10 years in prison in the third.

Finally, one other story worth noting: the 69-year-old member of the St. Charles Sportsman's Club in Blackberry, IL, who accidentally discharged his shotgun inside the clubhouse, injuring 10 fellow club members. That's gonna be a tough one to explain come membership renewal time.

And now, below, this week's compilation.

1.     BRIDGETON, NJ, 3/16/13: An old piece of #GunFAIL business that originally escaped notice was just resolved with an arrest. A Fairfield Township man faces weapons charges after police said an investigation revealed that he accidentally shot himself with an illegally modified rifle in March, according to reports. The incident was first reported to New Jersey State Police on March 16, when Bruce Bartley Jr. checked into Inspira Health Center Bridgeton with a gunshot wound to his leg. Apparently, the guy told cops he was shot at a party in Fairfield, then changed his story and admitted he was shot at a party in Bridgeton. What difference that could have made in his mind is anyone's guess. But given the fact that he was shot pulling .22 rifle that he had sawed down to handgun length out of his pants, lying to the cops wasn't even the dumbest thing he did that night, so we'll give him a pass on that part.
2.     BROOKLYN, NY, 5/12/13:  Johnson was arrested just three weeks ago after accidentally shooting himself in the leg with a .22-caliber semiautomatic pistol on Sutter Ave. in East New York. Johnson threw the illegal gun to the ground after it went off during the May 12 incident, according to court papers. “I shot myself in my leg,” the boneheaded gunman told cops, according to court documents. “This is the first time I’ve been shot. I keep the gun in my pocket because the gun is small.”
3.     COLUMBUS, OH, 5/28/13: An old shotgun accidentally went off inside a storage unit on Sinclair Road at 9:30 p.m. May 28. Damage was set at $300.
4.     BALTIMORE, MD, 5/28/13: A White Hall couple who discovered a fired bullet near where their son sleeps a week ago has finally learned how it got there, and they're crediting good detective work for the answer. Baltimore County detectives spent several days examining the bullet's entry angle and possible trajectory. They pinpointed an area about a mile to the northeast and went door-to-door in the next neighborhood, asking if anyone was shooting guns that day. Police said a 19-year-old man at a house on White Hall Road admitted to accidentally firing a bad shot during target practice in his back yard. The bullet somehow made it through about a mile's worth of thick woods and went into Colin's room. Police said they don't plan to charge the shooter, and the Harris' said that's fine with them. They said they understand that they live in an area of the county where target practice is legal and enjoyed by many.
5.     FEDERAL HEIGHTS, CO, 5/31/13: A 28-year-old Federal Heights man has been arrested after he allegedly shot his 5-year-old daughter in the leg by accident late Friday night, police say. Julian Montoya has been arrested in connection with the shooting. Federal Heights police were called at 11:30 p.m. to a home on the 2000 block of West 91st Place. It was reported that the shooting happened outside a home in the yard. But when officers arrived at the home, they were unable to find the suspect and victim initially. They were later able to locate Montoya and his daughter. The father had negligently discharged a firearm, striking the child.
6.     LAREDO, TX, 5/31/13: A 19-year-old man was hospitalized in critical condition following an accidental shooting early Friday in the Santo Niño neighborhood, according to Laredo police. Authorities identified him as Alfonso Cuellar. At 1:30 a.m. Friday, Laredo Police Department officers responded to a call reporting a man with a gunshot wound to the neck in the 3200 block of Chestnut Street, south of Pine Street.
7.     GLASGOW, KY, 5/31/13:  On Friday, May 31 at 6:57 PM, Kentucky State Police Post 3 Bowling Green says it received a call from the Barren County Correctional Center stating that Metcalfe County Deputy Sheriff Joshua Neal, 25 of Edmonton, was in the sally port of the jail and accidentally discharged his agency issued firearm. KSP says the bullet struck the right leg of Deputy Neal.
8.     COLUMBUS, GA, 5/31/13: No one was injured late Friday after a pistol accidentally discharged at Plato’s Closet in Columbus, police said. Police said the gun fired about 7 p.m. inside the 5592 Whitesville Road business that buys and sells gently used clothing to young people. The shot caused an estimated $100 in damage at the business.
9.     WASHINGTON, NH, 5/31/13: Police Chief Steven Marshall is on administrative duty after accidentally shooting himself in the hand Friday. “I didn’t pay attention to detail and did not clear the chamber out of my gun,” he said. The shooting happened in the police station at about 7:30 p.m. Friday night, he said. He had been target shooting earlier that day and was back at the police station cleaning the Glock 40-caliber handgun he had been shooting, but did not realize the gun magazine had an unfired bullet. In cleaning the gun he had it pointed away from himself and released the trigger and the bullet fired. Marshall said he is not sure the bullet went through is hand, the explosion of gases that occurs that close to the barrel of the gun burned and “filleted” his hand, he said. “The majority of the injuries was from the gases exploding,” he said.
10.     SHREVEPORT, LA, 5/31/13: A Shreveport man is facing charges after allegedly shooting himself but telling police a different story. According to reports, Shreveport police were called to LSU Hospital late Friday night where they found Corwin White, 21, of the 6600 bblck of Quilen Blvd., with a gunshot wound to the upper right groin. White told officers he was shot as he was walking away from the Raceway and claimed to have fired four shots after an unknown man pulled a gun during an argument, reports said. Detectives determined that White shot himself while pulling his gun from the waistband of his pants, reports said.
11.     WICHITA, KS, 6/01/13:  A 14-year-old boy is dead following an accidental, self-inflicted shooting Saturday morning in south Wichita. It happened around 7:30 a.m. in the 1400 block of West Dallas Street, near Pawnee and Seneca. A 911 dispatch supervisor said a firefighter called to report finding his grandson wounded in the yard outside his home. The teen was pronounced dead at the scene. Initial reports from dispatch called the incident a suicide, but authorities are now calling the shooting "accidental."
12.     FT. WAYNE, IN, 6/01/13: Good news/bad news. Authorities have released the name of an 18-year-old shot to death Saturday night while trying to rob a man outside a south-side apartment house. Jaquese N. Dandridge was armed with an airsoft handgun when he and another teen approached the man, a resident of the apartment house at West Packard and South Wayne avenues, Fort Wayne police said. Dandridge, a city resident, got into a struggle with the man on or near the front steps of the building. The man drew his handgun and shot Dandridge several times, killing him. In the process, the man shot himself in the foot and received a minor wound, police said.
13.     LEBANON, NH, 6/01/13: A Florida man was found with a firearm and ammunition at the Lebanon Municipal Airport on Saturday, but was ultimately allowed to board his scheduled flight to Boston. Lebanon Interim Police Chief Gary Smith declined to release the man’s name but said he was in his late 60s and had driven to the Upper Valley from Williston, Fla. Smith said the man explained that he had forgotten he had the gun, as well as a clip of ammunition, in his bag. After making sure the gun was legal and confirming that the man had a concealed weapon permit in Florida, Smith said Lebanon police were satisfied that he had not broken any laws.
14.     PAYSON, AZ, exact date unknown: Scott Helmer of Rim Country Guns said he was looking over a .25-caliber Walther pistol he had purchased at an estate sale when he accidentally fired a bullet into his thigh. The bullet exited his calf and remarkably didn’t hit any bones or cause serious damage. He says he was sitting at his desk and looking over the pocket gun when he made a crucial mistake. He pulled the slide back and when he did not see any bullet assumed it was unloaded, leaving the magazine in. He pulled the trigger and nothing happened. He pulled the slide back again and fired. This time, the gun went off, striking his leg.
15.     RANCHO TEHAMA RESERVE, CA, 6/02/13: A Tehama County man who told deputies he was teaching his wife how to shoot a pistol accidentally shot himself Sunday afternoon. Leonel Barajas, 35, suffered a gunshot wound to his lower leg. Barajas told deputies he was walking with the pistol at his side when he may have stumbled, causing him to pull the trigger, investigators said.
16.     LEHIGH ACRES, FL, 6/02/13: A 16-year-old was accidentally shot in the leg Sunday when a group of juveniles began shooting off guns during a party in Lehigh Acres. Lee County deputies were called to the 4900 block of Barth Street at 2:12 a.m. Sunday, according to a sheriff’s office report. Deputies found a 16-year-old male lying on the sidewalk, bleeding from the lower left leg. The victim told deputies he was at a party with a large group of juveniles on Barth Street, when everyone went outside behind the house because they thought the party was ending. Several males who attended the party began shooting their guns off into the air and ground. The victim’s friend was attempting to remove what appeared to be a .40 caliber Glock handgun from his pocket, when the gun accidently went off and a bullet struck the victim. The victim was adamant that the shooting was an accident, according to the report.
17.     SALEM, OR, 6/02/13: Police say alcohol was involved in a shooting early Sunday morning when a 23 year-old man shot himself in the head at Orchard Park Apartments. Alfredo Bosquez, 23, was allegedly playing with a loaded handgun when it discharged inside an apartment on Kacey Circle NE. The shot hit Bosquez in the head but Salem Police Lt. Dave Okada said the bullet didn’t hit anything vital.
18.     ALTOONA, FL, 6/02/13: A Lake County man and woman have been arrested after a 4-year-old boy shot off a portion of one of his fingers. After arriving at the hospital’s emergency room, deputies learned that the boy had shot off a portion of his left ring finger with a handgun that was apparently kept in a home located at 45910 Georgia Rd. in Altoona. Investigators said the boy told the deputy at the hospital that he knew the gun was located in the couch because he had seen an adult in the home place it there the night before. The child told the deputy that he took the gun from the couch and went outside with it which is where it went off. The child was later transported to Florida Hospital South in Orlando, where his entire finger was amputated. He should be able to go home Tuesday.
19.     ROCHESTER HILLS, MI, 6/02/13: Oakland County Sheriff's deputies responded Sunday to Crittenton Hospital in Rochester Hills to investigate a shooting incident in Rochester Hills that hospitalized a man, according to an incident report. The man told deputies the injury occurred because of an accidental discharge of a handgun at the 1000 block of Clear Creek in Rochester Hills, the report indicated. He told deputies the gun had discharged when he was handed the gun by his brother. The gunshot victim, a 26-year-old Sterling Heights man, told police the incident was an accident and did not stem from a physical altercation.
20.     LELAND, NC, 6/02/13: Beatrice Meshaw figures that God wasn’t quite ready to take her on Sunday. Meshaw had been sitting at her computer desk in the bedroom of her Brunswick Forest home about 4 p.m. Less than five minutes after she moved to the living room, a rifle bullet passed through a window. If Meshaw had been at her computer, the bullet likely would have struck her in the chest. The bullet was one of three that have hit homes on Lillibridge Drive since late April. Another gunshot passed through a shrub, according to a resident who saw it while sitting outside. Leland police say the bullets are coming from a strip of land owned by Mallory Creek Land and Timber Inc., between Mallory Creek and Brunswick Forest, and landing in the Jefferson Landing neighborhood. All of the incidents have occurred on weekends, and most of the gunfire has taken place on Saturdays. “I don’t think it’s anything intentional,” said Mike James, Leland’s chief of police. “I don’t think the people that are shooting realize they’re that close to houses, about 1,000 yards.”
21.     BLOUNTVILLE, TN, 6/02/13: A gun discovered in carry-on luggage going through security at the Tri-Cities Regional Airport led to charges on Sunday. 61-year-old Lee R. Osborne is charged with possession of handgun prohibited. We've learned authorities found the gun Sunday morning around 7:45. Airport police were alerted after a loaded .357 revolver was found in his bag.
22.     DAYTON, OH, 6/02/13: A man turned in a handgun to police that he found in a field near a Dayton elementary school. According to a police report, the man was walking home from playing basketball at the courts on Kings Highway behind Rosa Parks Elementary School Sunday evening when he saw the gun lying in the grass. He told police that he tossed his towel over it and then picked it up and called police to come get it. According to the report the gun was loaded. It was a SIG SAUER P250 9mm.
23.     PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP, MI, 6/03/13: A man accidentally discharged his gun while in a parked vehicle Monday morning and he suffered a non-life threatening wound. The 25-year-old Pittsfield Township man was transported to a local hospital for treatment, according to the Pittsfield Township Department of Public Safety. Police say the accidental shooting occurred at about 2:27 a.m. Monday while the vehicle he was in was in a parking lot at 4150 Ellsworth Road. After he was shot in a non-vital area, a friend was able to get him to the hospital and police learned about what happened after he arrived there.
24.     KNOXVILLE, TN, 6/03/13: Knoxville police said a teenage boy is recovering after he accidentally shot himself with a stolen pistol in South Knoxville Monday afternoon. Officials said the incident happened shortly before noon in a courtyard in the 4600 block of Joe Lewis Road. Deputies said the 17-year-old boy shot himself in the leg with a stolen 45 caliber pistol.
25.     DANVERS, MA, 6/03/13: One male patient was transported to the hospital Monday evening after he accidentally shot himself in the leg with a gun. Initial reports shortly after 5:30 p.m. said there was "severe bleeding" and multiple emergency crews would be dispatched. Acting Fire Lt. David Morin said Engine 2 responded to the scene at Shady Oaks Trailer Park, which is located at 103 Newbury St., along with Danvers police, Lyons Ambulance and Atlantic Ambulance. Morin said the man, whom he described as middle-aged, told first responders he was alone inside his trailer cleaning his gun when the accident occurred.
26.     FT. SMITH, AR, 6/03/13: A 16-year-old boy was hospitalized Monday afternoon when police say he was accidentally shot by his 15-year-old friend while they were playing a game inside a house. Trevor Hargrove was transported by emergency medical crews to a local hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, according to the Fort Smith Police Department. The shooting occurred at 1:43 p.m. at 3818 Massard Road in Fort Smith. Police said Nico Sanders was playing a zombie game inside the house with his twin brother Marco and their friend Trevor. Trevor pointed an empty bow at one of the twins, and Nico obtained a .40-caliber handgun from his mother’s night stand drawer and started playing with it, according to Fort Smith police. Nico pointed the weapon at Trevor and fired it, after which a bullet struck Trevor in the upper torso near his shoulder, police said.
27.     ELBA, AL, 6/03/13: Elba Police and Coffee County Sheriff Deputies are on the scene of a gunshot death in Elba Police jurisdiction. The shooting death is on highway 189 South like you are going from Elba towards Kinston. The scene is reported to be outside the city limits of Elba but in the Police jurisdiction. Elba Rescue is on the scene. The person is deceased on the scene. Reports are a 17 year old was reported UNCONFIRMED to have been playing with a gun and died of an accidental gunshot wound.
28.     BENTON, LA, 6/03/13: A 3-year-old boy is at LSU Hospital after being shot with a .22 rifle in a North Bossier Parish home Monday afternoon. Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office Lt. Bill Davis says deputies were dispatched around 6 p.m. to the home on Scarborough Road off of Butler Hill Road in Benton. Deputies believe it was an accident that happened when the rifle was knocked over by a sliding glass door after it was bumped by another child.
29.     OKALOOSA CO., FL, 6/03/13: Gunshots fired in a home led to aggravated assault charges against a Shalimar man. Okaloosa County deputies say Enrique Hill had been drinking when he waved a shotgun at his girlfriend and others. Hill's girlfriend called deputies to the home on Eglin Street, yesterday. She said he also fired a shot that damaged furniture and a TV. Hill told deputies that he was cleaning the gun when it went off. Uh... I don't know about that one.
30.     ELIZABETHTON, TN, 6/03/13: A man was accidentally shot in the foot on Monday afternoon when he stepped on a loaded 2-shot .22 caliber Jennings derringer.  Deputy Dave Ryan spoke with Brent Shaver, 24, while  he was being treated at the Johnson City Medical Center. Shaver said he was at Jack Hyder's house on Dry Hollow Road for a cookout. He said some of the guests were doing some target shooting in the front yard and he walked out of the house to join them. As he was walking down the steps, he said he stepped on the derringer and it fired into his left foot, going through the sole and exiting through the heel.
31.     THE COLONY, TX, 6/03/13: Police responded to a call from the suspect, Sanela Suhopoljac, 22, after she accidentally shot Jonathan Heath, 29, in the head. Suhopoljac lives at the residence. Also present was another adult witness. All three individuals were at the residence voluntarily, the release stated. “Specific details of exactly how the entire incident unfolded are still under investigation, but it is believed the suspect was reckless with the handling of the firearm, rather than intentionally shooting the victim,” said Lt. Darren Brockway of The Colony Police Department. “We still haven't spoken to the victim, so we're still unclear as to exactly what happened, but we don't believe it was intentional. “It was either an accident or horseplay. We do know there wasn't an argument, but anytime someone handles a firearm they have to be careful. It was definitely a reckless act.”
32.     COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, 6/03/13: Colorado Springs police officers reported nearly being struck by gunfire while looking for a man who police said was firing off rounds into rock formations in Garden of the Gods early Monday morning. Brandon Bougades, 31, was cited on suspicion of reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct, police said. Officers said they heard 100-150 rounds being fired from the south side of the park. Police said Bougades shot at two rock formations with a semi-automatic handgun and a pump-action shotgun. Officers said they were nearly struck by several of the rounds, which were ricocheting off rocks.
33.     LAS VEGAS, NV, 6/04/13: A 13-year-old girl died after an accidental shooting Tuesday afternoon in the southern valley. Metro Police were investigating the shooting, which occurred about 3:25 p.m. in the 1600 block of Littlecrow Avenue, near West Pebble Road and Spencer Street. Sgt. John Sheahan, a Metro spokesman, said the shooting involved two 13-year-olds. The incident took place on Littlecrow, a cul-de-sac just east of the 215 Beltway.
34.     SAN DIEGO, CA, 6/04/13: A 10-year-old boy was fatally shot in the chest while playing with a gun with a neighbor girl at her Miramar Ranch condominium Tuesday afternoon, San Diego police said. The boy shot himself, said homicide Lt. Jorge Duran, and police believe the shooting was an accident. Police found a .9mm semi-automatic gun at the scene, Ramos said. It is not immediately known who owns the gun or whether it was properly secured. UPDATE: [The gun's owner,] Todd Francis, the brother of former San Diego mayoral candidate Steve Francis, says he is devastated. In a statement released Friday, Francis says: "The weapon was purchased lawfully, and was registered, and was not loaded and was hidden in a separate location from the ammunition."
35.     WALDO, ME, 6/04/13: An off-duty corrections officer at the Maine Coastal Regional Reentry Center was taken to the hospital Tuesday morning after he accidentally shot himself in the thigh. According to Chief Deputy Jeff Trafton of the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office, 30-year-old Walter Wagner of Waldo did not appear to be seriously injured after the 9 a.m. accident. Wagner evidently had reached to pick his .40-caliber Glock handgun out of its holster when it discharged, wounding him in the leg.
36.     JOSHUA, TX, 6/04/13: Authorities say a Joshua girl died on her 13th birthday after being accidentally shot by her 19-year-old brother as he cleaned a gun. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office says the shooting happened Tuesday night at a home near Joshua. The girl was transported to a Fort Worth hospital, where she died. The Tarrant County medical examiner on Wednesday identified the victim as Emilee Bates. More detail: Lt. Tim Jones, with the Johnson County Sheriff's Department, said Bates' step-brother, 19-year-old Austin McCord, was clearing the weapon when it fired, striking Bates. In a press release, investigators said McCord had two dummy rounds placed above his loaded magazine. McCord ejected the two dummy rounds and believed he was making the weapon safe by pulling the trigger to drop the bolt on an empty chamber, but forgot he had a loaded magazine in the AK-47.
37.     BLACKBERRY TOWNSHIP, IL, 6/04/13:  Initial investigation indicated that a 69-year-old member of the St. Charles Sportsman's Club, 44W471 Keslinger Road, had completed shooting and entered the clubhouse at about 7:30 p.m., according to the release. The St. Charles man was reportedly preparing to put his 12-gauge shotgun away and put a snap cap into the gun. A snap cap is reportedly used to save the firing pin of the gun while it is stored. The man reportedly pulled the trigger – causing the shotgun to discharge – while he had the firearm pointed at the floor, according to the release. A live shotgun round was in the gun instead of the snap cap, according to the release. The buckshot from the live shotgun round reportedly went into the floor and bounced up and out and hit several people. A 31-year-old man from West Chicago, a 60-year-old man from Somonauk and a 14-year-old boy from Geneva were taken to Delnor Hospital in Geneva with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the release. About seven people were treated and released at the scene, but the sheriff's office noted the final list is not yet available. The man who discharged the gun was among those reportedly treated at the scene.
38.     MARY ESTHER, FL, 6/04/13: This is not exactly classic #GunFAIL, in the sense that the suspect fully intended to fire these shots, drunk as he was. But there's still something very #FAIL about this story. An Okaloosa County man has been charged with firing his gun after watching a documentary on Adolf Hitler. A sheriff's office report says 28-year-old Joseph Ryan Dobson was arrested Tuesday. He's charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill and discharging a firearm while under the influence of alcohol. It's not immediately known if he has an attorney. Authorities say Dobon pointed a gun at his fiance and a friend after watching the video. He then pointed the gun to the ceiling and fired two shots. Deputies who responding to the scene found Dobson "highly intoxicated."
39.     CAMERON, LA, 6/04/13: A 12-year-old Sweetlake boy was accidentally shot and killed by his cousin Tuesday, authorities said. Wesley Quinn was pronounced dead at a local hospital, Cameron Parish Sheriff Ron Johnson said. The shooting was “two boys in the house playing with guns,” he said. Quinn was shot in the chest with a .22-caliber revolver, the sheriff said.
40.     DALLAS, TX, 6/05/13: A 4-year-old Dallas boy is recovering at Children’s Hospital after he accidentally shot himself with his grandfather’s gun at a home in the 8200 block of Campanella Drive. Dallas police spokesman Sgt. Warren Mitchell said the boy wandered into the grandfather’s room and found the gun underneath a pillow. Somehow, the gun went off, sending a bullet into the child’s shoulder.
41.     MT. HOLLY, NC, 6/05/13: An accidental gun shot sent a 20-year-old girl and her friend to the hospital Wednesday night. Jessica Simpson and Jonathan Ray Rector, 21, were at Simpson’s home at 108 Lynbrook Drive in Mount Holly around 10 p.m. when Rector’s 9 mm gun accidentally went off, according to police. The bullet went through Rector’s hand and Simpson’s hip, landing in the couch behind her. Savage is not sure exactly how the gun went off, but said Rector was trying to put the gun in the holster when it happened.
42.     RENSSELAER, IN, 6/05/13: The Rensselaer Police Department was called to the scene of a local business where a gun was allegedly fired by accident. Police responded to the Family Express convenience store on S. College Avenue on June 5 at approximately 2:21 p.m., according to officials.
43.     FREMONT, OH, 6/05/13: Can you tell your ass from your elbow? How about your foot from a raccoon? A local man was treated at a hospital Wednesday afternoon after police said he accidentally shot himself in the foot. While attempting to shoot an injured raccoon at 4:30 p.m. on County Road 65, Sandusky County Chief Deputy Bruce Hirt said a man fired a .22 rifle and accidentally injured himself. “He was walking and he had his finger on the trigger,” Hirt said. “The rifle accidentally discharged and he shot himself in the foot.”
44.     SALINA, KS, 6/05/13: A house on West Crawford Street was struck by a bullet Wednesday afternoon, fired by a neighbor who thought the revolver was unloaded. Lt. Gerald Shaft, of the Salina Police Department, said the man had been cleaning a revolver inside his home at 677 Viemont about 2:30 p.m. After cleaning the revolver, he fired the gun, thinking it was unloaded. However, a bullet fired, going through a wall of his house and striking the storm door of a neighbor’s house at 1530 W. Crawford.
45.     WICHITA, KS, 6/06/13: Police suspect a convicted felon accidentally shot himself in the leg in his south Wichita home early Thursday morning, meaning he’s facing a trip to jail once he gets out of the hospital. The 18-year-old man was found on the floor of his bedroom by his father at about 12:20 a.m. Thursday in their house in the 3400 block of South Glenn, Lt. Doug Nolte said. That’s southeast of Meridian and 31st Street South. He claimed he had been shot by a stranger while walking, Nolte said, but police found no evidence to substantiate the story. Investigation indicates “the gunshot wound was most likely self-inflicted,” Nolte said.
46.     WILLMAR, MN, 6/06/13: A 27-year-old Willmar man was treated and released at Rice Memorial Hospital for a gunshot wound to the leg and is in the county jail on assault and weapons charges. At the hospital, Daniel Esquivel Torres said he’d had been involved in an altercation with unknown people in south Willmar that included being shot. The investigation revealed that the Torres had physically assaulted an acquaintance and held a handgun to the person’s head earlier in the evening. Based on further investigation and evidence, the police department believes that Torres assaulted the acquaintance and then accidentally shot himself in the leg while placing a handgun in his pocket. He then fabricated the story about being a victim of an assault when he sought treatment at the hospital.
47.     NORTH OGDEN, UT, 6/06/13: North Ogden Police Chief Kevin Warren is expected to make a full recovery after apparently accidentally shooting himself in the arm Thursday. The police department was conducting firearm training exercises at the department shooting range when the incident happened, according to a department news release.
48.     AVON, IN, 6/06/13: Hendricks County officers say a shooting has been ruled accidental after teenagers fired a gun in a home, striking a woman one floor below. The shooting happened in the 5700 block of Ridgehill Way in the Prestwick subdivision off of U.S. 36 and 525 East. According to police, two teenagers were handling a loaded gun in the bedroom of a home. The teens accidentally fired a round through the floor, striking Rachel Myers, 18, who was downstairs in the bathroom changing clothes. The shooter was the 19-year-old son of the homeowner.
49.     CHEEKTOWAGA, NY, 6/06/13: A man with a loaded gun in his carry-on bag was stopped by Transportation Security Administration officers at the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport Thursday morning. The TSA said Barry Lang Junior, 48, of Rochester had a .380 caliber handgun loaded with six rounds in his bag when he passed through security. The FBI confiscated the weapon, and NFTA Police cited him for disorderly conduct. Lang was allowed to rebook on a later flight without the gun.
50.     ORLANDO, FL, 6/06/13: Police arrested a woman Thursday morning after airport security workers found a loaded firearm in her purse at Orlando International Airport. The Transportation Security Administration discovered a .380 pistol in the bag of a woman who was escorting a passenger to a gate.  Airport police were notified and the woman was arrested.
51.     PRESCOTT VALLEY, AZ, 6/07/13: Prescott Valley Police say that an adult male was shot by his son Friday afternoon in an accidental shooting. Officers responded to a residence about 12:30 p.m. for a shots fired call. According to PVPD, the victim's 4-year-old son accidentally shot him. The boy somehow got ahold of a gun in the living room and it discharged, hitting his father in the torso. The man was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and later died. UPDATE: Here's the "somehow." The boy and his father were visiting the home where the shooting occurred. It was the home owner's gun. No word on whether they might have had any idea that there were loose guns in the house when they decided to visit.
52.     BLACK FOREST, CO, 6/07/13: A squirrel in Black Forest dodged a bullet, but a man working nearby did not. A 70-year-old man shooting at a squirrel Friday in Black Forest accidentally wounded a man who was working on an adjacent property, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office said. The alleged shooter, Gregory Watson, was issued a summons for third-degree assault and prohibited use of a weapon, both misdemeanors.
53.     FAIRFIELD, AL, 6/07/13: Fairfield Police confirmed that a five-year-old was shot on Friday afternoon. The shooting occurred just after 1 p.m. on Friday on the 4900 Block of Lloyd Noland Parkway. The five-year-old was being watched by its grandmother. At some point, the grandmother stepped out of the room. While the grandmother was away, the child ventured into the grandparents’ bedroom and found a gun that was hidden in a drawer. Police say the child was trying to load a bullet into the barrel of the gun when it discharged. The child lost a finger in the incident but is otherwise fine.
54.     WAHA, ID, 6/07/13: An 18-year-old Lewiston man was injured Friday after accidentally shooting himself in the leg with a .22 pistol. According to a Nez Perce County Sheriff's Office news release, Stone R. Andersen was driving on Zaza Road near Cruise Meadows when the pistol, which was sitting on the seat next to him, discharged, striking him in the leg. Anderson was alone at the time and told deputies he forgot to put on the safety once he got done shooting the pistol, according to the sheriff's office.

Originally posted to David Waldman on Sat Jun 08, 2013 at 02:20 PM PDT