Nothing stops the steady march of GunFAIL. Yes, we’re still way behind, but no, things haven’t slowed down. This time around, 16 people accidentally shot (or otherwise injured) themselves with their guns, 12 kids were accidentally shot, 10 people were accidentally shot while handling guns with their friends, nine were accidentally shot to death, five people accidentally fired into the homes of their neighbors (and two into passing buses), and five others accidentally shot family members or significant others.
Among the week’s most ludicrous stories, top honors have to go to our title story, in which a Georgia man decided—just for fun—to pack a riding lawnmower full ofTannerite brand explosive and shoot at it with his assault rifle until it blew up. Guns can be dangerous, of course. And so can lawn mowers. Advancing toward a lawnmower rigged to explode, while firing repeatedly at it so that it does explode, more dangerous still. Eventually, this exciting stand against tyrannical lawn care equipment did end in the explosion he was hoping for, with one twist: It blew his leg off. And it was all captured on video by his friends. Let this be a warning to lawnmowers everywhere: We will get you.
Other stories worthy of special note include the stray bullet tragedy in Orlando, Florida, where a man firing a gun at his girlfriend after a domestic dispute accidentally shot (and eventually killed) a worker installing a fence along a nearby property line. Bad enough you’re shooting at your pregnant girlfriend. Now you’ve unintentionally killed an innocent bystander, and just four days after the birth of that man’s first child, no less.
Two cautionary notes, as well. One: Don’t spin guns on your finger, cowboy-style. Old-fashioned “cowboy” (or “single action”) revolvers required that you cock back the hammer manually, then pull the trigger to fire the gun. That’s why that gun-spinning trick worked, if it really ever was something they did. Pulling the trigger alone wouldn’t fire the gun. That’s not the case with modern double action guns, though, where pulling the trigger (even accidentally, as by spinning the gun by the trigger guard on your finger) can result in an unintentional discharge, as appears to have been the case in Wilmington, Delaware, where a 15-year-old boy accidentally killed himself doing just that. A second cautionary note from Akron, Ohio: While a gun can protect you from home invaders, do your best to be sure that’s actually who you’re shooting at, and not a friend (or football teammate) entering your home without knocking. Knocking is always a wise and helpful idea, of course, but so is not firing at unknown targets—or worse, possibly letting easy access to your gun convince you that everything that comes through your door is the threat you’ve been practicing for since you got it.
Just a couple thoughts. Your mileage may vary. The rest of the week’s incidents are listed below.
- CHICAGO, IL, 3/13/16: A 28-year-old man walked into Stroger Hospital after being accidentally shot in his face early Sunday morning, police said. Around 4:40 AM, the man was sitting in a car with three other people in the 1000 block of West Randolph Street, according to Officer Janel Sedevic, a Chicago Police Department spokeswoman. The group was passing around a gun when it went off and hit the man in his face, Sedevic said. The man's condition stabilized after he was treated at the hospital, Sedevic said. Police could not immediately confirm whether anyone is in custody, or if charges are pending.
- CHICAGO, IL, 3/13/16: A 19-year-old man has been charged with accidentally shooting an acquaintance at a Chicago apartment in the Park Manor neighborhood on the South Side. Donell Blassingill, of the 14000 block of South Ingleside Avenue in Dolton, was charged Monday morning with reckless discharge of a firearm, police said. About 3:25 PM Sunday, Blassingill was inside an apartment in the 7000 block of South Eberhart Avenue with a group of friends when he fired a gun he was holding, police said. An 18-year-old man was struck in the right arm and was taken in good condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
- DERRY, NH, 3/13/16: A man was wounded Sunday night after an "accidental shooting" at 6 Twinbrook Drive, police said. Police were called to the home around 6:45 PM. The victim, who police did not identify, was taken to Elliott Hospital in Manchester, New Hampshire, for treatment. The extent of the man's injuries was unclear Sunday night. Police also did not release the man's age or say what kind of weapon was involved. According to town records, 6 Twinbrook Drive is a single-family residence. The incident remained under investigation and no further information was available Sunday night, said Derry Police Officer Robert Moore.
- HARRISON TOWNSHIP, OH, 3/13/16: A 40-year-old man suffered a life-threatening gunshot wound after he accidentally shot himself while cleaning his gun, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies responded at approximately 7:10 AM to the home in the 2100 block of Division Avenue and found the man suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest, according to the sheriff’s office. The man told deputies he was cleaning his gun when he accidentally shot himself, according to the sheriff’s office. He was taken to Miami Valley Hospital with life-threatening injuries, according to the sheriff’s office. The man’s identity was not released. His exact condition at the hospital was not available. The incident remains under investigation.
- ALTON, IA, 3/13/16: An Alton man was hospitalized with a gunshot wound early Sunday morning. According to Orange City/Alton Police, their officers were dispatched to an Alton residence shortly before 1:30 AM Sunday for a discharge of a firearm. When officers and medical personnel arrived they found Fredrick Dykhuizen with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Dykhuizen was taken to the Orange City Health System Hospital, and later transferred to a Sioux City hospital. Police say that preliminary investigation indicates that Dykhuizen accidentally shot himself while handling the gun. The Orange City Police Department was assisted by the Alton Ambulance, Orange City Ambulance, and the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office.
- LONDON, KY, 3/13/16: A London man was charged with wanton endangerment Sunday after two bullets hit people’s homes, police said. One of the bullets went through an exterior wall into the floor of a bathroom, which had been occupied right before the bullet struck, according to a release from the Laurel County sheriff’s office. Another bullet struck the roof of a different house. In addition to wanton endangerment, Calvin Earl Barger III, 42, was charged with criminal mischief after he was arrested about 3 PM. Police say Barger had been “shooting guns in the side yard into a target,” Barger was taken to the Laurel County Detention Center.
- MARTINSVILLE, VA, 3/13/16: Martinsville police arrested a man on three charges in connection with what is thought to be an accidental shooting in the foot of a 15-year-old boy Sunday. According to a news release from the Martinsville Police Department, an arrest report, and a criminal complaint on file at Martinsville General District Court, on Sunday police officers responded to the 400 block of Clearview Drive in reference to a 15-year-old who had been shot once in the foot with a small-caliber round. Officers found the juvenile nearby on a porch in the 900 block of Palace Court. The juvenile alleged a man was attempting to unload a firearm, and as he did this, the weapon discharged and struck the concrete between his feet and then entered his left shoe and into his foot near his toes. The juvenile was transported to Memorial Hospital in Martinsville, where he was treated and released. Tony Lyn Branch, 39, of the 405 Clearview Drive, Martinsville, was charged with unlawful wounding, reckless handling of a firearm with injury, and discharge of a firearm within the city limits. “We feel like it (the shooting) was accidental,” Lt. Tony Turner of the police department said in an interview.
- MACARTHUR, WV, 3/14/16: A teenaged victim in Monday's fatal accidental shooting in MacArthur has been identified. The Raleigh County Sheriff's Office identified the victim as 18-year-old Christopher Kelley, who was shot in the chest while at a residence on Bethel Road. The suspect is a juvenile male, a press release sates. "At this time, the shooting does not appear to be intentional and no arrests have been made; however, the investigation is ongoing," the release reads. The release did not state if alcohol was a factor, as originally reported.
- WISE CO., TX, 3/14/16: A Weatherford High School senior killed in a hunting accident Monday morning apparently accidentally shot himself, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Brennan Weikel, a 17-year-old football player, was hunting with his stepfather and two other relatives early Monday morning in Wise County when the shooting occurred shortly before 4 AM. The group had a lease license and were hunting hogs on a property off County Road 3825 south of Runaway Bay near the Wise County and Jack County line, according to Game Warden Penny Nixon. "They were placed in individual ground blinds, the little wooden ones," Nixon said. "His stepfather shot a hog and called the victim to ask him to help retrieve it. And the stepfather reported that immediately upon hanging up with the stepson, just seconds later, he heard a shot. It came from the blind where the young victim was." "There may have been some hunter inexperience involved," Nixon said. Nixon said it appears that when Weikel went to stand up and move out of the blind, he reached for the grip of the rifle and squeezed the trigger as he moved, shooting himself between the eyes with a .243 round. It appeared the safety mechanism was not engaged at the time he went to grab and move the gun, according to Nixon. "It was instantly fatal," Nixon said. "It's a real tragedy."
- KANSAS CITY, MO, 3/14/16: A teenage boy has died from an apparently accidental shooting in the Northland. Police sources tell FOX 4 the shooting happened on Monday night inside a home near North Flora and Northeast 80th Street. Police haven’t given many details about what exactly happened inside the home. A spokesperson says around 10 PM, officers were called to the home to investigate a disturbance. When officers arrived, they learned that a teenager who lives in the home accidentally shot another teenage boy who was apparently staying with the family. Sources say the victim may have been 16 years old. Neighbors say they heard one gunshot ring out from the house. “From a couple of neighbors, we heard that they saw a lot of police cars. They saw the parents were in separate police vehicles. It`s every parent`s worst nightmare to hear of an accidental shooting, especially when there`s children involved, very tragic,” said one woman who lives nearby. Neighbors also say they saw police take the parents and their teenage sons away in separate cars. As of now, no one has been arrested or charged in connection with the shooting. UPDATE: Police have identified a 17-year-old killed March 14 in an accidental shooting inside a Kansas City, North residence as Garrett Turner.
- BROOKLYN, NY, 3/14/16: Talk about backfiring. Police arrested a 23-year-old man this week after he shot himself in the buttocks, then claimed he had been robbed and shot while jogging in Wingate Park, police said. The man walked into Kings County Hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound in his rear on Monday, police said, explaining to investigators that he’d gotten the injury during an armed robbery in the park earlier that day. He said he’d been jogging in Wingate Park at Rutland Road and Brooklyn Avenue when two unknown males forcibly took his wallet, then shot him once in the behind. Upon investigation, police found the gunshot wound to be self-inflicted; the man then recanted his story about the mugging. The 23-year-old will face charges for criminal possession of a weapon and filing a false police report, police said.
- AIKEN, SC, 3/15/16: An Aiken man was arrested Tuesday after he allegedly shot a 37-year-old Williston man through the wall of a Fairfield Street apartment. Michael Harley, 30, of 433 Fairfield St., is being charged with discharging a firearm in the city, possession of a pistol and possession of cocaine, second offense. Officers were called to a Fairfield Street apartment around 4 PM Tuesday in response to man being shot in the knee, according to a report provided by the Aiken Department of Public Safety. Investigators found a bullet hole in the wall of the apartment, which was consistent with a gunshot from the adjacent apartment, according to the report. Officers knocked on the neighboring apartment and got no answer; a woman approached a short time later, claiming to live at the apartment with Harley and said they both fled the scene after the shot was fired, the report said. The woman called Harley to get him to return, and they both claimed Harley was playing with his pistol when it accidentally fired, according to the report. Harley admitted to officers his firearms were at a neighbor’s house where he hid them; officers went to the neighbor’s residence where they retrieved a .380 semi automatic pistol, which came back stolen, and an assault rifle, according to the report. Harley was searched before being arrested and a $1 bill containing a small amount of cocaine was also found in his pocket, the report said. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital by EMS, with non-life-threatening injuries. Harley was still being held at the Aiken County detention center as of Thursday afternoon.
- BAKERSFIELD, CA, 3/15/16: A Bakersfield man has been arrested after accidentally firing a gun and striking a bus carrying disabled adults, police said. Craig Kleeman, 68, was arrested Monday on suspicion of recklessly discharging a gun and possession of a silencer. Police responded to the 10900 block of Melocoton Court in northwest Bakersfield at 3:18 PM. Monday for a report of a bus struck by gunfire. No one was injured, but officers found a single gunshot had gone through the window of the bus and also hit a residence. Kleeman told police he accidentally fired the gun. Police said a search warrant served at his residence resulted in officers seizing several guns and a silencer.
- COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, 3/15/16: A man accidentally shot his acquaintance in the head while he was drinking Tuesday night, according to police. The shooting happened around 11:30 PM at a home on Lark Drive, which is in the area of Constitution Avenue and Union Boulevard. Police said the suspect, Joel Anderson, was intoxicated and was handling a loaded handgun when he accidentally shot another man in the head. The victim was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
- ELLABELL, GA, 3/15/16: A resident of Olive Branch Road returned home to find a bullet hole in the front of her house on March 15. Tracing the path of the bullet the woman discovered that it passed through the master bedroom wall, the headboard of her bed, across the room, through the bedroom door into the kitchen where it became lodged in her dishwasher. A Bryan County Sheriff’s Office deputy was able to retrieve the bullet the dishwasher. It appeared to be from a high powered rifle, possibly 7.62 caliber, full-metal jacket. A second bullet hole, which appeared to be from a smaller caliber weapon, was found in the siding about three feet above the first hole. That round did not enter the residence. The complainant’s uncle said he heard several gun shots around lunch time but did not think much about as being out in the country people shoot from time-to-time in the area. The deputy observed a berm with targets and other evidence of shooting along a power line that runs along the edge of the property, noting that it is a direct line from the berm to where the bullet struck the house.
- CHARLESTON, WV, 3/15/16: A man was taken to Charleston Area Medical Center with an accidental gunshot wound. According to Kanawha County Dispatchers, deputies responded to the area of Campbells Creek Drive where a man accidentally shot himself in the leg. The incident happened at 2:30 this morning. His name is not being released.
- WILMINGTON, DE, 3/15/16: A 25-year-old Wilmington man accidentally shot his 51-year-old dad in the foot Tuesday, city authorities announced Wednesday. According to Wilmington Police, David Avant was handling a weapon inside a residence in the 800 block of Morrow Street when it accidentally fired, striking his father in the right foot. Police said they learned of the incident on March 15, 2016, at 9:35 AM. When Wilmington Hospital employees contacted authorities to inform them of the shooting victim who'd arrived via private vehicle. The victim was treated and released. Avant turned himself into police Wednesday and was charged with possession of a firearm by a person prohibited. There was no photograph or bond information available.
- CHATTANOOGA, TN, 3/15/16: The shooter sat in the sun with his head in his hands as investigators walked in and out of the house beside him Tuesday afternoon. At 1:09 PM, Aaron Randal, 22, was handling a weapon when it discharged and he unintentionally shot and killed 19-year-old Carly Ellis inside the home at 1206 Lewis St. The bullet went through a wall and hit Ellis in the neck, according to Chattanooga police. Investigators have not said what type of weapon was involved. "One occupant of the house was handling a firearm and negligently discharged that firearm," police Chief Fred Fletcher said. After the shooting, after the ambulance left and police arrived and the crime scene tape went up, Randal sat silently on the ground, not looking at anyone as investigators gathered evidence and processed the scene. Blood soaked his pants. Later, he was handcuffed and placed in the back of a police car. He has not been charged with a crime, but Fletcher said he hasn't ruled out charges. Investigators will work with District Attorney Neal Pinkston to determine if charges should be brought, Fletcher said. "We are doing a complete investigation, and if somebody behaved in a way that was criminal we will work with the district attorney to make sure that the community has the opportunity to hold people accountable to any criminal charges," Fletcher said. It's unclear how Ellis and Randal knew each other. They weren't related, Fletcher said, and the woman did not live in the home. Neither Ellis nor Randal have criminal histories in Hamilton County, court records show. Ellis is the sixth person in Chattanooga to be killed so far in 2016. Seven days ago, 41-year-old Michael Hines was shot to death at his mother's home in Brainerd. And on March 2, 71-year-old Orlandus Metcalfe was gunned down while at home in his bed. Ellis, who worked at downtown club Raw Chattanooga, is at least the second person to be unintentionally shot and killed in the Chattanooga region this year—on Feb. 29, 3-year-old Gavin Pittman found a gun in a glovebox and accidentally shot and killed himself in Apison. His mother, Kelly Pittman, later was charged with criminally negligent homicide. A woman on the front porch of the home on Lewis Street declined to speak with the Times Free Press Tuesday.
- MURFREESBORO, TN, 3/16/16: A man was arrested in Murfreesboro for reckless endangerment after he says he accidentally shot a hole in his neighbor’s home Wednesday. Murfreesboro police arrested Stephen Camiolo Sunday morning after his neighbors found a bullet in a laundry hamper in their baby’s closet. The neighbors showed police the bullet and a bullet hole in their home’s drywall and siding. Officers noticed a similar hole in the couple’s next door neighbor’s home. Police talked with the neighbor, Mr. Camiolo, who said he had accidentally fired a friend’s weapon inside his home on March 16. Camiolo stated he knew the bullet had gone through his own home, but hadn’t realized it went through his neighbor’s home. Officers arrested Camiolo for reckless endangerment and for vandalism under $500.
- CHICAGO, IL, 3/16/16: Charges are pending against a 15-year-old boy after a 14-year-old boy accidentally shot himself in the knee early Wednesday in the Brainerd neighborhood on the South Side. The younger teenager was handling a handgun in the 9200 block of South Throop about 12:50 AM when it discharged and struck him in the knee, Chicago Police said. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where his condition was stabilized. A police source said the gun belonged to the older boy, and that they were playing with it inside his bedroom. When the younger boy accidentally shot himself, the 15-year-old hid the weapon. Charges were pending against him Wednesday morning.
- CHICAGO, IL, 3/16/16: Just before 10 PM, a 22-year-old man accidentally shot himself in the hand in The Gap neighborhood, police said. He was in the 3400 block of South Prairie Avenue when he injured himself. He went to Mercy Hospital and Medical Center in good condition.
- EAST MOLINE, IL, 3/16/16: A 16-year-old shot himself in the hand Wednesday while "horsing around with a handgun," according to police. The teen was with several other teens at his home in the 400 block of 14th Street when he accidentally shot himself, East Moline Police Lt. Darren Gault said. Initially officers were called just before 5 PM Wednesday to the 1300 block of 13th Avenue for a report of gunshots with injury. After speaking with those involved, officers determined the shooting actually took place at the 14th Street residence, Lt. Gault said. The teen was treated at a local hospital for a non-life-threatening injury to his hand and referred to juvenile court services for the offense of reckless discharge of a firearm, Lt. Gault said. No additional injuries or property damage was reported, and authorities have not released the teen's name. Police found a handgun at the 14th Street residence and determined it had been illegally obtained, Lt. Gault said. The source of the gun remains under investigation.
- BECKLEY, WV, 3/16/16: Beckley Police are investigating an incident that took place Wednesday night on Hager Street. Chief Lonnie Christian said a man was allegedly handling a gun at a party and may have accidentally shot himself in the head. Police are investigating exactly what took place. The victim died Thursday at Charleston Area Medical Center. The man’s identity is not being released at this time, but his body was sent to the State Medical Examiner for an autopsy. “We are currently reviewing all evidence before making any final determinations,” Christian said. “There were other persons there at the time, and we are thoroughly reviewing this also.”
- ANNANDALE, VA, 3/16/16: Mason Patrol Officers say they responded to a shooting in the 7800 block of Thor Dr. in Annandale, Va. Wednesday evening, shortly after 11 PM. Police say upon arriving, they found a 12-year-old boy in front of the home suffering from a gunshot wound to the lower body. Officers say they used their trauma kit until rescue units arrived. Police say the injury the boy sustained was non-life threatening. At this point police say a preliminary investigation suggests that the wound was unintentionally self-inflicted. Police say the investigation is ongoing.
- SAVANNAH, GA, 3/16/16: Metro police say a Savannah teen was accidentally shot by her friend. WJCL reported Wednesday afternoon that a female gunshot victim arrived in a private car at Candler Hospital around 1:30 PM. That victim is now identified as 17-year-old Kishonna Maxwell. Police say she was walking with her friend, 17-year-old Christasia Lawrence, near the intersection of Florida Avenue and Ohio Avenue. Both teens reported that they were shot at by a suspect from a black car. After Maxwell received non-life threatening injuries, she drove herself to the hospital. Upon further investigation, detectives say they learned Maxwell was accidentally shot by Lawrence at Florida and Ohio. The weapon was recovered by detectives in the 2100 block of Florida Avenue. Charges are pending for this ongoing investigation.
- COLESVILLE, NY, 3/16/16: New York State Police on Tuesday announced the arrest of a man in the accidental shooting of a school bus from the Harpursville Central School District. A single round of ammunition struck the driver's side of the bus March 16 as it traveled south on Colesville Road in the town of Colesville. The round of ammunition did not penetrate the bus, and none of the students who were riding on the bus at the time was injured. An investigation by state police revealed the incident was the result of an stray round fired by one of two people who had been lawfully target shooting on their private land located on Chaffee Street. The bullet travelled approximately a third of a mile and struck the bus on Colesville Road. During the investigation, troopers searched the suspects’ residence on Chaffee Street. Lucas Alapeck, 22, was found to possess a large capacity ammunition feeding device capable of holding 30 rounds of .223 caliber ammunition. The 30-round clip was seized and Lucas Alapeck was arrested for criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a class D felony. On Tuesday, he was arraigned in the Colesville Town Court and released on his own recognizance to reappear at a later date.
- SAN ANTONIO, TX, 3/16/16: A man was shot and killed accidentally by his own brother overnight, San Antonio police said Thursday. The incident occurred just before midnight Wednesday in the 4400 block of Hampstead Street, found near South W. W. White Road and Rigsby Avenue on the city' s East Side.Police said the victim, Jemichal Hardy, 26, had asked his brother to hand him the gun when it accidentally went off. Police said the brother involved in the shooting was arrested. There is no word however on if the arrest was related to the shooting, or what the charges are.
- MESQUITE, TX, 3/17/16: Police on Friday arrested a woman for lying to officers in connection with a Thursday shooting near Berry Middle School in southeast Mesquite. According to Sgt. Joseph Thompson of the Mesquite Police Department, 53-year-old Martha F. Calderon was charged with making a false report to a peace officer on Friday afternoon. She was released after posting a $1,000 bond on the Class B misdemeanor charge. The arrest stems from a Thursday afternoon shooting in the 3000 block of Cantura Drive in the Cantura Cove subdivision off Cartwright Road. Police late Thursday issued a release stating that Calderon had suffered a shoulder injury as the result of an accidental shooting. She was taken to a local hospital where she was treated and released. Calderon had initially told police that she had been shot during an attempted burglary of her residence but Thompson said that story was fabricated. Calderon, Thompson said, confessed to making the story up during an interview with detectives to avoid the embarrassment of having it known that she accidentally shot herself. More than a half dozen MPD units initially responded to the scene on Cantura Drive and spent more than two hours there, going door to door and interviewing neighbors about the shooting and a possible suspect. That suspect, though, never existed.
- WICHITA, KS, 3/17/16: One person’s celebration nearly became someone else’s tragedy Thursday night, police said. A 22-year-old man grabbed his older brother’s handgun late Thursday night in west Wichita, stepped outside and fired a shot, Lt. James Espinoza said. The bullet struck the house next door, passing through the outside wall into a bedroom where it narrowly missed a woman reading in bed with her husband next to her. The incident was reported just before 11:30 PM Thursday in the 11400 block of West Bekemeyer, Espinoza said. That’s near Central and Maize Road. A police report on the incident indicates the shot was fired from the back porch. Espinoza said there was no history of conflict between the residents of the two houses. “Apparently, he had been watching the Wichita State game,” Espinoza said of the suspect, and the shot may well have been fired in celebration because the Shockers had just beaten Arizona. “The timeline” for that explanation “would have been accurate,” he said. The 22-year-old man was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on suspicion of two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, records show. The 72-year-old woman who was reading at the time of the gunfire was frightened by the incident but otherwise unharmed. Her 74-year-old husband was also uninjured.
- CEDAR RAPIDS, IA, 3/18/16: For the second time in just over six months, a 15-year-old has been shot and killed in Cedar Rapids. The circumstances of the shooting that led to Senquez Jackson’s death remain under investigation, but Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman said Saturday night the incident does not appear to be an “intentional assault.” Jerman said investigators have interviewed the person believed to have pulled the trigger. At this time, the shooting is being treated as a death investigation. “It’s another tragic loss of life,” Jerman said. “It didn’t need to happen, shouldn’t have happened, but it happened. It’s tragic from all aspects.” Senquez Jackson was pronounced dead at 5:24 PM Saturday, less than 24 hours after police, fire and emergency responders were called to 1424 Bever Ave. SE for a shooting. That call came in at 5:45 PM Friday. Jackson was found inside the residence suffering from a gunshot wound. Jerman said the shooting took place inside the residence. Officials are working to confirm whether or not Jackson lived at the Bever Avenue residence. Jackson’s shooting does not appear to be intentional at this time, Jerman said. Authorities are working to determine the facts and circumstances of the incident. “There are still more interviews that need to be completed by investigators, and then we need to look at what the facts and evidence are once more of those interviews are completed,” Jerman said. “It does not indicate it was a drive-by or assault.” Jerman said police have spoken with the shooter and other people inside the residence at the time of the shooting. He declined to say whether the shooter is in custody at this time. “He’s been spoken to,” he said, adding that everyone inside the house appears to have been acquainted with each other.
- BIRMINGHAM, AL, 3/18/16: A patient at the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center annex accidentally shot himself Friday morning, and then brought the weapon inside of the lobby. According to Birmingham VA spokesman Jeff Hester, the gun was immediately confiscated and the man was stabilized by VA doctors and taken to UAB’s trauma room. Hester told CBS 42 the veteran had been shot in the arm. Officials believe it happened in the facility’s parking deck. Both the deck and entrance to the facility were marked off with police tape. VA police will conduct an investigation.
- COPIAGUE, NY, 3/18/16: A teenager shot and killed his friend as the two were examining a gun inside a Long Island home Friday afternoon, police say. The 18-year-old victim, a high school student, and his friend, also 18, were inside the Copiague apartment where the friend lived and were handling the firearm when it went off, Suffolk police say. The victim was shot in the chest and died shortly after. A third friend was also at the apartment on Great Neck Road, and the group had been near the front door when the gun was fired. The friend who owns the gun and lives in the apartment called police. He's believed to be responsible for firing the fatal shot, Suffolk police said. The shooting happened about two and a half blocks south of Copiague Middle School and about a quarter-mile west of Walter G. O'Connell Copiague High School. Detectives were on the scene gathering evidence on what "may be an accidental discharge of the gun," according to police. Charges were pending Friday night.
- ABILINE, TX, 3/18/16: An accidental shooting outside the Mall of Abilene leaves one man injured. The incident happened just before 10 PM Friday night outside the Chelsea Street Pub. First responders found the victim inside a pickup with a gunshot wound to the leg. Early reports indicate the injury was self-inflicted. Witnesses say the man had been drinking and was attempting to show off a handgun when it went off. Abilene Police say the unidentified victim does have a license to carry.
- ORLANDO, FL, 3/18/16: The gunman accused of shooting a bystander Friday told deputies he offered the victim a cup of water and $400, but did not call 911 or try and stop the bleeding. Jakell Ward, 21, was later arrested and now faces two counts of attempted murder. The man Ward allegedly shot, Brian Mortensen, was installing a fence in Ward's complex, Magnolia Court Condominiums, Orange County deputies wrote in a report. Mortensen's lung collapsed, and a bullet ended up lodged near his heart, records show. He was taken to Florida Hospital in what deputies called "grave condition" on Friday. The incident unfolded when Ward and his pregnant girlfriend may have been arguing about Ward's marijuana use, deputies said. His girlfriend told deputies she could tell Ward was getting angry, and knew he had a .45 Hi-Point pistol in their apartment. So when Ward allegedly threatened to kill her, she left the apartment and went to her car in the parking lot, deputies said. Ward allegedly followed her out of the apartment with his pistol, deputies said. His girlfriend said she got into her car and saw Ward fire the pistol toward her "multiple times," deputies said. One of the bullets went through the car and hit Mortensen's chest, deputies said. Ward's girlfriend drove away as other witnesses called 911. She came back after deputies arrived to tell them what happened. She was not injured. Deputies found Ward in the complex. He denied threatening to kill his girlfriend, but corroborated the rest of her story, deputies said. Ward told deputies he tried to offer Mortensen $400 as "compensation for the injuries," deputies said. Then he went back to his apartment to hide his pistol, deputies said. Ward is being held on no bond in the Orange County Jail. Ward was arrested on a domestic battery charge in November 2015. Less than a month after the arrest the state attorney's office declined to prosecute him, saying the case was not "suitable for prosecution." MORE: A central Florida man has died after being struck by a stray bullet just four days after the birth of his first child. The Orlando Sentinel reports 32-year-old Brian Mortensen was working on a fence at an apartment complex near Orlando on March 18 when he was hit in his chest and arm. He died Tuesday.
- SAVANNAH, GA, 3/18/16: Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police are investigating a Friday night shooting that injured a 16-year-old male. It happened at Fred Wessels Homes on the 200 block of Avery Street, just after 6 PM. The teen was reportedly shot on Randolph Street by an unidentified vehicle, but police say they have no evidence supporting this claim. Preliminary investigation reveals the victim was with a group of teenagers when one of the victims accidentally discharged his gun. Detectives are following leads to confirm the shooter’s identity.
- WALTON CO., GA, 3/19/16: A Georgia man trying to videotape shooting a lawnmower packed with explosives lost his leg. "We get a lot of calls about Tannerite. It can be extremely dangerous if it is not used correctly," Walton County Sheriff Joe Chapman told 11Alive's Duffie Dixon. Tannerite is the brand name of a combination of ammonium nitrate and aluminum powder. When mixed and shot with a high-velocity bullet, it creates a loud noise and explosion. The manufacturer recommends using no more than one-half pound at a time. But demonstrations using up to 100 pounds at one time have become popular internet videos. The apparent attempt to make one of those internet videos cost one man his leg. According to the March 19 incident report obtained by 11Alive, a sheriff's deputy responded to a call about an explosion. A 911 call reported 32-year-old David Pressley was shooting Tannerite in the woods and "had possibly blown his legs off from the explosion." Two of Pressley's friends fashioned a tourniquet around his leg, helped him to the front seat of a vehicle, and drove him to a nearby road. That's where EMS met the group and started working on Pressley. "EMS advised David was missing his left leg below the knee," the report notes. He was airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. He is now recovering from the incident. One of Pressley's friends told investigators they put three pounds of Tannerite into an old lawn mower "to blow it up". That friend also told the responding deputy the entire incident was captured on video. It became police evidence. 11Alive obtained that video. It shows Pressley dressed in what appears to be a tactical vest, sunglasses, and a ball cap. He shoots a semi-automatic rifle at the lawn mower for 30 seconds, getting off more than 20 shots. On the last shot, the lawnmower explodes in a cloud of water vapor. Shrapnel can be seen flying in all direction. The camera shot wavers. "I blew my leg off! Oh, [expletive]!" That's when what's happened hits the amateur cameraman: "Aw, [expletive]!" "Call an ambulance! Call an ambulance!" a voice is heard yelling. The video ends. Tannerite is legal (though not intended to be used in this way). No charges will be filed. The Tannerite website spells out its intended use (as a shot indicator) and posts a warning: “Our patented and trademarked invention is designed for precision, long range target practice. Tannerite®, when used as prescribed, is safe/legal/fun for shooters from all walks of life. Please read all sections of this website so that you know you are in compliance with regulations.” The site also includes an FBI guide for sellers of Tannerite. It shows intended use (1 pound shot indicator) and misuse (50 pound exploding vehicle). The company's site references recent injuries: “Every time someone gets hurt with their own concoction or a fly-by-night patent thief's product, we get pointed at, and we are sick and tired of it.” In the Walton County case, friends, police, 911 dispatcher, and the sheriff all refer to Tannerite by name.
- LEVELLAND, TX, 3/19/16: Family members of a 12-year-old Levelland boy who was reportedly shot in the head Saturday afternoon said the shooting was accidental. His older sister, 18-year-old Heaven Garcia, said she has two children of her own and the accident left her terrified, yet thankful at the same time. She said while she did not see the accident, she heard a loud “boom.” When she walked into the living room, she said, she saw what had happened and called 911. “He had blood running down his face and it was ashy,” she said. Levelland police responded before 1 PM to the house in the 1400 block of 12th Street. Police said they had received several 911 calls to the home in reference to the gunshot victim. When they arrived, police said, they found the boy had been shot in the head by a 34-year-old man. Soon after, police determined it was a possible accidental discharge of a weapon. He was taken to Covenant Women’s & Children’s Hospital in Lubbock where a hospital representative said he was in stable condition, possibly good condition. The boy’s other sister, 16-year-old Audrie Garcia, said the accident occurred as her mother was showing a male relative a few firearms. “My mom wanted to get rid of the guns,” she said. The male relative was looking at the guns on the bed while the boy was in the room’s closet, she said. After hearing the noise, she said, she walked into the room and saw her brother on the floor in the closet. She said her mother began yelling for her to call 911. Older sister Heaven said her brother was doing fine, although he does have some pellets embedded in his face and shoulder. Both Heaven and Audrie said they are thankful that was the extent of his injuries. “I want people to know that he’s fine,” Audrie said. “He’s going to heal well, and thank you for all the prayers.” Levelland police said the case is under investigation.
- ELKHART, TX, 3/19/16: An Elkhart woman died Sunday from an accidental gunshot wound to the head by a child. The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon, said Sheriff Greg Taylor, when a child under 10 years old picked up a rifle while in the room with an adult relative who was cleaning weapons. The gun discharged in the child's hand with the bullet going through a closed door hitting a female relative in the head. Deputies responded at 4:34 PM to the 300 block of Anderson County Road 1370, and the woman was transported to the Palestine Regional Medical Center. She was later flown to Mother Francis Hospital in Tyler. Carmen Danielle Morris, 23, of Elkhart died on Sunday in Tyler. Morris and the male relative watching the child are married; however, the child is not theirs, Taylor said. Child Protective Services was called to investigate because two other children were inside the house at the time of the shooting. The husband was questioned, Taylor said. Deputies continue to investigate the incident, but believe there was nothing more than a tragic accident at this time, Taylor said. MORE: The tragedy that unfolded when 22-year-old Carmen Morris of Elkhart was unintentionally shot and killed is rare for Anderson County. Morris died Sunday after unintentionally being shot by her 8-year-old brother on Saturday evening. The boy picked up a rifle while in a room with Morris’ husband, Josh, who was cleaning weapons. The gun accidentally discharged in the child's hand with the bullet going through a closed door and hitting Morris.
- WILMINGTON, DE, 3/19/16: A 15 year old Wilmington boy who accidentally shot himself in the chest Saturday afternoon is in critical condition. City police responded to a report of a person shot in the 300 block of New Castle Avenue at 4:15 PM Saturday. Officers found the teen suffering from a single gunshot wound and transported him to Christiana Hospital where he's currently in critical condition. According to the initial investigation, the 15-year-old retrieved a handgun from inside his home and when he went to the backyard, he spun the handgun around in his hands, accidentally shooting himself once in the chest.
- AKRON, OH, 3/19/16: A University of Akron football player is recovering after his teammate accidentally shot him in the stomach just after 3 AM Saturday. According to Akron police, Scott Boyett, 23, shot teammate Andrew Pratt, 22, when he entered his apartment without knocking. Boyett believed Pratt was a burglar. No charges will be filed since both men agreed the shooting was accidental. Pratt was taken to a local hospital, but his injuries are not life-threatening. The University of Akron athletics website lists Pratt as a senior wide receiver from Green, Ohio. Boyett is listed as a junior offensive lineman from Santa Rosa, California.
- NASHVILLE, TN, 3/19/16: Officers with the Metro Nashville Police Department opened an investigation after a juvenile was shot. The incident happened in the 1500 block of Charlotte Avenue outside of Capitol Point apartments Saturday night. Witnesses told police a 14-year-old accidentally shot himself in the leg. He was rushed to the hospital. Authorities said his injuries were non-life threatening. No further details were available.
- CICERO, IN, 3/19/16: A man was accidentally shot in the face Saturday afternoon in Cicero, according to police. It happened around 1:30 PM in the 1400 block of Stringtown Pike. Police said a 20-year-old man had a single gunshot wound to the face. He was taken by helicopter to St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital. He is expected to survive, police said. No foul play is suspected.
No comments:
Post a Comment