This blog will focus on political images I have found all around the Internet, though I will intersperse some commentary and quotes that I find interesting.
Monday, June 30, 2014
Euthanasia - should be a choice between doctor and patient
Beyond Cure? Europe Euthanasia Rulings Enflame Debate (Click here to read more)
Lori Hinnant · Wednesday, June 25, 2014, 10:41 am.
PARIS (AP) - A French doctor was acquitted Wednesday of poisoning charges after giving lethal injections to seven terminally ill patients, and Britain's Supreme Court said an assisted-suicide ban is incompatible with human rights, fueling the arguments of those who say the duty of doctors is to end the suffering of those beyond treatment.
Shooting report
Pushing more guns into society won't reduce the number of shootings - it only increases the problems we face. Let's continue the call for stronger gun control laws.
Tea Party members - "What's good for me is good, but it's bad if you get it."
The time the head of the Tea Party Patriots got government help (Click here to read more)
Rss@dailykos.com (hunter) · Wednesday, June 25, 2014, 10:41 am.
In a story about Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder and head of the Tea Party Patriots, Martin recalls her recent bankruptcy. She and her husband somehow managed to end up owing $500,000 to the IRS after their company failed. Martin is not an evil person; her story is just, well, a bit sad. She is indeed a wellspring for that odd tea party message of anti-government self-reliance even while availing oneself of the safety net the government provides, the muddled indignation at the thought of having to pay taxes for other people's safety net coupled with the blithe assumption that the same safety net will of course be there for you if you need it.
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"I was very frustrated by the TARP bill, because nobody bailed us out, and we weren't looking for a bailout," Martin says in a coffee shop outside of Jackson. It's a message she uses often, saying that no one bailed out her husband's company when it failed. As for being bailed out themselves, Martin has had to publicly contend with the fact that she and her husband filed for bankruptcy, a bailout of its own sort..
Filing for bankruptcy to avoid $500,000 in back taxes is a pretty damn good bailout. It's a reasonable bailout, mind you-we have decided that allowing the option of bankruptcy is both humane and more sensible economically than consigning someone to a lifetime of debt slavery-but it's a bailout. That's $500,000 that the rest of America's taxpayers are going to have to shell out themselves in order to make up the slack.
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But I think we figured out why Jenny Beth Martin devoted herself to the notion that taxes are bad. Don't need a Dr. Keith Ablow to weigh in on this one.
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Less well known is the fact that her husband accepted unemployment for a time, something else she has explained..
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"I've never said that there should be no safety net," she says. "That decision was more difficult for him than the decision not to stay in our house. ... We were scraping by."
Translation: We of course used the good kind of safety net, the one that good people use. You can tell that it's the good kind because we felt humiliated by having to use it. Now let's go form an organization founded on the idea that we shouldn't have to pay, say, $500,000 in taxes in order to fund that very same safety net.
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Andy Borowitz offers to help the U.S government...
June 27, 2014
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WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)-After announcing, on Thursday, that it would seek $500 million to help "train and equip appropriately vetted elements of the moderate Syrian armed opposition," the White House today posted the following Moderate Syrian Rebel Application Form:
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Moderate Syrian Rebel Application Form (Click here to view source)
Posted by Andy Borowitz.
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)-After announcing, on Thursday, that it would seek $500 million to help "train and equip appropriately vetted elements of the moderate Syrian armed opposition," the White House today posted the following Moderate Syrian Rebel Application Form:
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Welcome to the United States' Moderate Syrian Rebel Vetting Process. To see if you qualify for $500 million in American weapons, please choose an answer to the following questions:
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As a Syrian rebel, I think the word or phrase that best describes me is:
A) Moderate
B) Very moderate
C) Crazy moderate
D) Other
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I became a Syrian rebel because I believe in:
A) Truth
B) Justice
C) The American Way
D) Creating an Islamic caliphate
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If I were given a highly lethal automatic weapon by the United States, I would:
A) Only kill exactly the people that the United States wanted me to kill
B) Try to kill the right people, with the caveat that I have never used an automatic weapon before
C) Kill people only after submitting them to a rigorous vetting process
D) Immediately let the weapon fall into the wrong hands
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I have previously received weapons from:
A) Al Qaeda
B) The Taliban
C) North Korea
D) I did not receive weapons from any of them because after they vetted me I was deemed way too moderate
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I consider ISIS:
A) An existential threat to Iraq
B) An existential threat to Syria
C) An existential threat to Iraq and Syria
D) The people who will pick up my American weapon after I drop it and run away
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Complete the following sentence. "American weapons are…"
A) Always a good thing to randomly add to any international hot spot
B) Exactly what this raging civil war has been missing for the past three years
C) Best when used moderately
D) Super easy to resell online
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Thank you for completing the Moderate Syrian Rebel Application Form. We will process your application in the next one to two business days. Please indicate a current mailing address where you would like your weapons to be sent. If there is no one to sign for them we will leave them outside the front door.
They understand so little, realizing their own hypocrisy is probably an impossibility.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Watch for it - it's coming
The Only Thing More Idiotic Than Personhood Is Giving a Corporation Religious Freedom (Click here to read more)
By: Rmuse more from RmuseSunday, June, 29th, 2014, 10:47 am
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An idea or suggestion that is wildly unreasonable, illogical, preposterous, idiotic, harebrained, and just dirt-stupid can be considered patently absurd. It is likely that if someone held up a piece of paper serving as a legal instrument and identified it as a person with 1st Amendment freedom of speech rights, most sentient beings would consider the concept absurd; unless they are conservative Supreme Court justices. The only thing more idiotic than ascribing personhood to a legal instrument is asserting it prays, worships, and warrants religious freedom protections; particularly when the corporation (legal instrument) will exercise its religious freedom to impose religion on its employees and abridge their 1st and 14th Amendment constitutional rights.
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On Monday, the Supreme Court will announce its closely-watched and highly anticipated decision in Hobby Lobby et al v. Sibelius (United States), and depending on how conservatives on the court rule, Americans may witness the height of absurdity and corporate-mandated religion. They may also witness the end of their religious freedom, the end of constitutional anti-discrimination protections, and corporate religious tyranny with the High Court's Constitutional blessing.
I don't donate to the Red Cross - ever.
Red Cross: How we spent Hurricane Sandy money is a 'trade secret' (Click here to read more)
By Justin Elliott, ProPublicaThursday, June 26, 2014 15:09 EDT
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Just how badly does the American Red Cross want to keep secret how it raised and spent over $300 million after Hurricane Sandy?
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The charity has hired a fancy law firm to fight a public request we filed with New York state, arguing that information about its Sandy activities is a "trade secret."
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The Red Cross' "trade secret" argument has persuaded the state to redact some material, though it's not clear yet how much since the documents haven't yet been released.
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As we've reported, the Red Cross releases few details about how it spends money after big disasters. That makes it difficult to figure out whether donor dollars are well spent.
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The Red Cross did give some information about Sandy spending to New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who had been investigating the charity. But the Red Cross declined our request to disclose the details.
[...]
Shooting report
Too many guns are in circulation simply for the purpose of crime and mayhem. It's time we took steps to get some of them out of circulation.
Supreme Court puts womens' safety in jeopardy.
The Supreme Court Just Made It Harder For Women To Exercise Their Right To Choose (Click here to read more)
By Tara Culp-Ressler June 26, 2014 at 10:30 am Updated: June 26, 2014 at 10:45 am
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The Supreme Court unanimously struck down Massachusetts' abortion buffer zone law on Thursday, ruling in favor of anti-choice protesters who argued that being required to stay 35 feet away from clinic entrances is a violation of their freedom of speech. The decision rolls back a proactive policy intended to safeguard women's access to reproductive health care in the face of persistent harassment and intimidation from abortion opponents.
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"By its very terms, the Act restricts access to 'public way[s]' and 'sidewalk[s],' places that have traditionally been open for speech activities and that the Court has accordingly labeled 'traditional public fora,' " the opinion states. "The buffer zones burden substantially more speech than necessary to achieve the Commonwealth's asserted interests."
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Reproductive rights advocates had been hoping the justices would uphold the policy, which they say has gone a long way to ensure that woman can safely enter abortion clinics. More than 30 pro-choice organizations filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to rule in favor of Massachusetts' buffer zone, which was approved in response to a mass shooting at several of the state's abortion clinics.
[...]
Buffer zones are not entirely unusual policies. There are already buffer zones around funerals and polling places. Ironically, the Supreme Court itself has a large buffer zone around it to prevent protesters from picketing on its 252-by-98-foot plaza, requiring demonstrations to take place on the sidewalk.
[...]
Destorying America's legacy - one ruling at a time.
Today's Supreme Court Decision Could Imperil All Unions In 2018 (Click here to read more)
By Ian Millhiser June 26, 2014 at 11:26 am Updated: June 26, 2014 at 12:05 pm
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The Supreme Court today effectively eliminated the president's power to make recess appointments in all but the most unusual circumstances, with four justices going even further with an opinion that could have retroactively invalidated thousands of recess appointments made by presidents past if it had garnered just one more vote. Thursday's opinion in National Labor Relations Board v. Noel Canning is a defeat for President Obama, who made the recess appointments that are now invalid under the Court's decision. But the greatest effects of this opinion will not be felt until long after Obama leaves the White House. Thanks to Noel Canning, the country will likely face a pitched battle every five years that poses an existential threat to unions every time it is waged.
[...]
Perhaps the Earth is making a good choice in preparing for the extinction of mankind through global warming if it has come to this.
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Hard to argue with this...
Russell Brand: Fox News is 'fanatical, terrorist, propagandist' and 'more dangerous than ISIS' (Click here to read more)
By David EdwardsWednesday, June 25, 2014 9:10 EDT
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Comedian Russell Brand on Tuesday blasted Fox News host Judge Jeanine Pirro for taking a position on bombing Iraq that he said was even "worse" than the militant group ISIS which has taken over a large portion of the country.
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In what BuzzFeed called "the craziest rant a Fox News host has ever done," Pirro over the weekend lashed out at the president for not ordering sustained air strikes on Iraq.
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Brand took to his YouTube channel on Tuesday to dissect Pirro's commentary, starting with the claim that ISIS was "coming for us."
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"Hold on, they're not," Brand noted. "They not coming. Also, it's interesting when she says, to them, we are the infidels. Meaning that she regards them as the infidels. Which means unclean, disconnected from God. Don't try to counter religious extremism with religious extremism."
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Pirro said that her solution to the recent violence Iraq was to "bomb them. Bomb them, keep bombing them, bomb them again, and again."
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"F*cking hell!" Brand exclaimed. "When they do these bombings it creates more insurgents, that's what creates them. Don't think of a bomb as going down there and destroying stuff, think of it as like a seed that goes into the ground, and grows insurgents out of it. It creates more terrorism, doing it."
[...]
Gun Fail 74
Wed Jun 25, 2014 at 01:34 PM PDT
Another armed shopper accidentally fires in-store. But at least he wasn't protesting! GunFAIL LXXIV
attribution: The TSA Blog
Everything pictured here was found by TSA Agents
in a single carry-on bag, at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in
Houston, TX. By the way, yes, that's a silencer, at bottom.
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Seventeen people accidentally shot themselves last week. Featured story on that score: the Port Charlotte, FL man who's reported as having shot himself and blamed it on an imaginary assailant, for the second time. Besides shooting yourself or having your home shot up by a neighbor, the next most dangerous place to find yourself last week was in a car with a gun, where six people were accidentally shot. After that: with a family member, since five people were accidentally shot by relatives.
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Four people accidentally discharged firearms while cleaning, repairing, or otherwise working on them, which of course means they were still loaded at the time, which is kind of a no-no. Cutting that particular corner cost a Gaffney, SC man his wife, in fact. Gun owners: would you rather save the five seconds involved in checking just one more time, or the rest of your life or the life of a loved one?
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Seven kids were accidentally shot last week, ages 6, 11, 15, 15, 15, 16 and 17. I didn't count the Humble, TX 12-year-old who shot himself in the eye when he decided to hold a .22 caliber round over a cigarette lighter until it exploded, though. If there was a gun around, it wasn't holding the bullet that injured him, so he doesn't make the list.
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Four law enforcement officers were involved in GunFAIL episodes, including the return to our list of an old favorite: accidentally shooting yourself while using the bathroom. Four shooters also injured themselves or others in target shooting accidents, and two shot themselves getting tangled up in their own holsters.
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In a category that's newly come to my attention, we might keep track of how many GunFAIL victims are flown to the hospital via helicopter, as I've recently learned that such flights cost anywhere from $12,000 to $25,000. Two people were reported as having racked those charges up last week, thanks to their accidents.
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And in another of our recurring scenarios, we've had yet another helpful neighborhood protector accidentally fire his weapon while shopping at a WalMart, this time in Jasper, IN.
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Before turning you over to the list below the fold, I feel I should call out this year's biggest GunFAIL, at least in terms of the size of the round involved. That dishonor, of course, goes to the owner of the 105mm howitzer that was a new addition to the lineup at this year's Wyandotte, OK Full Auto Shoot & Trade Show. Seems that, although he felt sure he had his gun pointed in a safe direction, he had no idea just how far a howitzer could throw a round, at least if it didn't explode on impact but instead skipped off the ground. This particular round, as it happens, bounced a full mile and a half before smashing through a nearby home. Oopsies! Well, it's the thought that counts.
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Seventeen people accidentally shot themselves last week. Featured story on that score: the Port Charlotte, FL man who's reported as having shot himself and blamed it on an imaginary assailant, for the second time. Besides shooting yourself or having your home shot up by a neighbor, the next most dangerous place to find yourself last week was in a car with a gun, where six people were accidentally shot. After that: with a family member, since five people were accidentally shot by relatives.
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Four people accidentally discharged firearms while cleaning, repairing, or otherwise working on them, which of course means they were still loaded at the time, which is kind of a no-no. Cutting that particular corner cost a Gaffney, SC man his wife, in fact. Gun owners: would you rather save the five seconds involved in checking just one more time, or the rest of your life or the life of a loved one?
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Seven kids were accidentally shot last week, ages 6, 11, 15, 15, 15, 16 and 17. I didn't count the Humble, TX 12-year-old who shot himself in the eye when he decided to hold a .22 caliber round over a cigarette lighter until it exploded, though. If there was a gun around, it wasn't holding the bullet that injured him, so he doesn't make the list.
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Four law enforcement officers were involved in GunFAIL episodes, including the return to our list of an old favorite: accidentally shooting yourself while using the bathroom. Four shooters also injured themselves or others in target shooting accidents, and two shot themselves getting tangled up in their own holsters.
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In a category that's newly come to my attention, we might keep track of how many GunFAIL victims are flown to the hospital via helicopter, as I've recently learned that such flights cost anywhere from $12,000 to $25,000. Two people were reported as having racked those charges up last week, thanks to their accidents.
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And in another of our recurring scenarios, we've had yet another helpful neighborhood protector accidentally fire his weapon while shopping at a WalMart, this time in Jasper, IN.
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Before turning you over to the list below the fold, I feel I should call out this year's biggest GunFAIL, at least in terms of the size of the round involved. That dishonor, of course, goes to the owner of the 105mm howitzer that was a new addition to the lineup at this year's Wyandotte, OK Full Auto Shoot & Trade Show. Seems that, although he felt sure he had his gun pointed in a safe direction, he had no idea just how far a howitzer could throw a round, at least if it didn't explode on impact but instead skipped off the ground. This particular round, as it happens, bounced a full mile and a half before smashing through a nearby home. Oopsies! Well, it's the thought that counts.
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- INDIANAPOLIS, IN, 5/19/14: Darye and Dija Henry sat in a park and opened up about a deadly night that unfolded in their typically quiet subdivision. On May 19th, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department responded to a deadly shooting in the 5200 block of Lakemanor Drive. On that night, three people were killed, one person was arrested, and several homes were struck by stray bullets. Some of those stray bullets hit the Henry’s home. One bullet struck the Henry’s 10-year-old daughter in the leg, another hit their 8-year-old daughter’s pillow who was sleeping. “I was trying hard to keep focus, I was very angry,” said Darye Henry. An ambulance arrived to the home and rushed the little girl to the hospital in good condition. She was later released. “I know God spared us that night, we counted ten that went through the house and there were six of us at home,” said Dija. Homicide detectives later arrested Montrel Humphrey, 20, of Gary, Indiana for the shootings. Police believe Humphrey was part of a team of people that tried to rob a suspected drug house in the area when the shootout started.
- CUMMING, GA, 5/23/14: A man heard two or three "gun shots," and then heard debris hit the hood of his car, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff's incident report. A man in 200 block of 15th Street told deputies May 23 he was outside with his family when he heard the debris hit the hood and windshield of his 2002 Ford Explorer. He said he saw two men outside their home off Darla Avenue at the time of the incident. Deputies talked to one of the men who said he was shooting at his range behind his home. He said the range has a backdrop that is safe for shooting. The man did tell deputies he had an accidental discharge of his shotgun in the air and that falling shot is most likely what the caller heard hit his car. No charges were pressed against the suspect, but he did receive a verbal warning. Additionally, because Gomes was intoxicated and had urinated in the parking lot, he was charged with public drunkenness and taken to Forsyth County Detention Center.
- TULSA, OK, 6/02/14: The family of a pregnant woman who was shot and critically injured a few weeks ago is asking for help. Alexis Russell is five months pregnant and on life support, and her brother is accused of the shooting. Lemond Tyrone Russell told his family the June 2nd shooting was an accident. Family members said they are not mad at him, and their focus is to make sure Alexis pulls through and her children are okay. "Oh Alexis is a spit fire. She walks in a room and her smile just brightens your day," said family friend, Tyra Cummings. Since June 2nd, days have been a bit darker for the Russell family. Alexis' 19-year-old brother is accused of shooting his sister. "It was horrible what happened. It was an accident. Tyrone loves his sister very, very, much," said Cummings. It's an accident that left Alexis with a bullet wound in her neck, put her brother in jail and left their mother, Samantha, struggling to maintain and care for Alexis' two children. Doctors said her unborn child is doing well, but Alexis is on life support. "She has a lot of seizures, which is part of it, but it's all a recovery process. She is going to have to get worse before she gets better. So we are all very hopeful," said Cummings. Loved ones are also hoping for financial help for medical costs and to care for Alexis' children. They said Lemond has called from jail and the family puts the phone to his sister's ear.
- BETHLEHEM, GA, 6/09/14: GUN SHOT: On June 9, a deputy was dispatched to Pointe South Circle, Bethlehem, where a woman said her daughter found a hole in her upstairs bedroom wall. The woman said she found what looked to be a bullet hole, so she called her husband. The husband showed the deputy the hole. It appeared the bullet went through the wall, hit a pillow on the bed and into a comforter. The bullet was cut out of the comforter and given to the deputy. The man said his daughter fell asleep in the living room that evening so she was not in the bedroom when the damage occurred. The man said he heard several gunshots at about 11 PM, but was not sure where the guns were fired.
- RICHARDSON CO., NE, 6/09/14: A Richardson County Sheriff's deputy was fired and arrested Friday after an investigation revealed he lied about a gun-shot wound. According to a news release from the Richardson County Sheriff’s Office, Joshua Nincehelser was charged with staging the events of June 9, when he reported he had been shot by an unidentified assailant. Law enforcement agencies spent the next day searching Southeast Nebraska and parts of nearby states, looking for a silver or tan Dodge Neon associated with that morning's reported shooting on County Road 717, a quarter mile west of U.S. 75 and about 5½ miles northeast of Humboldt. Nincehelser was treated at Bryan West Campus in Lincoln for a shot to his upper left arm. In a news release issued that day, the Richardson County Sheriff's Office said Nincehelser saw a car stopped on the rural road and approached to offer aid. He was trying to talk to the driver when the person behind the wheel produced a semi-automatic pistol and fired several shots at him, the release said. Nincehelser returned fire and then got back into his cruiser and chased the car as it sped away, the release said. The sheriff's office said the chase ended within a few miles because Nincehelser couldn't see adequately through his windshield, which had been shattered by at least three bullets. Friday's release said that Nincehelser told Nebraska State Patrol investigators that he had, in fact, not been shot by someone, but had accidentally shot himself in the arm. He also said that he fired several shots into his patrol vehicle to make it seem like he had been shot at. Nincehelser was arrested on felony offenses of criminal mischief, use of a firearm to commit a felony, and misdemeanor counts of obstructing government operations and falsely reporting and abuse of public records. Nincehelser’s bond was set at 10 percent of $50,000.
- WAXAHACHIE, TX, 6/11/14: At 11 p.m. Wednesday, the Ellis County Sheriff's Office received a 9-1-1 call from the 4700 block of Farm-to-Market 984, in the Bardwell area, regarding a gunshot victim. Upon arrival, emergency personnel found an 18-year-old man deceased. Justice of the Peace Pct. 4 Steve Egan responded, pronounced the man dead and ordered the body to be taken to the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s office for an autopsy. Initial impressions of investigators on the scene led them to believe no drugs or alcohol were involved in what appears to be an accidental discharge of a firearm.
- REDWOOD CITY, CA, 6/12/14: A Redwood City family is desperately searching for answers a week after their 16-year-old boy was killed in an alleged accidental shooting while riding in a car with friends. The shooting happened between Spring and Broadway in Redwood City on Thursday, June 12th. So far, no arrests have been made. Police say the shot was fired inside the car. The 16-year-old was going to be a senior at Redwood High School. Redwood City Police said just after midnight on Thursday, Carranza riding in a car with three other men believed to be his friends. A handgun in the car went off and Carranza was fatally shot. He was dropped off at Kaiser where he was pronounced dead with one gunshot wound to his upper body. "At this point, it looks like they were handling the gun and might not have known it was loaded," said Redwood City Police Lt. Sean Hart. Police said they don't believe the shooting was gang-related and are investigating how and why the group obtained the gun.
- PIQUA, OH, 6/13/14: A Piqua man hoping to put down a distempered raccoon accidentally fired a bullet that went into a nearby home on Friday, but thankfully nobody was injured, according to sheriff’s reports. The incident transpired in the 6100 block of West State Route 185, Piqua, when gun owner Robert N. Cline, 56, fired two shots from his .44 Magnum pistol at a raccoon. While the second shot struck and killed the raccoon, Cline told sheriff’s deputies is first shot “missed high.” Cline, who was not charged with a crime, was spoken to by deputies about firearms safety. Reports state Cline was “very distraught” after learning about the wayward bullet and offered to pay for any damages. The owner of the home that was struck by the bullet, Edward J. Davis, told deputies the bullet struck his house, traveled through an interior wall, proceeded into the house and cracked a window on his entertainment center. The round struck approximately four feet from the floor. “(The round) traveled across the room to the entertainment center,” a sheriff’s lieutenant wrote in his report. “Mr. and Mrs. Davis voiced their anger and worry about the round traveling into their house and main family television room.” No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.
- RACINE, WI, 6/14/14: A Racine man faces criminal charges after he discharged a gun and struck a Bible after an argument with a woman Saturday night. Police were called shortly before midnight Saturday to the 1400 block of Goold Street for a report of an assault. Richard Gerber, 50, of the 1400 block of Goold Street, who faces criminal charges, reportedly grabbed a woman by the throat and threatened to punch her, according to his criminal complaint. He then went into the bedroom and she could hear a loud bang and she saw the Bible had been struck. When police arrived they found a shotgun on the floor, a spent shotgun shell and a Bible that appeared to have been struck by a shotgun blast, according to a criminal complaint. When Gerber tried to return to the residence after midnight, police took him into custody. He reportedly told police he had consumed approximately six beers that evening and the gun went off accidentally while he was trying to move it. But he reportedly told police he “never laid a hand” on the woman. The woman said they were both alcoholics and had been drinking for most of the evening. Gerber was charged Monday with misdemeanor battery, disorderly conduct, negligent handling of a weapon and possession of a firearm while intoxicated. His bond was set at $750 cash, according to online court records.
- MILWAUKEE, WI, 6/15/14: An accidental shooting that occurred near 42nd and Silver Spring just after midnight on Sunday. The citizen in this incident, a 32-year-old man, accidentally shot himself causing a non-life-threatening injury. He is being treated at a hospital. The citizen was lawfully carrying the handgun.
- NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FL, 6/15/14: A woman accidentally shot herself Sunday afternoon during a marksmanship competition in Volusia County, authorities said. Siegried Betterly, 40, was injured while participating in a timed shooting competition at the Volusia County Gun and Hunt Club on State Road 44, said Volusia Sheriff spokesman Gary Davidson. Davidson said as Betterly was putting her 9 mm handgun into her holster, she accidentally touched the trigger, and a bullet hit her in the leg. An off-duty paramedic was at the scene and helped reduce the bleeding until rescue crews arrived. Betterly was taken to Halifax Medical Center, with non-life-threatening injuries, Davidson said. Investigators determined the shooting was accidental.
- JACKSONVILLE, FL, 6/15/14: An update on the shooting death of a 15-year-old on Jacksonville's westside. A police report shows Bryant Layfield's death was the result of an accidental shooting. His step-mom, Christy Files, has been arrested for tampering with evidence. Police say Files initially told them Layfield was shot while in the backyard of the house on Melvin Circle East Sunday night. She reported seeing two suspects fleeing hte backyard of the house, over her fence. Detectives searched her home and found a bloodied .22 caliber long rifle in the attic. After further questioning Files finally admitted to putting the gun in the attic for safe keeping from other children, and eventually admitted putting it in the attic to hide evidence from police. The report shows Layfield was accidentally shot while inside the house. A police spokesperson says this is still an active homicide investigation, meaning someone took the life of another.
- CLEVELAND, OH, 6/15/14: A concealed carry permit holder accidentally shot himself and another man while sitting in the passenger seat of a car on the city's East Side, Cleveland police said. The shooting happened about 7 PM Sunday near East 103rd Street and Pierpont Avenue. The bullet ripped through the gun owner's hand before it passed through the driver's right leg and lodged in his left leg, police said. Emergency medical crews drove the men to hospitals, according to spokesman Sgt. Ali Pillow. Officers learned the man handling the weapon has a CCW permit, Pillow said. Investigators confiscated the gun. The identities of the men have not been released. It is unclear what type of gun was fired or whether the car was in motion when it went off.
- JASPER, IN, 6/15/14: A man is charged with criminal recklessness after his handgun accidentally discharged inside of a Wal-Mart. The accident happened at the Wal-Mart on Newton Street in Jasper. The man was in the check out area when he reached into his pocket to grab something, but instead, accidentally fired a single shot from his handgun. The bullet went through his pant leg - hitting the concrete floor, then a wall. The man suffered minor burns to his leg and refused treatment. No one else was injured.
- MONTOURSVILLE, PA, 6/15/14: Authorities say a man was shot in the head at a surprise birthday party in central Pennsylvania over the weekend. State police in Lycoming County said 24-year-old Cody Gorsline of Williamsport was flown to Geisinger Medical Center in critical condition after the 2 AM Sunday shooting. Police said he was one of about a dozen people at a birthday party for the resident of the Montoursville home, who had turned 24. Trooper T.R. Havens said the resident took Gorsline upstairs to show him a handgun, but as he was handing the weapon to the victim, it went off. Havens said the bullet hit Gorsline in the side of the head. He said both men had consumed alcohol during the party. Police are investigating and no charges were immediately filed.
- PRESCOTT VALLEY, AZ, 6/15/14: Three people have been arrested following a standoff with police in Prescott Valley. Prescott Valley Police Department said officers were called to the 3400 block of Greg Drive on Sunday for a reported domestic assault. A witness reported a woman ran from the home, was tackled by a man and then drug back into the home. When officers arrived and surrounded the home, they heard a gunshot from inside. As the SWAT team arrived, a woman, later identified as 32-year-old Lindsey Excell, came out of the home and said her handgun accidentally went off. She also told police there were two men in the home. SWAT members called for the two men to come out of the home, and Eric Carozza, 39, surrendered. SWAT personnel entered the home and found 59-year-old Steven Ambariantz inside and detained him. Officers also found several marijuana plants growing in the backyard.
- HOUSTON, TX, 6/15/14: Police are investigating after a man accidentally shot himself in the chest. It happened around 1 AM Sunday on the 8500 block of Snowbank Drive in Northwest Harris County. According to Harris County deputies, four men were sitting in the back of a pickup truck, when one took out a gun and pointed it at his own chest. Witnesses told investigators the gun the accidentally went off. The man was flown to the hospital in stable condition.
- SAGINAW, MI, 6/16/14: A man was treated at a Saginaw hospital after he shot himself in the foot, the Saginaw Police Department reports. About 7:45 PM Monday, June 16, Saginaw police officers were dispatched to Dillon near Needham for a report of a possible shooting. Arriving officers found a 47-year-old man who had a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his foot, Detective Sgt. Reggie Williams said. The victim appeared to be intoxicated at the time and police determined that he shot himself inside of his own house by accident. The victim was transported to a Saginaw hospital where he was treated for his non-fatal wounds, Williams said. “It should go without saying that you should not handle firearms without proper training, and you should never handle firearms while drinking alcohol," Williams said. "I guess some people learn the hard way.”
- OAK HILLS, OR, exact date unknown: An Oak Hills resident shot a firearm through the wall and left a neighbor a note to apologize, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office. Deputies responded about 4:45 PM to the apartment complex in the 2400 block of Northwest Schmidt Way after a tenant called 911 to report finding the note and a hole in the wall, said Sgt. Bob Ray, a Washington County Sheriff's Office spokesman. The note said the firearm was accidentally discharged while it was being cleaned, Ray said. No injuries were reported and the resident had been away from the apartment when the shooting occurred. "The neighbor was not very happy," Ray said. Deputies have not yet found the neighbor who allegedly shot the firearm, Ray said. He did not know when the shooting occurred.
- MCGRATH, AK, 6/16/14: Alaska State Troopers are investigating an incident in McGrath earlier this week where a 37-year-old man said he was accidentally shot in the leg by a family member. Early Monday morning, the medical clinic in McGrath reported to troopers a 911 call of man with a gunshot wound in the leg. Two McGrath-based troopers responded to investigate. The 37-year-old man had a .22 caliber gunshot wound to his left knee, and told the troopers he was accidentally shot by a family member. The man, who has not yet been identified, was later taken to the McGrath Medical Clinic and flown to Anchorage for treatment of the injury, which is non-life-threatening. A witness told troopers that the man had been drinking at the home of a relative when he refused to leave, and the two men began to argue. A struggle ensued, and the .22 caliber pistol went off, striking and injuring the 37-year-old, troopers said. Troopers are investigating possible charges of weapons misconduct and criminal trespass.
- PORT CHARLOTTE, FL, 6/16/14: Sure, accidentally shooting yourself is embarrassing. Especially if you do it twice. But it only gets worse for you if you blame it on someone else. Especially if you do that twice, too. Peter James Bonfiglio, 27, of Port Charlotte, is charged with filing a false report of a robbery. Deputies say Bonfiglio called deputies Monday morning to tell them a woman he knew and a man he didn't know robbed him at gunpoint at his Kinderkemac Avenue home around 2:30 AM. He said they took jewelry from him and then shot him in the foot. He was taken to the hospital for treatment. Deputies found the woman Bonfiglio said he knew. She told them Bonfiglio approached her about getting money for some jewelry he had. The woman was able to show investigators several text messages that backed up her story. She also told them she went to see Bonfiglio by herself, and he had the foot injury when she showed up. Deputies also talked to a taxi driver who took the woman to Bonfiglio's house. The driver said there wasn't anyone with her on the trip. Detectives determined Bonfiglio shot himself, most likely accidentally, and made up the story to cover his mistake. He was arrested on charges of Filing a False Police Report and Violation of Probation and held at the Charlotte County Jail without bond. The investigation also turned up a previous encounter with Bonfiglio - he was arrested less than a year ago on similar charges. In October 2013, he allegedly shot himself and reported someone hiding in the woods had shot him.
- SANTA CRUZ, CA, 6/16/14: Authorities identified Hugo Rodas-Escobar, a 15-year-old who just finished ninth grade at Santa Cruz High School, as the boy killed Monday evening in an unintentional shooting in a Center Street apartment. Some of Rodas-Escobar's teachers remembered him as polite and respectful. They said he had a shy smile and loved music. Rodas-Escobar's last day of ninth grade was June 12, just four days before he was killed. About 6:45 p.m. Monday, Rodas-Escobar was visiting friends who live in the apartment on the 200 block of Center Street, said Santa Cruz Deputy Police Chief Steve Clark.There were a few teens in the second-floor apartment and five adults — including the mother of the 16-year-old suspected shooter, police said. Rodas-Escobar was at least an acquaintance and possibly friends with the 16-year-old, and they were in his bedroom when the 16-year-old fired the gun unintentionally, Clark said. The bullet struck Rodas-Escobar in the upper torso, and a "chaotic" scene unfolded, Clark said. Someone outside the home called 911, and police responded and attempted to resuscitate Rodas-Escobar. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
- CUERO, TX, 6/16/14: Tracy Schultz was in her house in rural DeWitt County Monday evening when she heard a gun shot, followed by a scream. A long-time hunter, Shultz recognized the sound as that of a shotgun and told her husband, Alan Roby, to run to their neighbor's house, where the shot rang out. She instructed her daughters to call 911. Roby jumped over a fence to the aide of Quinn A. Lynch, a 20-year-old man Shultz described as "smart, funny and real quick-witted." Quinn, who lived in the 1300 block of Lockhart Cemetery Road in northwest DeWitt County, was lying on the ground with a wound that appeared to be located in his right armpit. Quinn was shot once in the right chest area with a 12 gauge shotgun when he and his father were taking the gun out of a vehicle around 7:15 PM Monday, said DeWitt County Sheriff Jode Zavesky. Roby put pressure on the wound. But Quinn was fading quickly. "I don't know if you have children or not. When you have a child that is severely injured it's very difficult for a parent to have a clear thought pattern," Schultz said. Quinn's father, Fritz Lynch, a double amputee, could not get on the ground to help his son. "He was just in shock," Schultz said. The death appears to be a result of an accident, Zavesky said. However, Sgt. Carl Bowen of the DeWitt County Sheriff's Office is leading the investigation into the incident.
- CINCINNATI, OH, 6/16/14: A 15-year-old is expected to recover after he was shot in Evanston on Monday night. Cincinnati police said the boy and two other teens were playing with a gun at the intersection of Dexter and Woodburn avenues when the weapon accidentally went off about 8:30 PM. It was not immediately clear who owns the gun, or how the teens got it.
- MARSHALL, TX, 6/17/14: A Harrison County Jail employee died at approximately 12:45 AM this morning, as a result of an accidental gun discharge at his home on Alvin Street, sheriff’s officials confirmed. Administrative Deputy Jay Webb said the deceased, 22-year-old Deon John Adams, had been employed as a jailer since last August. "He was eager to get certified as a peace officer and he was an asset to the county. He was a very good jail employee," said Webb. "This is a tragic event for the family." Marshall Police Department is investigating the shooting.
- WOODWAY, TX, 6/17/14: A Georgia man is in jail in Woodway, Texas, after a bullet from his gun narrowly missed hitting a hotel guest while the gunman practiced his quick draw in the parking lot, according to KXXV-TV. Woodway police said Christopher Whitley accidentally shot off a round with a 40-caliber Glock handgun in the parking lot of the Extended Stay America on Woodway Drive in Woodway, a master-planned community which adjoins Lake Waco. Police told KXXV-TV that the bullet went through a guest's window at the nearby La Quinta Inn and Suites. Whitley's bullet missed the La Quinta guest by about 18 inches, police said. "He (the La Quinta guest) heard the gun go off and then the window shattered," Woodway Assistant Police chief Robert Smith said. "He just said he dove down on the ground and was crawling around trying to get out the door in case another round came through the window." The bullet went through the window, narrowly missed the guest, hit the back wall of the hotel room and ended up in the shower. When officers arrived at the scene they determined that the round had come from the direction of the Extended Stay America, near the La Quinta. According to the TV station, when officers found Whitley in the hotel parking lot, he still had the gun in his hand and dropped it when a police officer began to draw his gun. No injuries were reported, and Whitley was arrested on a deadly conduct charge.
- WIND GAP, PA, 6/17/14: A Wind Gap man said he dozed off with a loaded firearm on his lap and was awoken when it fired just before 3 this morning, according to court records. Greg Philip Winnick, of Oakwood Drive, was watching YouTube videos on a new trigger for his Rebel Arms AR-15 after installing it on the gun, when he fell asleep at the computer with the gun on his lap, according to court records. Winnick told Pennsylvania State Police with the Belfast barracks that he woke up when the rifle discharged and that he did not realize the gun was loaded, according to records. The 37-year-old told authorities that he had been awake since midnight Sunday, records indicate. Winnick's neighbors, Sydney and Tabitha Merrick, told police they were woken by a loud noise and saw a hole in the bedroom wall that is adjacent to Winnick's apartment, according to court records. They also reported damage to the ceiling and another hole above the light switch on the opposite wall, records indicate. Two children, ages 1 and 2, were sleeping in the Merricks' apartment. Police say that the bullet entered the bedroom above the mattress where the Merricks were sleeping, according to records. Records indicate that Winnick said he vaguely remembers loading the gun with a magazine, but does not remember placing a live round into the chamber. Winnick was arraigned before District Judge Douglas Schlegel on charges of aggravated assault, discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure and recklessly endangering another person. He was released on $50,000 unsecured bail.
- PANAMA CITY, FL, 6/17/14: A new father is dead after what appears to be an accidental shooting Tuesday night. Steven Justin Ayers, 33, and his wife had gathered family members to celebrate the homecoming of their 3-day-old baby — born on Father’s Day. But the celebration at 2502 Michigan Court ended shortly after 6 PM when a stray bullet entered the home, struck Ayers in the back of the head and killed him. Moments earlier, Charles Edward Shisler, 62, had picked up a loaded 9mm pistol in his residence, adjacent to the Ayers’ home, when the gun discharged. Shisler was on his porch at 3708 W. 25th St. when Bay County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived minutes after the shooting, according to arrest reports. Shisler was initially uncooperative with deputies and “belligerent,” according to arrest reports. While in custody, waiving his right to remain silent, Shisler told officers the shooting was accidental. “The damn gun doesn’t usually shoot,” Shisler’s arrest report quoted him as saying. “You have to squeeze the hell out of the trigger to shoot it.” Shisler told deputies he tried to pick up the gun by its trigger, but it fired a hole through his screen. He later told deputies he hid the gun under his mattress. A blood test taken more than four hours after the incident showed Shisler had a blood alcohol content of 0.079, deputies reported.
- ZANESVILLE, OH, 6/17/14: Zanesville Police said they're investigating an accidental shooting that took place at a local car dealership. Lt. Chris Phipp's said an ambulance was dispatched to Jeff Drennen's on Maple Avenue for an unknown hand injury around 3:22 PM Tuesday. Phipps said when the ambulance arrived they called police to inform them the injury was actually a self inflicted gunshot wound to the hand. The incident is still being investigated, but Lt. Phipps said the man was charged with discharging a firearm in the city limits.
- FRAZEYBURG, OH, 6/17/14: The front yard of the Frazeysburg house was not yet mowed as the yellow police tape encircled it, two bicycles leaning against the front porch. Jen Miller had just started to cut her backyard at 43 1st St., while her 11-year-old son, Brady Scherer, played inside the house yesterday with his best friend, Lucas Templin. The noise from the mower drowned out the siren as an ambulance pulled in front of the house, a neighbor said. Miller had no idea that her son had just called 911 to report that he had accidentally shot Lucas. The two boys, in little more than the 10 minutes since Miller had started the mower, had found a loaded revolver inside the house. Lucas, who lived barely a block away — just across the railroad tracks — was pronounced dead at the scene, a single gunshot wound in his chest. Lucas, who turned 11 on June 6, served as the best man in his father’s wedding last weekend. He would have been a fifth-grader at Frazeysburg Elementary School. The shooting — including who owned the gun and where it was found — remains under investigation, said Sheriff Matt Lutz.
- MURFREESBORO, TN, 6/17/14: A woman faces a weapons charge after Murfreesboro Police said she accidentally fired her gun inside an apartment with her young child sleeping nearby. Murfreesboro Police officers were checking out a drug complaint at an apartment on Willowbrook Drive on Tuesday, but the resident, identified as 23-year-old Robyn Sinclair, refused to give officers consent to enter. They did not have a warrant, so they started to leave the scene when they heard a gun go off inside. They went back, demanding to be allowed inside for a welfare check. The woman eventually let them inside, admitting to having pulled her gun, and saying it went off while she was trying to put the safety on. The gun was found inside a master bedroom closet, with a bullet hole in the door frame closet. The bullet was found lodged in an ironing board. Sinclair's infant was sleeping in the room, but was not hurt. Sinclair was charged with negligent discharge.
- STAFFORD, VA, 6/17/14: A Ruther Glen man is accused of shooting himself in the leg Tuesday and blaming it on an unknown passing motorist in Stafford County, police said. The man apparently didn’t want police to know he had shot himself because he is a felon and can’t legally possess a gun, Stafford Sheriff’s Office spokesman Bill Kennedy said. A conviction on such a charge carries a mandatory two-year prison term. Kennedy said Deputy Christian Mireles went to the 1000 block of Warrenton Road in southern Stafford about 5:50 PM for a report of a shooting. He was greeted by a man on the passenger’s side of a vehicle who quickly led him to the shooting victim, 29-year-old William McNeely. McNeely had his right leg stretched out and said he was suffering from a gunshot wound. Kennedy said he told police that he was walking along Warrenton Road when a man walked up and shot him for no reason. The shooter was described as a black man with dreadlocks, but the victim didn’t know the man. The driver of the car McNeely was in told deputies that he was driving on U.S. 17 when he saw McNeely walking. The driver said he is a friend of McNeely’s so he picked him up. The driver said he was told that McNeely had been shot, so he pulled over and called for help. Detective Kurt McBride found a gun and the victim’s wallet in the car and eventually determined through his investigation that the victim had been playing with the gun inside the car when he accidentally shot himself. McNeely, also known as Dechun Brown, was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon and reckless handling of a firearm.
- HAVELOCK, NC, 6/18/14: According to friends, Raymond Andrews was shot and killed Wednesday night during a meeting at the Nightmare Factory. The business is located at 29 Park Ln., off Highway 70 in Havelock. Friends told NewsChannel 12 they were looking at an unloaded gun, and at some point while Andrews wasn't present, a friend loaded the weapon. But Andrews wasn't aware of that and jokingly held the gun up to his head, friends said. Andrews then pulled the trigger and died from his injuries, according to friends.
- PENN HILLS, PA, 6/18/14: A 21-year-old man awaiting arraignment on a criminal homicide charge has told police he accidentally shot an 18-year-old friend at a suburban Pittsburgh house party as they were looking at guns previously stolen from the suspect's house. Penn Hills police returned the guns to the suspect, Damien Franklin, on Wednesday, mere hours before the shooting that left Nathan Hurrell dead. Police say Hurrell pointed one of the rifles at Franklin and asked him what he'd do if someone pointed it at his face. Police say that's when Franklin told them he lifted another gun onto the side of a hot tub to see if it was loaded, only to have it fire when he pulled back its slide. Franklin apologized to Hurrell's family as he was taken into custody late Thursday morning.
- SARASOTA, FL, 6/18/14: A Sarasota man was arrested Wednesday after he offered to sell a stranger a gun earlier this month and accidentally shot the stranger in the thigh. Deputies said Asa Masotti, 22, pulled into the parking lot of a Walgreens pharmacy located at 3601 Bee Ridge Road with his girlfriend and a male friend at about 1 AM on June 9. While waiting for another friend to arrive, Masotti asked a stranger for a couple of cigarettes and struck up a conversation with the man. Masotti asked the stranger if he would be interested in buying a Smith & Wesson 9 mm handgun. The stranger agreed to look at the gun, and walked to Masotti's trunk. Masotti took the gun out of a lock-box and “racked the slide,” which involves manually moving the gun's slide so a gun can load the first round of ammunition from a magazine into its chamber. As he tried to adjust the gun, it fired a round into the stranger's right thigh. Masotti tried to give the handgun to a friend, who arrived just after the shooting, to hide, but Masotti's friend refused to hide the gun and instead stayed in the parking lot with the victim. The victim was flown to Blake Medical Center, where doctors treated him for a shattered right femur. He told police Masotti was “extremely remorseful, apologetic and scared by what'd just happened.”
- MIAMI, FL, 6/18/14: A police officer mistakenly fired his rifle Wednesday morning while in a Miami courthouse in front of a judge. A Miami-Dade Police Officer, according to police, was demonstrating a scenario to a judge during a training exercise on the 30th floor of the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse around 10:30 AM Wednesday when he accidentally fired a single shot from his department-issued rifle, an AR-15. The bullet hit the floor, leaving a hole about the size of a fingertip in the carpet near a sofa in the hallway. No one was hurt. In fact, several people in the building at the time told CBS4 they didn’t even hear the shot. Police say there’s nothing unlawful or against policy about him having his weapon. But questions remain, including “Why was the gun loaded during training?” and “Should the safety have been on at the time”? Police have not yet released the name of the officer who fired the gun.
- RIVERTON, WY, 6/18/14: Riverton police released additional information on an incident from Wednesday night around 10 PM when a bullet entered a home in the 600 block of Summit Drive. Captain Eric Murphy said the family had recently moved from the Kinnear-Pavillion area into Riverton, and the family was in the living room when they heard a loud noise just after 9 PM. Murphy said the family checked the home and found a bullet hole that went through a wall and into their daughter’s bedroom. The bullet was imbedded in the wall. While officers were at the scene, they heard a series of sharp noises consistent with fireworks or gunshots coming from the are of the Wind River to the south. Officers guessed that the bullet might have been a stray, random event and that the family was not targeted.
- NEW BEDFORD, MA, 6/18/14: Two bullets passed through an apartment on Hathaway Street in the North End late Wednesday night while a woman was sleeping and then struck a neighboring building, police said. Detective Lt. John Chaves said three shots hit an apartment at 87 Hathaway St. about 11:40 PM. Two of the shots passed through the westerly facing window and exited the home through another window before hitting the siding at 85 Hathaway St. A 55-year-old woman, sleeping in her home at 87 Hathaway St., was not injured, police said. The shooting activated ShotSpotter, the city's acoustic gunshot detention system. "It could have been really bad," Chaves said of the woman sleeping in the apartment during the shooting. The third bullet was found in the window casing at 87 Hathaway St., he said. Police Chief David Provencher said the shooting is under investigation.
- SOMO, WI, 6/18/14: A Wausau man is recovering after accidentally shooting himself last week near Tomahawk. The 32 year old was at his cabin in the Town of Somo when the incident happened on Wednesday. The victim told investigators he had just arrived at the cabin when he got out a .40 caliber handgun, loaded it and then walked around his truck. In doing so the victim advised he accidentally bumped into the side of this truck which caused the gun to discharge sending a round into his foot. He was treated and released at Ministry Sacred Heart Hospital. Foul play is not suspected and no action was indicated by the investigating deputy at this time.
- EOLIA, MO, 6/18/14: An Eolia man was the victim of what authorities are referring to as an accidental shooting last Wednesday. According to Pike County Sheriff Stephen Korte, on June 18 at approximately 9:07 p.m., the Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call of a man accidentally being shot. Deputies, as well as Eolia Fire first responders and Pike County EMS, responded to the 400 block of North Main in Eolia. The victim, Michael W. Scoggin III, as well other people present stated it was an unintentional discharge. The gun was a 12 gauge shot gun with bird shot. The shot struck Scoggin on the top of his right shoulder.
- BATTLE CREEK, MI, 6/19/14: A teenager was shot in the shoulder overnight, and police in Battle Creek believe the incident may have been an accident. The teen, 17, was shot just before 2 AM on June 19 near Walter Avenue and Hanover Street. Officers found the teenager alert and conscious with a gunshot wound to his left shoulder. They also found a shell casing, blood, and a gun several feet away. Police say the victim was not being cooperative, and, at last check, the incident remains under investigation.
- MUNCIE, IN, 6/19/14: Police said a 6-year-old boy’s parents were arrested after lying about an accidental shooting in Muncie. According to Lt Steve Cox with the Muncie Police Department, on Thursday night, officers were called to IU Ball Memorial Hospital on the report that a 6-year-old boy was shot. The boy’s parents, Lamotta Roundtree, 34, and Elisha Wolfe, 35, told officers that their 15-year-old niece, who was babysitting their son, found a gun in the alley behind their house. They said the girl picked up the gun and it went off, shooting the boy in the groin. Officers later determined that the 15-year-old girl found the gun inside of the home. Roundtree is a convicted felon who couldn’t have a gun in his home, according to Cox. As of Thursday night, the boy was listed in stable condition. Cox said he was transferred to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis for surgery. Police said the shooting was ruled an accident and the 15-year-old girl will not face any charges.
- FORT MILL, SC, 6/19/14: A Fort Mill woman, 21, was shot in the leg after a bullet apparently ricocheted off a steel target, according to a York County Sheriff’s Office report. The woman, who was treated for a gunshot wound at Riverview Medical Center in Rock Hill, was shooting handguns and long guns at her boyfriend’s family farm Thursday afternoon when a bullet from a Remington 597 rifle caromed off the metal target and hit her in the right thigh and calf, according to the report. The boyfriend showed police a cell phone video of the woman shooting at the targets just before the incident. The police report from the incident described the injury as an accidental shooting.
- HOUSTON, TX, 6/20/14: A Houston homeowner shot his tenant in the hip early Friday, but he claims it was an accident. It happened around 2 AM at a home on Seagate at Fairwind. Houston police said the the homeowner, who is in his 60s, was awoken by his renter, a man in his 30s. The homeowner reportedly grabbed a pistol as he started walking toward the tenant. The gun went off, shooting the tenant in the hip. He was transported to an area hospital in serious, but stable, condition. According to police, the homeowner said he never meant to shoot the man, but the renter is telling police that his landlord pointed the gun and shot him on purpose. The homeowner was taken into custody, and the case is being referred to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office for possible charges.
- CAMDEN, NJ, 6/20/14: A Camden County police officer was injured after a gun accidentally went off on Friday. The incident happened inside a bathroom in the Camden County Police headquarters in the 800 block of Federal Street. The officer was struck in the hip. He is expected to make a full recovery. The Camden County prosecutor's office will investigate the incident. MORE: A Camden County detective accidentally shot and wounded himself Friday morning while using the bathroom in his office, authorities said. He was seated or about to sit when the gun fired, the shot hitting him in the leg, said Jason Laughlin, spokesman for the Camden County Prosecutor's ofice. The gun was out of the detective's holster at the time. The detective's name was not released. He is part of the office's narcotics unit, Laughlin said, and has been with the prosecutor's office for several years. Taken to Cooper University Hospital, the detective underwent surgery and is "expected to be alright," Laughlin said.
- NEW YORK, NY, 6/20/14: Police say a bullet went through the 8th floor window of a Manhattan hospital and nearly hit a woman lying in a bed. It happened Friday morning at the Hospital for Special Surgery on the Upper East Side. Not many details were initially available but the bullet entered the eighth floor of the large building on E. 70th St. The patient was cut by glass fragments from the bullet going through the glass.
- LIBERTY CO., TX, 6/20/14: A Liberty County man, Jerry D. Burns, 57, was airlifted to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston around noon Friday after he was accidentally shot in the face by a .22-caliber rifle. Burns, who is said to have non-life-threatening wounds, was shot at his Big Thicket area home when he dropped the rifle while attempting to put on a trigger lock. “According to [Sheriff’s Deputy Josh] Leah, Burns was in the process of putting a trigger lock on his .22-caliber rifle and had it semi-attached when he dropped the rifle, and because the trigger lock was actually made for a pistol and not a rifle, it did not fit properly, thus causing the rifle to discharge,” said Capt. Ken DeFoor, spokesperson for the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office. The bullet struck Burns in the left jaw and did not exit, therefore causing concern for his condition, added DeFoor.
- SUMMERVILLE, SC, exact date unknown: A man was getting out of his vehicle at a gun store on E 5th North Street when he accidentally shot himself in the upper thigh. The man said he had grabbed his pistol, which was in a holster, and when he did the gun accidentally went off. He said the gun went off while it was in the holster and he never touched the trigger. He said he then cleared the gun of ammunition, left it in his vehicle and went inside the store to seek help.
- ANCHORAGE, AK, 6/20/14: Anchorage police say a wife was injured Friday evening at an East Anchorage mobile home after her husband accidentally shot her. According to APD Sgt. Sean Case, officers were called at about 11:30 PM to the residence in the Mayflower Circle trailer park, at 1001 Boniface Pkwy. Several children were in the home at the time of the shooting. The wife was struck in the neck, but was conscious and breathing when she was taken to an area hospital late Friday. Case says it’s too early to determine whether any charges will be filed in the incident, with police continuing to investigate the matter early Saturday.
- GAFFNEY, SC, 6/21/14: The Cherokee County Coroner’s Office is investigating the death of Rita McGaha Pennington, 59, of Gaffney. Officials said Rita Pennington was shot and killed at her home Saturday. Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Folwer said Rita Pennington’s husband, Dean Pennington, told investigators his 12-gauge shotgun discharged when he was cleaning it around 8 AM. Rita Pennington was pronounced dead at the scene. Fowler said he has scheduled an autopsy for Sunday morning.
- GREENWOOD, IN, 6/21/14: In Greenwood, a man accidentally shot his friend in the foot while looking at a handgun during a child’s birthday party.
- ACTON, IN, 6/21/14: Near Acton, another man was grazed by a bullet fragment that ricocheted off a target at a professional shooting range during a firearm training course.
- IOWA CITY, IA, 6/21/14: Caller just accidentally discharged his glock 10MM into the wall of his apartment.
- WYANDOTTE, OK, 6/21/14: In a bizarre accident, a rural Wyandotte home was damaged by an errant cannon round late Saturday. Between 9:15 and 9:20 p.m. Saturday, a 105mm howitzer round was fired at the Oklahoma Full Auto Shoot and Trade Show outside Wyandotte. According to the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department, the round apparently ricocheted off the ground, bounced into the air, traveled about a mile and a half to Gene and Jeanne Kelley's property, where it ripped a limb off a tree, hit the ground again and then bounced through the back wall of the house and into the couple's bedroom. Deputies came out to investigate and also went to the shoot to talk to the owner of the gun. Gene Kelley said an officer was sent to the shoot and took pictures of the gun and said it was pointed in a safe direction. "But regardless of how safe a direction it was pointed in, the end result is it still reached my home," he said. "We were pretty fortunate we weren't in that part of the house." Gene Kelley said he then called his grandson who was working the shoot.
- HOUSTON, TX, exact date unknown: A man was hospitalized after accidentally shooting himself in the knee while driving in north Harris County, police said. According to reports, the man was heading down Canino Road near Sweetwater Lane when the gun went off. Police said he managed to pull over and call for paramedics, who transported him to the hospital; he is expected to survive. The man's identity was not immediately released.
Originally posted to David Waldman on Wed Jun 25, 2014 at 01:34 PM PDT.
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