Saturday, June 21, 2014

Gun Fail 73

Wed Jun 18, 2014 at 07:36 PM PDT

Even Upworthy won't believe where this Georgia gunslinger accidentally shot himself: GunFAIL LXXIII

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Four of 51 guns discovered by TSA agents in airports across the country last week.
Four of 51 guns "forgotten" by Responsible Gun Owners, but discovered by TSA agents in airports last week. And again with the derringers!
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Another relatively quiet sub-40 week, for which we're grateful. The reporting of accidental shooting incidents and related GunFAIL tends to slow down during periods when spectacular shootings are dominating the headlines. I'm hopeful that the summer months will see more kids outside, and fewer relieving their boredom by looking for and playing with their parents' guns. 
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By the numbers, we saw 13 child victims of GunFAIL, ages 2, 3, 3, 6, 7, 9, 9, 12, 14, 14, 15, 16, and 17. Eleven people accidentally shot themselves. There were four accidental shootings between pairs of siblings, including one set of 3-year-old twins (plus one between cousins). Three home invasion shootings, plus one judge's chambers and jury room invasion. Two costly airlifts for GunFAIL victims. Two cop-involved GunFAILS. And one each in the categories of: shooting yourself while out shopping (this time at Winn-Dixie); shooting yourself while unloading a gun; shooting yourself while repairing a gun; losing a gun at work; catching a stray target shooting round; shooting a friend while making a rap video, and; to pay off on our clickbait title, shooting yourself in the penis.
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A few other stories merit special note this week. A man in Bellingham, WA, accidentally fired a gun in his apartment and sent the round through the wall into the neighbors' unit. That triggered a 7-hour SWAT standoff that ended when the man was thought to have shot himself. The story got just that much more worrisome when neighbors learned that the man had in fact died from injuries sustained when one of his homemade pipe bombs exploded. And something just has to be said about the Tennessee man who died from the accidental gunshot wound he sustained while trying to eject a chambered round in his 9mm semi-automatic pistol while driving the family car. With the family in it.
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This week's "Jeez, that's stupid, but it's not exactly GunFAIL" story;

A North Side man was taken to the Mahoning County jail after he told police he test-fired a gun in front of a New York Avenue home Tuesday evening to make sure it still works. Police were called to Kensington Avenue near New York Avenue about 8:55 p.m. to check on a group of juveniles who purportedly were in the street causing trouble. As officers were investigating that call, they heard a gunshot around the corner and drove up New York Avenue where they found 46-year-old Mack Hill standing in front of a home. Reports said that when officers questioned him about the gunfire, he said he had fired a shot and was surprised he was in trouble. Reports said he asked officers: “I can’t just shoot once in the air? I just want to see if it [gun] works.”
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No you can't, sir. 
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Below the fold, the entirety of our latest list.
  1. MARYSVILLE, WA, 5/18/14: Police took a 16-year-old boy into custody Sunday night in connection with an overnight Marysville shooting that left a 17-year-old boy injured. Authorities were investigating a shooting reported at about 1 AM Sunday at an apartment in east Marysville. Police said 17-year-old Chris Franklin had a gunshot wound in his neck and he was taken by his friends to Providence Regional Medical Center. From there, the teen was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. Franklin’s family told KIRO 7 his esophagus and an artery in his neck were damaged so badly, surgeons spent six hours trying to repair it. At about 6 PM Sunday, Marysville's SWAT team went to a home east of Cedarcrest Golf Course and arrested a 16-year-old boy in connection with the shooting. He was later booked into the Denney Juvenile Justice Center for first-degree assault, third-degree assault and first degree unlawful possession of a firearm. Neighbor, John Guthrie, told KIRO 7 what he heard two blocks away. “We heard the flash boom grenade,” he said. “We heard them tell him to come out with his hands in the air and come out backwards. Then they told him to get on the ground and crawl." MORE: Marysville-Pilchuck graduating senior Chris Franklin walked June 11 in spite of a critical injury sustained weeks prior. The injury was an accidental gunshot wound entering Chris' spine, just missing a vital artery. Franklin was in critical condition and was treated at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, but was recently released.
  2. EASTPOINTE, MI, 6/04/14: The family of a man accused of second-degree murder in the slaying death of his Eastpointe neighbor said he was acting in self defense when his licensed handgun accidentally discharged. Richard Robertson, who was in 38th District Court in Eastpointe Tuesday afternoon for the preliminary exam of Nolan Brown, said his first cousin “would never shoot anyone over money.” Brown has been charged with second degree murder and felony firearm possession in the June 4 shooting death of Deryl Bohannon, 57. Randall Upshaw, Nolan Brown’s lawyer, said the single gunshot wound to the victim’s upper thigh is not an area typically associated with death. “It wasn’t the head, it wasn’t the chest, and just a single shot was fired,” Upshaw said. Although additional information must still be collected, Upshaw said the evidence will show the victim was moving forward -- and holding a knife -- when the gun discharged. In contrast, Brown was moving backwards, and has scars on his elbow that indicate he was falling down when the gun went off. “I believe he was acting in self-defense,” said his son, Nolan Johnson.
  3. VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, 6/05/14: Elliot Creekmore and his wife were sleeping in their Virginia Beach home when a bullet shot through their bedroom last week. “Drywall was everywhere and she stood up and I told her to get down and I kneeled over there and I dialed 911,” Elliot says. It happened around midnight last Thursday, June 5th in the Windsor Oaks neighborhood off of Holland Road. The bullet traveled through their bedroom, hitting a door frame, then shooting through the hallway before becoming lodged in a porcelain vase. The bullet hole is just inches from where the two were sleeping. “It’s real close. It’s real scary,” Elliot says. With his stepson sleeping in the next room over, Elliot still can’t believe no one was hurt. He believes the bullet may have come from a neighborhood across the street that he says isn’t so quiet. “When a gun goes  off, even by accident, there is no name where it’s going. I was just fortunate this time that it didn`t come my way or my wife’s way, because even an accidental shooting on accident can still prove fatal.”
  4. LA MIRADA, CA, 6/08/14: A person was hospitalized Sunday with a gunshot wound to the leg following what appeared to be an accidental shooting in La Mirada, authorities said. The incident took place shortly after 1:30 PM in the area of Valley View and Rosecrans avenues, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Gladys Meyer said. Few details were initially available, however the shooting was believed to be accidental and self-inflicted, and no suspects were being sought, she said. The injury was not believed to be life-threatening.
  5. WEST VALLEY CITY, UT, 6/08/14: A 14-year-old-boy was sent to the hospital after accidentally shooting himself in the leg Sunday evening in West Valley City. The boy found a 22 caliber hand-gun near 2956 South 3145 West and wound up shooting himself in the left leg, according to the West Valley City Police Department. The boy was taken to a local hospital and is expected to recover. The boy's parents told officers that they don't have guns in the house. Police are investigating to find out if the weapon was stolen.
  6. DETROIT, MI, 6/08/14: Authorities say a child was hurt in Detroit after being attacked by a dog and shot by a man who was trying to fire at the animal. The Detroit Free Press, WWJ-AM and WXYZ-TV report the 7-year-old boy was taken to the hospital Sunday night. He was listed in temporary serious condition. Police say the boy was shot in the buttocks on the city's west side by a neighbor who apparently was attempting help the child. A police spokesman says investigators want to talk to the man but it's unclear if he'll be charged with any crime. The Detroit News reports that officers found the dog had died of an apparent gunshot wound.
  7. EL PASO, TX, 6/08/14: A motorist was accidentally shot in the hand by an El Paso County sheriff's sergeant following a vehicle chase Sunday in the Upper Valley, sheriff's officials said Tuesday. The driver, who is recovering at a hospital, faces charges of evading arrest and aggravated assault with a vehicle. Sheriff's officials said that the incident began about 7:15 AM Sunday when Sgt. Michael Peters tried to stop a vehicle that was going the wrong way on South Desert Boulevard near the Outlet Shoppes at El Paso mall. The car's driver refused to stop and a chase continued northbound. At South Desert and Vinton Road, the car's driver is accused of nearly hitting another deputy who was working at the scene of an unrelated accident, officials said. The car finally stopped at Vinton Road and Doniphan Drive. When Peters was taking the driver into custody, his handgun was accidentally fired and a gunshot grazed the driver's hand. The type of weapon was not disclosed. Channel 14-KFOX reported that the deputy involved had a seizure after the shooting. Sheriff's spokesman Deputy Mariano Valle only said there was a "medical incident" following the shooting. Officials said that a bystander and other deputies helped Peters, who was taken to a hospital along with the wounded driver. The driver's name has not been released because he has not been booked into jail, Valle said. As standard procedure, Peters was placed on administrative duty pending an internal investigation into the shooting.
  8. LAWRENCE, NJ, 6/09/14: A man accidentally shot himself in the knee early this morning while moving his personal handgun, police said. The 59-year-old man was moving his personal, registered, handgun in his apartment in the 5000 block of Bramble Court around 3:13 AM when the weapon discharged, hitting the man in the knee. The bullet never left the apartment and no one else was endangered, Lt. Charles Edgar said. The man was taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton with non-life-threatening injuries, Edgar said.
  9. PITTSGROVE TOWNSHIP, NJ, 6/09/14: The blaze that ripped through a township house Monday afternoon was deemed accidental and electrical, New Jersey State Police said. When local authorities and emergency personnel responded to the scene at Crow Pond Road, a man was discovered with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his leg, according to police. Police said Tuesday that the man — described as elderly — had the weapon for an unknown reason and the fire was not directly related to the self-inflicted injury. The man was transported to Inspira Medical Center Elmer for treatment of his injuries.
  10. HOPEWELL, VA, 6/09/14: A 3-year-old Hopewell boy was accidentally shot in the buttocks this morning by his 3-year-old twin, who was playing with an unattended firearm in the family’s apartment, police said. The toddler who fired the pistol may have suffered a graze wound to his index finger when the gun discharged, police added. Hopewell police received a call at 10:19 AM that a child had been shot on the playground in the Thomas Rolfe Court public housing complex, where the children live, said Hopewell police Chief John Keohane. But investigators couldn’t find anyone who heard gunfire outside. After further investigation police determined that the 3-year-old victim was accidentally shot by his twin after that boy found the unsecured gun inside their apartment. The child’s mother and boyfriend were at home at the time, Keohane said. The 3-year-old victim was listed in stable condition at VCU Medical Center. Keohane said police are still trying to determine whether the other boy suffered a graze wound from the gun discharging or he got his finger caught in the slide of the weapon.
  11. KILGORE, TX, 6/09/14: A 15-year-old boy was shot in the torso Monday afternoon when he and two other youths were reportedly handling a gun taken in secret from a family member. Kilgore Assistant Police Chief Roman Roberson said the shooting occurred soon after 1 p.m. in the 3000 block of Mustang Drive off FM 349. “We believe at this point it’s an accidental shooting … involving three juveniles with a handgun,” he explained. The .22-caliber firearm was taken from one of the three juveniles’ family members without that person’s knowledge, Roberson confirmed. The names of the juveniles have not been released due to their ages – two other boys, ages 10 and 14, were involved in the incident. Roberson did not detail how the boys are related but said the shooting occurred in their grandmother’s residence on Mustang. “The grandmother at the residence was the only (adult) present when this occurred,” he said. Initially treated at the scene by Champion EMS, the 15-year-old was subsequently released from Good Shepherd Medical Center’s Kilgore facility after further treatment. Due to the nature of the case, Roberson said, Child Protective Services has been notified.
  12. COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, MN, 6/09/14: Authorities said Tuesday they have yet to locate the 16-year-old Columbia Heights boy who allegedly shot his 19-year-old half-brother at the older teen’s home. The mother of the wounded teen called police about 3:30 PM Monday from her home in the 1700 block of 37th Avenue NE. and reported the shooting, according to the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office. The wounded teen was identified as Deondre J. Sanstad, who “underwent two surgeries at HCMC [Hennepin County Medical Center ] yesterday and is doing well, considering his injury,” Sheriff’s Cmdr. Paul Sommer said Tuesday. The younger brother, who has a different mother and whose identity has not been released, lives elsewhere. He fled the scene and “still may have the handgun in his possession,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. Initial word from witnesses was that the 16-year-old was playing with the gun and pointing it at his brother when it went off, authorities said. However, Sommer said Tuesday afternoon, “It is too early to say the incident was an accidental discharge for sure. It won’t be a case where a curious child finds a gun and ‘plays’ with it.” Sommer said investigators believe the gun belonged to the 16-year-old “and how he came to possess it is most likely criminal in nature.”
  13. PEKIN, IN, 6/09/14: The Indiana State Police is still investigating the death of a 50 year old Pekin man yesterday in a shooting accident. Darryl Thornton, 50, 1124 North Anna Street, Pekin, was found by police yesterday morning. There is no information about how he was shot. Yesterday morning at 10:52 AM, the Pekin Town Marshall and the Washington County Sheriff’s Department responded to a 911 call at the victim’s home in Pekin. The call was in reference to a male with a gunshot wound. Officers at the scene summoned Indiana State Police Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators to the residence to assume the investigation.
  14. SALISBURY, NC, 6/09/14: A 23-year-old man was shot to death by his cousin in a home on Woodleaf Road in what investigators say appears to have been an accidental shooting. According to the report at the Rowan Sheriff's Office, Roy Jacob Bryant, 23, of Lenoir, and his sister were visiting relatives at the home over the weekend. On Monday night just after 11,  Bryant was in the bedroom of his cousin, Timothy Scott Glover, 22, looking at a .410 shotgun owned by Glover. Investigators say that Glover told them that he was preparing to put the gun away.  They say Glover put a shell in the chamber and then was closing the gun when Bryant playfully slapped at it. When the gun was shut it went off, striking Bryant at nearly point blank range in the stomach. Family members called EMS, but Bryant died at the home. Investigators say they will take all the information and present it to the District Attorney to determine if any charges will be filed, but said on Wednesday that the shooting appeared to be accidental.
  15. ALAMOGORDO, NM, exact date unknown: Officers responded to Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center in reference to a man with an accidental gunshot wound. The man received minor injuries.
  16. NESS CITY, KS, 6/10/14: The Ness County Sheriff’s Department confirms there was an accidental shooting which occurred just after noon Tuesday. Officials say a 21-year-old man was shot in the upper right part of his body with a 12 gauge shotgun by his 16-year-old friend. The friend told sheriff’s deputies that he did not realize the gun was loaded. The 21-year-old man was transported to Ness County Hospital. He was then flown by Eagle Med to Hays Medical Center. The Ness County Sheriff’s Office said his injuries do not appear to be life-threatening. MORE: According to Ness County Sheriff Bryan Whipple, shortly after noon Tuesday a group of boys were handling a 12-gauge shotgun when it accidentally went off, hitting Andrew Bell in the right shoulder area.
  17. BATON ROUGE, LA, 6/10/14: Police have made an arrest in connection with the shooting death of a 14-year-old boy. The shooting happened at roughly 1:40 PM at a home located on N. 48th Street. According to Cpl. Don Coppola, a 16-year-old was sitting in the back of a vehicle, playing with a revolver while 14-year-old Brandon Bindon was sitting in the front seat. Coppola stated the revolver accidentally went off, and "struck Bindon in the torso". Officials say Bindon, was taken to a hospital where he later died. An autopsy has been scheduled for Wednesday, June 11. The 16-year-old was charged with Negligent Homicide, and he was later booked into Juvenile Detention. Authorities have not released his identity because he is a minor.
  18. MILWAUKEE, WI, 6/10/14: Police say a shooting in the 3500 block of N. 36th Street appears to be accidental. It happened just before 4:00 p.m. Preliminary indications are that the 27-year-old man accidentally discharged a firearm, causing a non-life threatening, self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police department personnel continue to investigate the incident. The victim was transported to the hospital for treatment.
  19. CLEVELAND, OH, 6/10/14: A 2-year old child of a couple having a domestic confrontation was killed in an apparent accidental shooting in Cleveland Tuesday. The toddler was standing on their porch while his parents were having an argument, when the father decided to leave the apartment. On his way out the father turned around and fired shots into the porch, hitting the little boy. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died from the gunshot wound, according to the Cuyahoga County medical examiner’s office. Authorities reported that the father tried to get rid of the weapon by throwing it in a trash bin. He then got into his car and fled to a relative’s house where he was later arrested. Police revealed that the father has prior felony convictions, and was not allowed by law to carry a gun.
  20. BELLINGHAM, WA, 6/10/14: A seven hour standoff that closed Sunset Drive finally ends with a suicide. It started at about 9:30 Tuesday morning. The Bellingham Police SWAT team surrounded an apartment complex where a bullet went through the wall of one unit into another. No one was hit. Police weren’t able to make contact with the person in the apartment they believe the bullet came from, leading to the standoff. The standoff ended when a police robot confirmed the man had shot himself to death. UPDATE: A pipe bomb explosion — not a gunshot — killed a Bellingham man who sparked a daylong standoff with police on Sunset Drive, authorities announced Friday, June 13.
  21. HOUSTON, TX, 6/11/14: A group of young musicians is learning the hard way that a gun is not a toy. Three young men were in a home-built recording studio in the back yard of an east Houston house, making a rap music video. Among the props the men were using was a gun. Everyone thought the gun was unloaded, but they quickly realized it was not when one of them was pointing it as part of the video and pulled the trigger. He accidentally shot an 18-year-old friend in the abdomen. Ironically, the victim is the gun’s owner and was the one who told everyone that the gun was empty. He’s in serious condition at Ben Taub General Hospital.
  22. HUMBLE, TX, 6/11/14: Harris County investigators are trying to figure out how a three year old toddler managed to get their hands on a gun.  The child accidentally shot itself in the foot. It happened Wednesday night in Humble at Fawn Park and Storm Cove View. Deputies say the child was taken to Hermann hospital in stable condition. At this time investigators aren't saying who was home with the child at the time of the shooting or who the semi-automatic hand gun was registered too. The case is being referred to the Harris County District Attorney's office and Child Protective Services.
  23. MIAMI, FL, 6/11/14: A teen is dead and his friend taken into custody Wednesday night following gun play that ended in tragedy. Just before 9 PM, according to Miami Police Department, two teenage males were playing with a gun at Northwest 14th Avenue and 3rd Street when the gun went off. The bullet hit one of the teens, who family identify as 16-year-old William Pagan, in the face and ended up killing him. The family say it’s possible Pagan may have accidentally shot himself but police have not confirmed the information.
  24. NEW BERN, NC, 6/11/14: Family members say the shooting that injured a 12-year-old girl at a home in New Bern early Wednesday was all an accident. The girl was shot near her knee and had surgery at Vidant Medical Center Wednesday morning, according to her grandmother Ellarenza Hatch. The girl is now out of surgery and is expected to recover. The New Bern Police Department said the 12-year-old was shot at about 12:15 AM Wednesday at a residence on the 1200 block of Kinston Street, where the girl was sleeping over with friends. But no adults were at the house when the shooting happened, police said. According to the family, the girl was sleeping over at a friend's home when a 17-year-old male came over with a gun. The teen was showing off his firearm to the girls. But after he set the gun down, it went off, Hatch said. "He shouldn't have had it first of all. Then going to take it out and some body gets shot? I think it's ridiculous," Hatch said. Police have not confirmed that account, but did say the incident was an "accidental discharge" involving minors. Police said the investigation is ongoing. At last check, no arrest had been made. Laniah Jones is a friend of the victim's. She said the girl is a rising 7th-grader at Grover C. Fields Middle School. Jones also believes the shooting was likely an accident. "I don't think anybody would want to do that on purpose," Jones said. Jones added that the 12-year-old girl had a Facebook status letting her friends know she was doing okay.
  25. KINGSFORD, MI, exact date unknown, A Kingsford man has been arraigned after an accidental gun shot injured a woman who was near him. Authorities say 64-year-old Jack Strong shot a pistol at a bag of cans near a woman. She was hit by bullet shrapnel. Strong is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, careless discharge causing injury or death and possession of a firearm under the influence.  He'll be back in court for a preliminary examination on June 18.
  26. ALBION, NY, 6/12/14: A nine-year-old boy from Albion is in the hospital after police say he was accidentally shot in the arm by his older brother. News10NBC has learned the boy is expected to recover. Now his brother is facing felony charges because police say he stole the gun. Police were called to Caroline Street in the Village of Albion around 10 p.m. Thursday. Police say the brother was in a bedroom playing with a handgun that investigators say he had taken from an elderly acquaintance. Investigators tell us the gun accidentally went off and a bullet hit the 9-year-old in the arm while he was in bed. News10NBC is told both boys ran to get their mother from a neighbor's house. Their father was at home at the time, but police say both parents did not know their son had a gun. The 13-year-old is facing three felony charges: reckless endangerment, grand larceny and criminal possession of a weapon. Police say he had also stolen another gun from the elderly acquaintance and hid it in the garage. Police say during their investigation they discovered that the boys' home had major code violations and it has been condemned.
  27. DAWSON, GA, 6/12/14: A Dawson teenager is in the hospital recovering after being accidentally shot in the stomach Thursday night. Kentravious Monds was with friends on 11th Avenue and Nelson Street when a jammed gun went off and the bullet hit him in the stomach. Dawson police came and Monds was taken to the hospital. He may have his friend to thank for coming to help him. "He didn't really know he was shot at first until he touched his stomach and came running towards me and I grabbed him and I put him on the ground and put my shirt over him," said Jermaine Thomas. Monds is expected to make a full recovery.
  28. MACON, GA, 6/12/14: A Macon man was treated at Coliseum Northside hospital Thursday after he accidentally shot himself in the penis. The man was parked at the gas station at about 9:30 p.m. when he attempted to holster his .45. Immediately after the gun went off, he drove to a friend's house in Lake Wildwood. When he got to the friends house, he took off his pants and saw that he had "shot himself in the penis and that the bullet exited out of his buttocks." The spent round fell onto the floor. The man's friend drove him to Coliseum Northside hospital and he was then transferred to the Medical Center of Central Georgia.
  29. BISMARCK, ND, 6/12/14: A convicted felon could face new charges after allegedly firing a gun through an apartment building. The 24-year-old man was taken to a Bismarck hospital following questioning Thursday night. He has not been charged, as of Friday afternoon. Bismarck Police Sgt. Mark Buschena said officers were called to 400 E. Calgary Ave. at 8 p.m. for a report of a bullet entering an apartment. A 55-year-old Bismarck man said he was sitting on his couch when he heard a loud noise. The man found a bullet hole in his cupboard and damage to his patio door blinds, Buschena said. Officers found a bullet in the man’s apartment and determined it came from an adjacent apartment. Officers entered the neighboring apartment and found no one was home. Buschena said a loaded handgun was found on a table. Officers identified the 24-year-old Bismarck man as a possible suspect. Buschena said the man came to the police department at 11 p.m. He could not disclose anything the man said or why he was admitted to a hospital. UPDATE: Christopher Wise Spirit, 24, was charged Monday with Class C felony reckless endangerment and Class C felony felon in possession of a firearm.
  30. NEWPORT NEWS, VA, 6/13/14: Newport News Shipbuilding reported that on Wednesday a gun was found aboard the aircraft carrier Enterprise, which is in the process of being decommissioned. In a letter addressed to its workers, NNS said Friday that “a gun was found unattended on the USS Enterprise.  It was found by a shipbuilder and reported to Security.” Weapons are strictly prohibited on the property, and along with security, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) has launched an investigation, the letter explains. The shipyard is also investigating the matter through its own security force. The letter, from Matt Mulherin, NNS President, further states “the owner of the gun has been found and appropriate actions are being taken.”
  31. LIBERTY CO., TX, 6/13/14: A Liberty County man is recovering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound he sustained on Friday, June 13. According to Liberty County Sheriff’s Capt. Ken DeFoor, Bobby Ray Bernard, 48, and his wife, Sonya Bernard, 44, and their two young children, of Ames, were returning home from a day of fishing in the Galveston area when Bobby, while driving, decided to unload his 9-mm semi-automatic pistol. Bernard reportedly told Sheriff’s Sgt. Kenny Dagle that he was attempting to “jack” a round out of the pistol when it accidentally discharged, striking him in the upper left leg above the knee. After being shot, Bernard drove to Ames where he left his small children and put away the gun before driving with his wife to the Liberty-Dayton Regional Medical Center for treatment. He was later flown by air ambulance to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston where he is reportedly in stable condition and awaiting surgery. No charges are expected to be filed.
  32. ODESSA, TX, 6/13/14: On 6-13-14 at approx. 3:00 pm , Ector County Sheriff’s Deputies were notified of a child gunshot victim. The shooting occurred in the 16000 block of S. Hwy 385 Odessa, Ector County Texas. The child a 6 year old male was transported to Odessa Regional Medical Center Hospital by private vehicle. The child was shot in the left shoulder, injuries appear non life threatening, the child is being transported to Lubbock, Covenant Hospital, by Care Flight. The case at this time is being investigated as an accident, the victim was shot by 15 year old sibling. The investigation is on going.
  33. ORLANDO, FL, 6/13/14: A man accidentally shot himself in the foot when a handgun fell out of his waistband on June 13 in a Winn-Dixie parking lot in Orange County, police said. L.C. Williams, 70, told police that his holster to his Hi-Point 40SW broke, and so he stuck the gun in the right side of his waistband so that the gun would be concealed. As Williams was approaching his pickup truck around 12:37 p.m., the gun accidentally fell out of his waistband, struck his foot, and then discharged into his right foot, according to a police report. The fired round then ricocheted into another car, which was unoccupied at the time. The round struck the front grill area of the vehicle, causing about $500 in damage, police said. Police determined the incident was an accident. Williams was transported to an area hospital due to his injury. No one else was injured in the incident.
  34. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, 6/13/14: Oklahoma City police arrested a man who was intoxicated when he accidentally shot himself. According to police, on Friday, June 13, officers responded to the report of a possible shooting in the 3300 block of S.W. 29th Street. When officers arrived, they found a blood trail that led them to the suspect, 26-year-old Jacob Sparks, who was hiding under a vehicle in the 3400 block of Independence. Sparks reportedly said he accidentally shot himself while unloading his firearm. He fled the scene to avoid charges because he had been drinking, according to police.  Officers said Sparks smelled of alcohol and he had a slurred speech and red, bloodshot, watery eyes. Sparks was then arrested on one count of carrying a firearm while under the influence of alcohol.
  35. RANDLE, WA, 6/13/14: A 30-year-old Randle man was transported to a hospital after he accidentally shot himself in the forearm while repairing a rifle Friday afternoon. The man was working on a single-shot bolt-action .22-caliber rifle on the deck of his home on the 100 block of Baugh Road when something fell onto the floor, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
  36. LAKE ELSINORE, CA, 6/13/14: A Riverside County sheriff's K-9 is recovering at her handler’s home after being accidentally shot in the paw by a deputy, officials said Tuesday. The dog, Tessa, was shot June 13 when deputies were searching for a man who had escaped custody near Lake Elsinore on Friday, according to a release by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. Shawn Redding, 45, escaped after being arrested for multiple outstanding warrants, sheriff's officials said. Tessa was helping search for Redding with her handler when a pit bull jumped out of a home's open window and attacked her, officials said. Another deputy shot and killed the pit bull, but wounded Tessa in the process. One round hit Tessa’s right paw and she had to be taken to a veterinary hospital for emergency treatment, officials said. Officials said Tessa’s recovery is promising and she should be able to return to work. Redding was arrested Saturday and booked into the Riverside County Sheriff's Department Southwest Detention Center, according to the department's inmate locator.
  37. OAKLAND, CA, 6/14/14: The U.S. Marshals Service is reviewing security procedures at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building in downtown Oakland after a bullet ended up lodged in the jury room of a judge. The bullet entered the building through a window and into the second-floor chambers of U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White before coming to rest in the jury room, said Deputy U.S. Marshal Joseph Palmer, a spokesman for U.S. Marshal Don O’Keefe, who is responsible for federal courthouse security. The round was discovered Saturday afternoon, when the building at 1301 Clay St. was unoccupied, Palmer said. It doesn’t appear that White or his staff were targeted, Palmer said. “At this point, it appears that this was a stray bullet, and it does not appear that the courthouse, any federal judges, or members of the court family were specifically targeted,” O’Keefe said in a statement. “However, the security of federal judges and court staff remain a top priority for the U.S. Marshals, and we will continue to work alongside the courts to determine if any additional security is needed.”
  38. JONESBORO, AR, 6/14/14: A shooting victim quickly turned into the shooting suspect in Jonesboro Saturday afternoon. According to a Jonesboro police report, officers responded to a shooting yesterday at 1204 Cartwright. Michael Richter, 25, told police someone tried to rob him and shot him in the ankle. After Richter was transported to the hospital, police found he lied. He admitted to police he accidentally shot himself. Police arrested Richter and since he was on probation they searched his home. Once there, officers met with Kelly May, 26, and told her that the home would be searched. May helped police search for the gun and found the gun in the bedroom. While searching the rest of the home, they found Richter was growing marijuana. Both Richter and May are being held at the Craighead County Detention Center.
  39. LINDSBORG, KS, 6/14/14: A 9-year-old boy was taken to the hospital Saturday after receiving an accidental gunshot wound. At around 11:15 a.m. Saturday, people in the 2900 block of 11th Avenue, which is northwest of Lindsborg, were target shooting. A bullet ricocheted and struck the boy near his collarbone. He was taken to Lindsborg Hospital in unknown condition and later transferred to Salina Regional Health Center. The boy’s name and hometown were not released.

Originally posted to David Waldman on Wed Jun 18, 2014 at 07:36 PM PDT.

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