Waldman's GunFail

Florida Man wears out his welcome. When even the Gunshine state has had enough: GunFAIL CLXXX

By David Waldman  

Thursday Apr 21, 2016 · 11:38 PM EDT

Sixteen of 51 guns discovered by TSA agents at airports across the country, during the week of February 5-11, 2016.

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To no one’s surprise, accidentally shooting yourself was, during the week of February 7, once again the most popular type of GunFAIL. Because it always is! Of course, it’s not really popular, per se. It’s just the most frequently-seen type of GunFAIL. Others, as we know, include accidentally shooting kids, of which there were seven instances, accidentally firing into the home or property of a neighbor (six), and accidentally shooting a family member (five).

The top GunFAIL of the week, doubtless, was the story that may have finally shocked some small amount of sense into Florida. Until very recently, Florida’s gun-crazy legislature forbade counties and local governments from prohibiting gun owners from building firing ranges on their own property, regardless of housing density, their proximity to neighbors, children, etc. After a series of close calls, lawsuits, protests, etc., some of the state’s less-than-gun-crazy legislators actually proposed a new law prohibiting shooting on properties with more than one home per acre. But the legislation stalled a few times, and despite the fairly obvious wisdom of scaling back the “freedom” to just shoot anywhere, it was not at all clear that the bill would ever pass.

Then, on February 7, 21-year-old Herold Lanham of Naples, Florida, taking target practice in his backyard, accidentally sent a round through his neighbor’s window and shot 14-year-old Deborah Ledesma in the arm and spraying her face with shattered glass in the process. As shocking as it must have been, it couldn’t have been a surprise. Lanham had already accidentally shot Ledesma’s house at least three times in the past. But Florida being Florida, he was never arrested until February, and then only because police contended that the three prior accidents should have put him on notice of the dangers of continuing to shoot. That apparently didn’t matter much to him, though, likely because he thought the law protected him. And indeed, his attorney immediately insisted no laws had been broken. Now, even Florida has had enough.

You may find a story or two below that you think should be met with a change or two in the law. Feel free to conduct your own review of the full list for the week.

1. DAYTON, OH, 2/07/16: A teenage girl is accidentally shot by her brother on Rosedale Avenue. The girl and four other children were left home unsupervised Sunday night. Children being shot in Dayton is a growing trend, and Dayton Children's Hospital has taken notice. "If you asked me that question on Nov. 1, I'd have said it was pretty rare, maybe one or two shootings a year, and now I'm going to tell you we've seen six since Nov. 1," said Lisa Schwing with the trauma unit at Dayton Children's Hospital. Dayton Police will not confirm who fired the shot that injured the girl on Sunday night, and at this time there are no charges in the case. Quataija Shavers, 15, was flown to Cincinnati Children's Hospital. When the accident occurred, her brothers went running for help. The pair eventually found a neighbor. "We were on the porch and these two little boys were like, my brother was wrestling with my sister and her head is leaking," said the neighbor, who asked to remain anonymous. Dayton Police say the girl suffered damage to her eye. At this time we do not know her condition, but police reports say the wounds were life-threatening. Dayton Police Sgt. Gordon Cairns had a message for parents. "Any time there are guns in the home, we always recommend that they keep them locked up, and keep them away from the children, but we always say that if you are going to own firearms to do so responsibly," said Sgt. Cairns. Dayton Children's Hospital says most first-graders know if their parents own a gun, and 80 percent of them know where it is.
2. NEWARK, OH, 2/07/16: No one was injured after a bullet was reported to have struck a house on the 8100 block of Stewart Road Sunday night. The Licking County Sheriff's Office was called to the home around 9:40 PM Sunday after a bullet reportedly struck the home, Captain Darl Evans said. Deputies also found several street signs in the area which appeared to have been shot. Evans said it was possible the suspects were shooting at road signs and a stray bullet struck the home. No suspect or vehicle description was available.
3. ORLANDO, FL, 2/07/16: Orange County deputies believe the shooting that left a 13-year-old boy in critical condition was accidental, according to an update late Sunday night. The boy was visiting with relatives after 1 PM on Spottswood Drive in the Conway Acres subdivision, near Semoran Boulevard two miles north of Orlando International Airport, spokeswoman Jane Watrel said. According to Watrel, two 18-year-old relatives were also in the home at the time of the incident. One of the teens started playing with a gun after finding it in a bedroom. It fired, and the 13-year-old boy was critically wounded. He was taken to the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. The man who owned the gun, Walter Morame, 35, was arrested for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Morame is a resident at the house. UPDATE: The 13-year-old boy accidentally shot at a family member's home in Orange County this weekend has died, the Orange-Osceola Medical Examiner's Office confirmed on Tuesday. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office identified the victim as Lavardo Fisher of Ocoee. Fisher is the eighth person to die from Orange County gun violence in the past week. Other fatal shootings occurred at the Glitz Ultra Lounge, the Florida Mall and two apartment buildings. The teen was shot in the back of the head while playing Xbox with his cousins, according to an incident report released Tuesday. One of the cousins was holding the gun and riding a hoverboard when he slipped, causing the gun to accidentally fire, according to an Orange County Sheriff's Office report.
4. NAPLES, FL, 2/07/16: Collier County deputies arrested a Golden Gate Estates man after his alleged gun-shooting practice resulted in an injury to a 14-year-old girl. Herold Lanham, 21, is facing a felony charge for shooting a missile into a building and a misdemeanor for the discharge of a firearm in public. The 14-year-old, Deborah Ledesma, said people have called deputies about Lanham before and neighbors complained that their homes have been hit with bullets. Ledesma’s home had been hit three times before. “I just want them to stop, it’s not right. They have the cops called on them before, that should get a message to them,” she said. But Sunday, Lanham was shooting again and this time Ledesma got hit. The teenage girl said she was hearing shots and went to tell her mother to move when a bullet rang through her home. “The window shattered in my face and then I thought I just got cut,” she said. The bullet that hit the teenager is still lodged in her hand, which was covered in a cast Monday. Her injuries require surgery, but she said she believes she saved her mom from being hit in the head. “I stopped it from hitting my mom,” Ledesma said. “Broke two bones and a tendon so I can’t move my finger and the bullet is still in there, so they have to take that out.” Landham was seen walking out of jail Monday evening. His bond was set at $15,000, according to police reports. Ledesma said she does not feel safe and is upset that a close call could have been avoided. “It took a 14-year-old getting shot to get them to stop,” she said. MORE: A Florida man accidentally shot a neighbor girl whose house was located behind a backyard shooting range he set up — but his attorney says no laws were broken. Authorities in other communities have been unable to stop residents from setting up shooting ranges in their front or back yards because Florida law prohibits local governments from restricting gun rights in any way. Investigators said Lanham was arrested because he had prior knowledge of the potential danger his shooting posed to neighbors. Lanham’s attorney said he feels bad that the teen was injured, but he said gunfire on private property was protected under both the Second Amendment and Florida law. “There’s no doubt this was a tragedy,” said attorney Mike Chionopolous. “But I’m sorry, sometimes accidents happen, and that doesn’t mean somebody’s committed a crime simply because there’s a tragic outcome.” Lanham, who was released on bond, was initially charged with discharging a firearm in public, but his attorney pointed out the gun owner was shooting on his own property. The new charge, shooting a missile into a dwelling, is a second-degree felony.
5. GREEN BAY, WI, 2/07/16: Green Bay Police say a man accidentally shot himself on the city’s east side Sunday. The 30-year-old Green Bay man was taken to the hospital after he was found near the intersection of Humboldt Rd. and University Ave. about 2:30 PM. “The incident appears to have been an accidental self- inflicted gun shot. It was an isolated incident and the general public is not in any danger,” said an update from the Green Bay Police Department. Green Bay Police tell Action 2 News the man suffered a gunshot wound to the arm. He is hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.
6. SIOUX CITY, IA, 2/07/16: Police were responding to a robbery call early Sunday at Valley Park Apartments when their investigation lead them to another apartment within the complex. They entered the apartment and noticed the stench of marijuana and various hand guns and long guns within the apartment along with eight individuals including Isaiah Mothershed. All eight were searched and handcuffed. Officials say that while Mothershed was sitting on the handcuffed on the couch, he reached down the cushions of the couch and pulled out a 40 Caliber handgun and while seated, shot officer Moritz through the inner thigh. Moritz then lunged at Mothershed to secure the gun and during the tussle, the gun discharged. Mothershed had shot himself in the thigh. Once the gun was apprehended, first aid was administered to both Officer Moritz and Mothershed. This is not Isaiah Mothershed's first run in with the law for sure. He's facing several counts including attempted murder of a police officer robbery and one count of home invasion. Also facing a laundry list of charges is 19 year old Justin Ferguson, and 20-year old Robert Seaberry, 18-year-old Jordyn Delfs is being charged with keeping a disorderly house and harboring a missing juvenile. That missing juvenile also part of Mothershed's group, 17-year-old Micayla Knight. She contributed in planning the robberies and is also facing charges. Three other juveniles were also involved in the robbery schemes and will be prosecuted as well.
7. MILL CREEK, PA, 2/07/16: Police are searching for a man and two others after a gun was fired into a dressing room wall at the Gander Mountain store in the Millcreek Mall complex Sunday. Investigators describe the man as being in his early 20's, white, with ball cap, jeans and white Under Armour sweatshirt. It is not believed that the gun came from the store, which sells sports equipment including guns but from the outside. A bullet was recovered that had passed through a dressing room bench and into the wall. No one was hurt. UPDATE: A northwestern Pennsylvania jail guard has been suspended and could be fired after his gun accidentally fired in a retail store. The (Warren) Times Observer (http://bit.ly/1QEbp5E ) reports the guard was suspended without pay Tuesday by the Warren County Prison Board. They're not identifying the officer until police in Millcreek Township, near Erie, charge him for the gun incident in a Gander Mountain store on Feb. 7. That's where Millcreek police say the guard's gun accidentally went off while he was in a changing room at the store. Nobody was hurt. The part-time officer was off duty and had just purchased a shirt with a holster built into it when the gun went off. The prison board says the guard will be fired if he's eventually convicted of criminal charges.
8. GUYTON, GA, 2/07/16: A resident of Whippoorwill Drive in the Guyton area said he was about to paint his 9mm handgun when he accidentally shot himself in the hand.
9. FRANKLIN, NC, 2/07/16: A 14-year-old boy in Macon County shot himself while handling a gun on Saturday, according to the Macon County Sheriff's Office. Deputies responded to the home on Rosemont Drive in Franklin and found Christopher Cowart with a gunshot wound to the head. First responders airlifted him to Mission Hospital in Asheville where he is undergoing treatment. His father, Robert Cowart, says the next few days are going to be critical because his son's brain is swollen. "It's definitely a tragedy and an accident that could possibly happen to anyone," Robert Cowart said by phone. He says he and his oldest son went to Ohio for a college trip on Friday morning. He says he has several guns and keeps them under lock and key with the ammunition kept in a separate place. He says since he was leaving, his wife took a pistol out for protection. He says she placed it high up like she normally does. The next day is when Christopher got a hold of it when she wasn't home. "Don't take anything for granted, even a teenager 14-year-old," said Robert Cowart. "They're still adolescent kids and curiosity of doing things behind their parents back is a possibility." Deputies investigating the case say they believe Christopher thought it was unloaded when he was handling it and it went off. His dad is calling it a tragedy and an accident. The investigation is ongoing. A family friend has set up a GoFundMe page to help his family. If you would like to donate click here.
10. CHICAGO, IL, 2/07/16: A man accidentally shot himself Sunday in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood on the Southwest Side, police said. The 23-year-old man suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the leg in the 6300 block of South Campbell Avenue at 7:55 PM, police said. The man was taken to Holy Cross Hospital, where his condition was stabilized, police said.
11. CHICAGO, IL, 2/08/16: A man accidentally shot himself Monday evening in the Gresham neighborhood on the South Side. The man, 19, walked into Mount Sinai Hospital about 7:15 PM with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the finger, according to Chicago Police. He was listed in good condition. He told investigators he accidentally shot himself in the 8800 block of South Wallace, police said.
12. NEW ORLEANS, LA, 2/08/16: A 20-year-old man was in the hospital Monday morning (Feb. 8) after New Orleans police say he was accidentally shot in the stomach by his friend. The victim is in the hospital in stable condition, authorities said. According to preliminary information from NOPD, 19-year-old Michael Harris and the victim were "playing" with a loaded pistol at 2 AM Monday in the 6000 block of Chef Menteur Highway. The pistol fired, NOPD said, and the bullet hit the victim in the stomach. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition. At 7 AM, NOPD said his condition had improved, and he was listed in stable condition. Harris was booked later Monday morning with negligent injuring, online court records show.
13. MARION, LA, 2/08/16: A Marion area resident was airlifted to a Shreveport hospital Monday night after accidentally shooting herself in the upper chest with a small caliber pistol. During the investigation, Union Parish sheriff’s deputies arrested her boyfriend on three felony charges. Sheriff Dusty Gates said Rashonda Dixon of 205 McKinnie Drive, Apt. 20, Marion, was reported in stable condition at University Health Center-Shreveport. She reportedly was unloading the pistol when the accident occurred. The sheriff said 911 was contacted by Dixon about 7:45 PM Monday that she had shot herself and needed help. A Marion police officer found Dixon inside her car on the side of a road. She had attempted to drive herself to the hospital. Dixon told deputies that she had left the door open to her apartment and that her boyfriend was not at home when the shooting occurred. When deputies arrived at the apartment with permission from Dixon to retrieve the handgun, the apartment was locked so deputies got the manager’s key for entry. They found Aaron Deshun Traylor, 27, hiding inside. Deputies said the scene appeared to have been altered and the pistol was missing. After being read his rights, Traylor admitted that he had disposed of the gun by placing it inside an empty cereal box and throwing it in the trash. The spent cartridge was found in the commode. A background check of Traylor revealed he was a convicted felon. Also found inside the apartment was 10 grams of marijuana and a grinder commonly used to grind marijuana. Traylor was booked into the Union Parish Detention Center on felony charges of possession of a firearm by the convicted felon, obstruction of justice, and possession of marijuana-second offense. He also was booked on the misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia with bond of $750. Bonds on the three felony counts had not been set Tuesday. Traylor had been previously convicted for simple burglary on two different occasions and simple possession of marijuana.
14. WAUNAKEE, WI, 2/08/16: Two people went to Meriter Hospital Monday afternoon for non-life-threatening injuries from what police believe was an accidental discharge of a firearm. Waunakee police said officers were sent to Meriter Hospital around 3:30 PM for a report of two people with gunshot wounds. A 40-year-old man and a 18-year-old woman had a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the leg, according to a release. The firearm has been recovered, and there is no threat to public safety, officials said.
15. MCALESTER, OK, 2/08/16: A McAlester man accused of accidentally shooting a man in the head Monday was charged with a misdemeanor Friday. Blair Peterson, 31, was charged with reckless conduct with firearm. Authorities said Peterson admitted to shooting at a tree in the direction of traffic at the time Marion Fassino was driving on Seven Devils Road and was shot in the head. Fassino is recovering from the bullet wound at St. Johns Medical Center. Pittsburg County Sheriff’s deputy Randy Hass wrote in an affidavit he and medical personnel were dispatched to Seven Devils Road because Fassino called 911 saying he was struck by “something” while driving his truck. “I noticed that Fassino had blood coming from his head and what appeared to be an open wound,” Hass wrote. The deputy said he retrieved Fassino’s hat and found a hole in it. “I asked Fassino what had happened and he said that as soon as he came over the hill... that something had come through his window and hit him in the head,” The deputy wrote. Hass said he saw a bullet hole on the driver’s side window of the truck. He said he and another deputy started taking inventory of the truck and found a lead bullet from a .22-caliber gun inside. Hass said they then went to a nearby house where they found shell casings from a .22-caliber gun scattered throughout the yard and driveway. “We then noticed a tree with apparent bullet holes in it between the house and the road,” Hass wrote. “(We) then recovered a bird house that was hanging from a branch between the house and the road that had a plethora of bullet holes in it.” The deputy said when Peterson arrived home he admitted “to shooting his gun in that direction, but said that he did not know that he shot anyone.” Hass said Peterson said he wished to speak with an attorney afterwards. Jail officials said Peterson has not been booked into the county jail as of Friday morning.
16. ROME, GA, 2/08/16: A Rome man found himself behind bars following an incident at a crowded local restaurant Monday night. According to Floyd County Jail records, Jerry Eugene McClain, of a Dykes Creek Church Road address, unholstered his Hi-Point .45 caliber handgun at Applebees on Turner McCall Boulevard. He then reportedly dropped the loaded weapon on the floor. McClain is charged with reckless conduct and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
17. WALTON CO., GA, 2/08/16: This afternoon Deputies with the Uniform Patrol Division and Investigators with Criminal Investigation Division responded to a gunshot wound to a juvenile. A four year-old was able to climb a counter top and obtain a 9 mm pistol from the top of a cabinet. The four year-old then went into the backyard of the with a five year-old sibling. While playing with the sibling the four year-old fired the weapon, striking the left thumb. The child was taken to a local hospital with no life threatening injuries while the five year-old was completely unharmed. There is currently no information on the whereabouts of the parents and if charges will be filed.
18. FORT WAYNE, IN, 2/08/16: A woman learned she had been accidentally shot by her husband during a fight between their two dogs when she went to the hospital – after first seeking medical treatment for her dogs, according to a Fort Wayne Police report. Officers responded at 2:43 PM Monday at a local hospital's emergency room. There the woman said she tried to break up a fight between her German shepherd and pit bull, according to the report. The woman said she was giving her dogs their medication. They began fighting and she could not get them to stop, causing her to receive multiple bites from both dogs. The woman said her husband shot the pit bull, according to the report. A friend helped the woman take the two dogs to the animal hospital, where the veterinarian declared the pit bull dead and said the German shepherd needed to have surgery. They then went to a walk-in clinic for the woman's injuries. She was told to go to the hospital emergency room. Once at the hospital, the woman complained her foot hurt more than her arm, and an X-ray revealed she had been shot in the foot. Officers later interviewed the husband at their home in the 1900 block of Cremer Avenue off Lima Road. The husband said he heard a commotion earlier that morning and when he got to the kitchen, he saw his wife between the two dogs as well as blood everywhere. He asked her if she wanted him to shoot the pit bull, and she said yes; he fired a shot, but the pit bull did not react, according to the report. After the second shot, the dog ran into a different room. The man said he was unaware he had shot his wife until she called him from the emergency room, according to the report. Police found the handgun was properly licensed. The incident also was cleared by Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control.
19. OAKLAND, CA, 2/08/16: Two men have been charged with special circumstances murder for the apparently accidental shooting death of a fellow suspect during a robbery in East Oakland last week, police and prosecutors said Tuesday. Michael Gonzalez-Navarro, 22, and Hector Gonzalez, 29, of Hayward, were both arraigned in Alameda County Superior Court this afternoon for the death of 29-year-old Quentin Robinson of Oakland, who was shot in the 10100 block of Foothill Boulevard at 5:24 PM on Feb. 8 and pronounced dead a short time later at a local hospital. In addition to murder, Gonzalez-Navarro and Gonzalez are charged with the special circumstance of committing a murder during the course of a robbery as well as second-degree robbery. In addition, Gonzalez-Navarro is charged with unlawful firearm activity and being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm. Oakland police said that when officers responded to reports of gunfire in the 10100 block of Foothill Boulevard on Feb. 8 they found a crime scene but no victim. Police said Robinson arrived at a local hospital a short time later suffering from a gunshot wound and was later pronounced dead. Oakland police Officer Robert Rosin wrote in a probable cause statement that Gonzalez-Navarro was implicated by Gonzalez and has been identified as the primary robber and shooter in the crime. Rosin said Gonzalez-Navarro suffered gunshot wounds during the incident “which are consistent with physical evidence at the scene as well as video surveillance footage. Rosin said Gonzalez was identified by a victim as one of the suspects who participated in the robbery in the 10100 block of Foothill Boulevard. Oakland police said in a statement that on Sunday Gonzalez-Navarro was medically cleared from a local hospital where he had been recovering from the injuries he sustained in the incident and was arrested. Police said Gonzalez was arrested in San Leandro last Thursday. Rosin said that after Gonzalez was arrested, “He confessed to knowledge and participation in the robbery and homicide.” Gonzalez-Navarro and Gonzalez are both being held without bail at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.
20. STERLING, VA, 2/08/16: Loudoun County Sheriff's deputies are investigating two cases where firearms unintentionally discharged, leaving one Sterling man with non-life-threatening injuries. The first incident happened between 2:30 and 3:30 PM Monday. Deputies were called to the 20500 block of Ashley Terrace in Sterling the following day for reports of damage to damage to a townhome. The man, according to reports, was cleaning his gun when it discharged a round into an interior wall and damaged the wall of a neighbor's adjacent townhome.
21. STERLING, VA, 2/09/16: On Tuesday, deputies were called to Inova Loudoun hospital's emergency room for a man who was suffering from a gunshot wound. The man told deputies he was handling the gun and showing it to a friend at a residence in the 21700 block of Auto World Circle in Sterling when it discharged and hit him.
22. LANCASTER, PA, 2/09/16: A Lancaster police officer is recovering from a gunshot wound after an accidental shooting during a training exercise Tuesday morning. Police said the officer was at an indoor police gun range when he accidentally fired his handgun, striking himself in the leg. The officer was taken to Lancaster General Hospital for treatment. He is said to be in good condition and is expected to be released Tuesday. The officer’s name was not released, but abc27 is told he has been with the department for less than a year.
23. LOS ANGELES, CA, 2/09/16: A deputy for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was injured when his gun accidentally discharged Tuesday morning as he was in pursuit of a driver who fled in the Wilmington neighborhood of Los Angeles. The chase started about 3:45 AM when deputies spotted a green Honda that was stolen several days ago and tried to pull it over, Lt. John Corina of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department stated. The driver of the Honda did not stop and a 3 to 4 minute pursuit ensued before the driver finally pulled over on the southbound side of South Alameda Street near Pacific Coast Highway, Corina said. One person, described as a Hispanic man, fled from the vehicle and ran through a nearby fence. A deputy pursuing the man pulled out his gun while still in his vehicle and it accidentally went off as he was getting out, according to Corina. The deputy was unable to chase the man, who was still on the loose, Corina said. The injuries to the deputy were not life-threatening, a Sheriff’s Department spokesperson told KTLA. A woman who stayed in the vehicle was taken into custody, but was not helping investigators in their search for the man, according to Corina. The woman had been a passenger in the vehicle, the spokesperson stated.
24. COLUMBIA, MO, 2/09/16: A Jefferson City man was arrested in connection with a Tuesday robbery when Columbia police officers responded to a report of an accidental shooting at Royal Inn Motel on Wednesday night. Tavion Reshond Jones, 20, faces three charges of first-degree robbery, one charge of first-degree assault and one charge of armed criminal action in connection with the robbery of three passengers in a 2015 black Dodge Charger that ran off the road and into a ditch near 5350 Old Millers Road Tuesday afternoon, according to a probable cause statement and court records. According to the probable cause statement, Jones and another person were picked up outside the Armory Sports Center downtown around 1:45 PM Tuesday afternoon and, at some point during the ride, an argument began and Jones brandished a handgun. Passengers later told police that Jones robbed them, threatened to kill them and directed the driver at gunpoint. After driving for about eight miles, the driver and his girlfriend, sitting in the front passenger seat, jumped out of the car while it was in motion and the car ran off the road and into a ditch. Jones and the other passenger fled on foot, according to a department news release. When officers arrived at the motel Wednesday night, they found Jones and another man, who had a gunshot wound to his arm, according to the probable cause statement. Jones was detained and put in a patrol car, where officers noticed he smelled like marijuana and found a ripped plastic bag next to him in the car, according to another department news release. Officers also found marijuana residue on Jones's tongue. Jones later admitted to being at the Royal Inn around the time his friend was shot. An investigation into the shooting is ongoing. Jones also faces charges in connection with the December 2014 drive-by shooting of two juveniles in Jefferson City. Jones was identified as the shooter and later admitted to firing rounds, according to the Jefferson City News Tribune. Jones had been free on a $75,000 bond, but that was revoked Thursday. Jones is being held in the Boone County Jail on $500,000 cash-only bond.
25. HONOLULU, HI, 2/09/16: A gun went off inside the Honolulu prosecutor’s office, and now an investigation is underway to find out how that happened. Sources tell us an investigator with the prosecutor’s office was cleaning his weapon during office hours when it accidentally went off. The incident was never reported to Honolulu police or the state sheriff’s office. KHON2 spoke with former Honolulu prosecutor Peter Carlisle, who says that’s a big mistake. Sources tell us that the gun was a Glock semi-automatic, and the bullet went through the wall and into the next office, then through another wall into a second office, and then struck a filing cabinet about chest-high. No one was inside the other two offices and no one was hurt. KHON2 went to the prosecutor’s office to find out more, but was told no one could comment during the investigation. Should the office be investigating itself? Not according to Carlisle. “You need to have a new set of eyes on what happened and that means investigating exactly what happened from start to finish. It’s critical,” he said. “How could you possibly think that this is gonna be an unbiased investigation when it’s being done by the people who are responsible to make sure it didn’t happen? That makes no sense.” The prosecutor’s office would not confirm how the gun was fired, but KHON2 also asked if there’s a policy with regard to cleaning a firearm inside the office. A spokesman sent a statement saying, “We won’t indulge any speculation while the investigation is ongoing.” KHON2 also asked the prosecutors office how many investigators it has and how many of them are armed. A spokesman said there are 22 investigators. All are armed and have police powers. Sources say the investigator who fired his weapon has been working at the prosecutor’s office for at least 30 years. “It’s embarrassing to law enforcement in general to have something like happen and therefore, in my opinion, strong and independent steps need to be taken to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Carlisle said. We’ve learned from an expert at Honolulu Firearms and Range that gun owners are supposed to check inside the chamber and then put their fingers inside to make sure there are no bullets before cleaning a gun. As an extra precaution, they’re also supposed to fire it away from anyone before taking it apart. “That’s what they’re supposed to be doing per your owner’s manual as well as whatever classes you take and that’s supposed to be your steps that you go through,” said sales associate Cameron Cortez. KHON2 checked with HPD to see if there is a policy on cleaning a weapon inside an office. A spokeswoman says it is allowed as along as proper safety protocols are followed.
26. GARY, IN, 2/10/16: When the residential alarm at a family's home in Gary's Tarrytown subdivision sounded about 3:15 AM Wednesday, the homeowners' adult son grabbed his gun and went to the door. The second time the alarm rang, signaling an outside door was open, the 48-year-old man "stuck his arm around the corner and fired one round," the police report states. The bullet struck the man's 80-year-old father, who had stepped out the back door to urinate because his wife was in the bathroom, the report states. When Patrolmen Carlos Aleman and Charles Minard arrived, the victim was lying on the kitchen floor with a bullet wound that pierced his arm and lodged in his back, police said. Gary Fire Department medics took the man to the Methodist Hospitals Northlake campus for treatment, police said. Police took the son into custody for questioning. He has three prior felony convictions, police said. The 9mm semiautomatic handgun he fired was taken from the scene, police said. Sgt. Gregory Wolf is investigating the shooting. Police are not releasing any additional information until the investigation is complete.
27. GRAND JUNCTION, CO, 2/10/16: A 33-year-old man who lives in the 300 block of Evergreen Road reported Feb. 10 that he suffered a gunshot wound to his hand while allegedly attempting to dislodge a round from a .22 caliber handgun. The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office reported that the man was driven to Community Hospital, treated, and released.
28. LAWRENCEVILLE, GA, 2/11/16: Gwinnett County police on Thursday charged a 16-year-old girl with involuntary manslaughter in the reportedly accidental shooting death of a 19-year-old man. Police said the girl, whose identity wasn’t released, hurriedly attempted to drive the victim, Dominic Smith of Lawrenceville, to the hospital, leading to a two-mile pursuit with city police after midnight. Paramedics instead took him after police stopped the car on West Pike Street, but he died later in the morning, said Cpl. Deon Washington of Gwinnett police. The suspect is being housed at the Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center, also charged with reckless conduct. The preliminary investigation has revealed that six or seven teens were hanging out in a parking lot in the 1600 block of Balvaird Drive, in unincorporated Lawrenceville, when the shooting happened. At least one of the teens, the suspect, was handling a firearm in an “irresponsible manner and unintentionally shot the victim,” Washington said. Police are seeking other witnesses and the firearm. The other teens reportedly fled, leaving the girl with the victim. “This is a very tragic and unfortunate situation that could have been avoided,” Washington said. “It highlights one of the worst situations that could happen when teens unlawfully handle firearms.”
29. CORDELE, GA, 2/11/16: A man running from police on I-75 in south Georgia killed himself and three other people were shot when a state trooper’s weapon accidentally discharged, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Friday. About 4 PM Thursday, officers from the Ashburn Police Department tried to pull over a stolen vehicle, Terry Howard with the GBI said. The vehicle did not stop and sped north on I-75. As Ashburn police chased the vehicle, a passenger began firing at officers, Howard said. At some point, officials with the Turner County Sheriff’s Office, the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia State Patrol got involved in the pursuit. “During the chase, the male passenger shot himself and died as a result of his injuries,” Howard said. At exit No. 99, a woman driving the vehicle stopped. An officer and a deputy were pulling the woman from the stolen vehicle when the trooper’s gun went off, striking the officer, the deputy and the woman, Howard said. The officers were treated and released. The woman was taken to a local hospital, where she remained Friday morning with non-life threatening injuries. Howard did not release the names of anyone involved in the deadly chase and shooting. The GBI will conduct an independent investigation to determine what exactly happened during the incident, Howard said. MORE:WALB-TV reports that Danielle Ockstadt, also from Colorado Springs, says Jaoquim Gerry, 34, forced her to drive him. The station says the chase started near Albany, Ga. when deputies tried to stop the car because it didn't have a tag. The WALB report says that Gerry fired at law enforcement during the chase. Authorities told the television station that the car and gun were stolen, that Gerry was wanted in Colorado and that a large amount of marijuana was found in the car. Ockstadt, 29, was injured when a Georgia state trooper's shotgun accidentally went off. She was shot in the feet. Two other law enforcement officers were shot in the leg during the incident. MORE: While Ockstadt was being taken to a safe place, a state trooper's shotgun went off accidentally, hitting Ashburn Police Officer Ferron Yi, Turner County Sheriff's Office Deputy Scotty Ireland, and Ockstadt in the feet and ankles. Ockstadt remains in the hospital, while both the officer and deputy were treated and released. The name of the state trooper who shot the officers and the driver was not released. MORE: A trooper who accidentally discharged his weapon following a high- speed chase Thursday in Crisp County has been identified. According to reports from the Public Information Office of the Georgia Department of Public Safety Sgt. Jon Posey of Georgia State Patrol Post 30 was placed on administrative leave with pay for five days following the incident.
30. BROOKLYN, NY, 2/11/16: A 16-year-old boy was fatally shot during an apparent accidental shooting as he played video games with friends inside his Brooklyn home. Police responded to the house on Miller Avenue just before 10 PM Thursday, when they found Denzil Nash suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. He was rushed to Brookdale Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Authorities say Nash was playing Madden with two friends, ages 18 and 15, when the youngest teen scored a touchdown, pulled a gun from his waistband and celebrated by waving it around. The gun discharged, striking Nash in the face. The two other teens fled the house but were quickly caught. The 18 year old was taken to the precinct and has been making statements to detectives. The gun was recovered at the location. Charges are pending against the 15-year-old, who has reportedly made statements implicating himself. Police say the 18-year-old was sending a text message at the time of the shooting.
31. SEAT PLEASANT, MD, 2/11/16: Prince George’s County police have arrested and charged a 19-year-old male who shot another 19 year old while visiting a friend’s home in Seat Pleasant yesterday. The incident was reported around 1:35 p.m. in the 6700 block of James Farmer Way. This police news release identifies the shooter as Sammie Warren of the 5400 block of Livingston Terrace in Oxon Hill. The decedent is Marcus Fogg of Irvington Street in Oxon Hill. When Seat Pleasant Police and Prince George’s County police arrived to investigate the shooting, they found Fogg inside the residence suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to the hospital where he died several hours later, police said. The preliminary investigation, police say, reveals that Warren unintentionally fired his gun, striking Fogg. Warren, police said, admitted his involvement in the fatal shooting. Warren is charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment and various gun charges. He’s in custody of the Department of Corrections on a $150,000 bond. More details are on the WJLA-TV website.
32. TOLEDO, OH, 2/11/16: A man accidentally shot himself early today at a residence in West Toledo, authorities said. The victim was taken to ProMedica Toledo Hospital, according to the Lucas County EMS.  His name and condition were not released. Toledo police said the incident occurred about 7:20 AM in the 4800 block of Rambo Lane. Police released no further details.
33. CLEVELAND, OH, 2/12/16: A 54-year-old Euclid man was accidentally shot in the ankle early Friday while playing cards at a friend's Cleveland home. Cleveland police responded about 3:30 AM to University Hospitals Richmond Medical Center in Richmond Heights to speak with the man, according to a police report. The victim suffered the gunshot wound at his friend's house near the intersection of East 127th Street and Shaw Avenue in Cleveland's Forest Hills neighborhood, the report states. The man told police that there was a "card game party" at the house. About 2:30 AM, the victim and three other men were playing cards when he heard a "pop," the police report says. The victim said he was confused but about a minute later, he realized he had been shot in the ankle, the report states. He knew the man who shot him, but said that the gun went off when it was accidentally dropped. The shooter has not been arrested. 
34. MILLCREEK, UT, 2/12/16: Police are reminding people to treat all guns as if they are always loaded after a woman was accidentally shot in the foot Friday morning. Sgt. Shane Manwaring of the Unified Police Department said a 35-year-old woman and her friends were out celebrating her birthday and had returned to her home near 2980 South 2000 East after a long night. Just before 4:30 AM one of her male friends wanted to show off his handgun. "He didn't follow the basic firearm rules. The first rule being 'All guns are always loaded'; He pulled the trigger and accidentally shot the woman in the foot.." Sgt. Manwaring said. The shot went all the way through her foot. She was transported to St. Mark's hospital in good condition to be treated. Sgt. Manwaring said everyone involved was cooperative. Charges are pending on the male shooter.
35. CLANTON, AL, 2/12/16: Authorities in Clanton responded to the scene of a self-inflicted accidental gunshot wound to the leg Friday afternoon. Based on emergency dispatch reports, an individual visiting Edward’s Jewelers in Clanton accidentally shot themselves in the leg. The individual was visiting the business, and was in the back of the store away from customers when the gun went off. The incident occurred shortly after 12:30 PM. The individual was airlifted by emergency helicopter after a landing zone was set up near the peach tower in Clanton.
36. LOUISVILLE, KY, 2/12/16: Police are investigating after a shooting in South Louisville. The shooting was reported at 5:44 PM in the 500 block of W. Evelyn Avenue Friday. According to LMPD spokesperson Alicia Smiley, a 2-year-old somehow got a hold of a weapon and accidentally shot his mother. The mother was shot in the upper torso and taken to University Hospital alert and conscious. Officials said her injuries appear to be non-life-threatening. The child was not injured. Investigators said they are working to determine who the weapon belongs to and who was in the home at the time. The shooting remains under investigation.
37. KENOSHA, WI, 2/12/16: 34-year-old David Leasure is now charged in connection with a standoff that lasted hours in the neighborhood near 35th and Roosevelt in Kenosha this past weekend. Leasure faces the following charges: Second-degree recklessly endangering safety; Failure to comply with officer’s attempt to take person into custody; Possession of a firearm while intoxicated. According to police, the standoff started around 11:00 PM Friday, February 12th when officers were dispatched to the area for a shots fired call. Leasure’s landlord told police his wife “heard a big bang” and she came running into the bedroom. When the landlord went to see what had happened, “he saw a silver-dollar-sized hole in his ceiling and a quarter-sized hole in his ceiling fan.” A bullet head was found on the floor of his dining room. The complaint indicates Leasure came downstairs from his apartment to make sure the landlord and his wife were okay. The complaint says Leasure “made up a story about putting firecrackers in a cylinder to make the blast go down which is what made the hole in the ceiling.” The landlord at that point told Leasure to leave because he knew “he was lying.” Later, Leasure apparently came back downstairs and told the landlord and his wife “that he had a .45 caliber gun, he had been talking to his ex-wife, that he had been drinking and that the gun accidentally went off.” The landlord called police “because he could tell that the defendant was getting agitated” and he could smell alcohol on his breath. When Kenosha police first arrived on the scene, they asked Leasure to come out of the residence unarmed, but he refused. Leasure was “making suicidal statements and threatened to blow the place up.” That’s when the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department Tactical Response Team took over. Over the next several hours, officials had contact with Leasure several times. Leasure yelled profanities and threatened to “wipe them out” — referring to the officers on site. During the standoff, multiple rounds of tear gas were launched into the residence to get to get Leasure to evacuate. Then, just before 7:30 a.m. on Saturday Leasure “went out of the rear door of the residence and left the gun unloaded on the rear lower landing.” Leasure was arrested — and officials executed a search warrant at his residence. Evidence collected included “empty or full magazines for rifles and pistols and a considerable amount of ammunition, all .45 caliber.” However, no other firearms were located in the residence.
38. UNION, MO, 2/12/16: On February 12th, 2016 deputies responded to Mercy Hospital in Washington for a report of a gunshot wound. Hospital personnel advised the subject was supposedly cleaning his gun when it accidentally discharged and shot his hand. The victim reported that he had issues with raccoons or other animals killing his chickens. He stated he thought something was near the coop and he took his .380 handgun down to investigate. When he returned to the house he was emptying the gun by removing the magazine and that is when the firearm discharged and shot his left palm. The victim was identified as Bryan Morrow, age 52 from Union.
39. EVANSVILLE, IN, 2/12/16: Eyewitness News brings you new information about a Friday night shooting that left an Evansville teen shot in the face. Evansville Police say the juvenile victim is now telling officers the shooting was the result of two teens playing with a handgun inside a home on South Fares Avenue. An adult living in the home who took the juvenile to the hospital is now charged with providing a false statement to police during the investigation. Police say investigators recovered the handgun in a sewer near the home. Originally, the victim had said he was walking with friends on Madison near Garvin when someone approached, shot him and then ran off. The investigation is ongoing. If you have more information on the incident, call EPD.
40. BLOOMINGTON, IN, 2/13/16: 1200 block North Woodburn Avenue, 6:11 PM Saturday, a man called police after returning home and discovering damage from a gunshot in his residence. The man found a 9 mm round on a paper plate on top of his microwave and damage to drywall in his kitchen and bedroom. Investigators followed the trajectory of the bullet to a neighbor’s residence. There, a man said he had been unloading his gun and accidentally fired a shot.
41. OMAHA, NE, 2/13/16: An 18-year-old man told police that he accidentally shot himself Saturday night while handling a gun belonging to a friend while inside a north Omaha residence. Jaytion Mays was treated at Immanuel Medical Center for a non-life-threatening injury, said Officer Michael Pecha, a police spokesman.Mays told police that he was in his home near 25th Street and Hartman Avenue about 7:30 p.m. when a friend brought over the gun. While Mays was handling the gun, he said, it discharged. A family member drove Mays to the hospital.
42. MARYVILLE, TN, 2/13/16: Employees at Aubrey’s in Maryville may wonder whether locals have mistaken the local restaurant for a munitions repository. According to Maryville Police reports, staff members at the restaurant at 909 West Lamar Alexander Parkway were cleaning up at the end of the evening shift around 11 PM Saturday, when one of them discovered a Kel-Tec .380 handgun, with one magazine and four rounds of ammunition, left under one of the tables. Reports said this was the second time over the last few months that something like this has happened at the establishment. Some months ago, staff members discovered a Glock 9mm magazine, with 14 rounds of ammunition, apparently forgotten beneath another table. Reports said the owner of the Glock magazine never came forward. So far, the restaurant has not had any calls inquiring about the Kel-Tec handgun discovered on Saturday, either. Maryville Police took possession of the Kel-Tec and the ammunition. Reports estimated the value of the weapon, magazine and ammunition at about $275. The value of the previous find — the Glock magazine and ammunition — was estimated at $45.
43. GREENEVILLE, TN, 2/13/16: A man suffered a minor hand injury when a weapon he was cleaning went off Saturday afternoon, sheriff’s Deputy Frank Cedillo said in a report. Deputies went to Takoma Regional Hospital and spoke with Nicholas A. Witt, 21, of 35 Ward Park. Witt said he was cleaning his gun when it jammed. While trying to clear the jam, the weapon discharged, “grazing the palm of his left hand,” the report said. “No other damage was done to the victim,” the report said. Witt was treated and released from the hospital.
44. NEW LONDON, OH, 2/13/14: A village man went to the hospital after he accidentally shot himself after he finished cleaning his gun Saturday. Dispatchers with the Huron County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a Park Avenue man who reported he accidentally shot himself after cleaning his gun, police said. The call came in just before 2 PM. New London Police Officers Lance Capiot and Eric Lucas, Chief Michael Marko and Sheriff Dane Howard responded to the man’s house with medical kits. “He answered the door,” Capiot said, referring to the victim. Police had the man, who was in his late 40s, sit on the sofa and continue to put pressure on his leg. Capiot said the man shot himself “mid-calf,” between his knee and ankle. [The] subject suffered a gun shot to his leg from a 40-caliber handgun. He was conscious and able to respond to questions from officers and emergency medical personnel before being transported to Fisher-Titus Medical Center for treatment, according to a Facebook post by New London police. “He had a towel around his own leg,” said Capiot, who noticed there wasn’t a lot of blood on the towel, which probably was due to the pressure the man had on the wound. “That stopped a lot of the blood. … He had handled a lot of it when we got there,” the officer added. “The gun was in the living room. The incident happened in the living room,” Capiot said. “Our first priority was to make sure he was OK.” The officer broke down what happened that led to the accidental shooting. “He was just finished cleaning the gun,” Capiot said. “He was not cleaning his gun (while it was) loaded. “He put a round in the chamber. He racked the round in the chamber. … That’s when it went off and got him in the leg,” he added. Firelands Ambulance took the man to Fisher-Titus. “He was treated and released. He was home that night,” Capiot said. The officer stopped by the man’s house Sunday to check on him. “He was doing OK. He was sitting back in his chair watching TV with his family,” Capiot said. As of press time, the gun was at the station for safekeeping.