Wednesday, July 06, 2016

Waldman's GunFail

Your first mistake was agreeing to help your friends move. Without wearing Kevlar. GunFAIL CLXXXVI
By David Waldman  
Eleven of the 48 guns discovered by TSA agents at airports across the country, during the week of March 18-24, 2016.
Eleven of the 48 guns discovered by TSA agents at airports across the country, during the week of March 18-24, 2016.
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Another typical week, though I imagine it didn’t feel typical for most of the people shot. But there was certainly not much difference between the week of March 20 and any other week in terms of the number and types of accident reports found. Nineteen people accidentally shot themselves. Sixteen people accidentally shot their friends or family members. Ten minors were accidentally shot. Eight people cleaning or otherwise working on guns that were still loaded accidentally fired them. Four people accidentally discharged weapons while out and about, shopping, dining or otherwise. And three people accidentally fired into neighboring homes, properties, or (for the second week in a row) passing school buses.
Among the weirder stories of the week, aside from the aforementioned school bus, were the man who accidentally shot both himself and his dog while cleaning a still-loaded weapon, and the man who accidentally shot himself while showing his wife how the safety on his gun worked (in theory).
One of the week’s “home invasion” shootings—that is, accidental discharges into a neighbor’s home—involved a Georgia school teacher who, distraught at breaking up with her boyfriend and contemplating suicide, locked herself in the bathroom of her townhome with his guns and accidentally fired a round through the wall, nearly hitting a 16-year-old neighbor. It’s not particularly unusual, of course. And there certainly wasn’t anything about her being a teacher that caused the problem. It’s just a little reminder that teachers, like all people, experience moments of stress and depression. We certainly hope those moments don’t strike while at school. And certainly not while armed at school. But stranger things have happened, and the chances of that particular strange thing happening only increases if they’re armed all day, every day.
And here’s one of those stranger things: A California man thought it might be an okay idea to hand his 7-year-old son a handgun, because of course it was unloaded. Except that it wasn’t, and the boy shot himself in the leg with it. Hey, it happens. Right? I mean, why don’t I ever report how many kids are injured by motor vehicles? Good question. Let’s address that. And as it happens, we don’t even have to move on to another story to do it. Because when dad decided (we surmise) to make up for his irresponsibility by driving his son to the hospital posthaste, that’s right about when he accidentally hit the 5-year-old neighbor with the family truck.
We really need to ban cars.
Our last call-out is our title story: The Rigby, Idaho, man unfortunate enough to have agreed to help his friends move without first asking if their toddler was armed. You think you know a kid, but these days, you just can’t be too sure.
  1. CHICAGO, IL, 3/20/16: A 7-year-old boy fatally shot himself Sunday in his home in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side, Chicago Police said. The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified the boy as Devon Lofton. Devon accidentally shot himself at his home in the 6700 block of South Aberdeen Street at 3:50 PM, police said. Devon was taken to University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital with a gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead at 4:36 PM, authorities said. Claudia Harris, a next-door neighbor and close friend of the family, said she was in her home when one of Devon’s brothers ran in and yelled for her to call police. “I didn’t know what was going on at first, but I knew it was bad,” Harris said. Devon, a first-grader, lived in the home along with his mother, grandmother and several siblings, Harris said. She wasn’t sure who was at the home when the shooting happened. Bernard Warfield, another next-door neighbor to the south, said he saw Devon and greeted him when the boy rolled up to his home on his red bicycle just a few hours before the shooting. “He said ‘See you later,’ the last words. . . . It’s traumatizing,” said Warfied said, who recalled seeing the boy outside playing football on the block regularly. “He was a great kid. It’s heartbreaking,” Warfield said.
  2. EAST CHICAGO, IN, 3/20/16: A man was in critical condition Monday after he was shot in the neck while he was "chilling" and "smoking a blunt" with several others in East Chicago's West Calumet Complex, police said. Anfernee D. White, 20, of Hammond, was charged Monday in connection with the shooting about 6 PM Sunday in the 4900 block of Aster Street in East Chicago, Lake Criminal Court records show. A witness told police the group was smoking marijuana when he showed the others his gun. He put it down and saw White pick it up before it went off, a court affidavit says. Another witness told police White was playing with the gun when it went off, court records say. One of the witnesses saw blood coming from the victim's neck and tried to apply pressure as 911 was called. The man was taken to St. Catherine Hospital and later transferred to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was listed in critical condition, court records say. A bullet appeared to have traveled through the man's hand and into his neck. White admitted he shot the man, but said it wasn't on purpose, court records say. He told police he cleared the gun, which had no clip, and it went off once, according to the affidavit. White was charged with felony criminal recklessness, online court records show.
  3. MOUNT PLEASANT, PA, 3/20/16: The lives of two teen boys in western Pennsylvania are ruined, all because the pair were playing with a loaded gun inside a home. The 13-year-old boy, identified as James Gustafson, of Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County, is dead, shot in the face by his friend. And now that friend, 14-year-old John Burnsworth, has been charged as an adult with criminal homicide and illegal possession of a firearm by a minor. All this, according to the Associated Press and WTAE. Authorities tell AP that it's still unclear who the gun belongs to, adding the clip was not in the gun, but there was still a single bullet in the chamber that ultimately killed James. Police tell AP that the two teenagers were visiting a friend with three younger children, a babysitter and another teenager, when John Burnsworth somehow got a hold of a gun inside the home. According to a criminal complaint cited by AP, the 14-year-old shooter told police that he and James were playing with the gun when the younger boy was shot in the face Sunday evening. Burnsworth was lodged at the county juvenile detention center due to his age.
  4. SEDRO-WOOLLEY, WA, 3/20/16: A 77-year-old man drove himself to the hospital Sunday evening after accidentally shooting himself in the foot. The man reportedly suspected there was a burglar in his house just east of Sedro-Woolley, and when he went to confront the burglar, he accidentally shot himself. Skagit County sheriff’s deputies were unable to locate evidence of a burglar.
  5. BRASELTON, GA, 3/20/16: A Gwinnett County high school teacher is facing charges for firing a gun and nearly shooting a teenager. Police say the bullet went into a nearby home. Police told Channel 2’s Rikki Klaus that Nyree Rapley, 41, and her boyfriend were breaking up and she took his guns, sparking a fight that they say led to bullets flying. Rapley is a chemistry teacher and cheerleading coach at Mill Creek High School. Braselton police say on March 20, she and her boyfriend were breaking up at her home on Mossy Oak Landing and there was a lot of arguing. An incident report said Rapley took her boyfriend’s two guns and locked herself in a bedroom. Investigators say Rapley told them she was considering shooting herself in the head. But instead, just before 2 AM, investigators say she fired one shot into the wall that flew into the town home next door. Police say a bullet landed just feet from a 16-year-old. Officers say Rapley's boyfriend kicked down the door and took hold of the revolvers. He told Klaus over the phone that Rapley is a great person and a dedicated and talented teacher. Some Mill Creek seniors that Klaus spoke with Tuesday night say she has a great reputation. "From the cheerleaders I've talked to and the staff that I've talked to, they say nothing but good things about her. She's a good coach, good lady, just feel bad for what happened," said senior Trevor Anglin. "I've just heard she's a really kind lady," said Austin Graham. Back in the neighborhood, Rapley's neighbor Dail Melton hopes everything gets worked out. "I'm sorry the teacher got herself in a bind. Hopefully nothing bad will really happen to her," Melton said. A Gwinnett County Public Schools representative says Rapley has been working for the district since 2001and is still employed. Nobody was hurt in the incident. Rapley's boyfriend admits it could have been a lot worse. The teacher has been charged with reckless conduct and discharging a firearm.
  6. CUB RUN, KY, exact date unknown: A Hart County teen was taken to University of Louisville Hospital after being accidentally shot over the weekend. Kentucky State Police says the preliminary investigation shows the 15-year-old accidentally shot by another teenager in the Cub Run area. At last word he was in critical but stable condition. Police are not releasing the names of those involved since they are juveniles.
  7. SHARPSBURG, KY, 3/21/16: A 60-year-old man identified as Stephen C. Routt has died after accidentally shooting himself while attempting to store his firearm at a residence in the community of Sharpsburg in Kentucky, troopers say. The accident happened at about 11:55 AM on Monday when Kentucky State Police Post 8 Morehead troopers were called to a fatal shooting at 95 Bethel Ridge Road in Sharpsburg, which is a small city located in Bath County. A state police spokesman said 60-year-old Stephen C. Routt, age 60, of Sharpsburg, was found to have sustained fatal injuries after a disassembled firearm was accidentally discharged while Routt attempted to store the firearm for travel. Trooper Brandon Burton is leading the investigation into Monday’s fatal shooting.
  8. RIVER FALLS, WI, 3/21/16: A 17-year-old boy appears to have accidentally shot himself Monday night, March 21, near Brandan’s Park in the 600 block of Foster Street. According to River Falls Police Chief Gordie Young, the boy shot himself in the thigh when a .22 semi-automatic handgun in his pocket discharged. Young said the gun’s been recovered and there’s no danger to the community. The boy was taken to Region’s Hospital in St. Paul. His medical status is unknown. Young said police are still investigating the case and that “charges may be forthcoming.”
  9. MURFREESBORO, TN, exact date unknown: A Florida man received a call from the Murfreesboro Police on Tuesday after it was discovered a sink in his hotel room had been damaged by gunfire. According to the police report provided to The Daily News Journal, the Clarion Suites manager contacted officers and showed them the damaged sink. The previous occupant of the room, Timothy Hamm of Mayo, Fla., was contacted by Officer Matthew Harvey. Hamm told police “he did his normal routine every morning by disengaging the magazine from the gun and pulling the slide back to empty the chamber before dry firing the weapon,” the report said. Harvey said Hamm was surprised when the Glock went off and he had it pointed in the sink. Officers confirmed that Hamm’s conceal permit is valid.
  10. DAYTON, OH, 3/21/16: Dayton police were called to Miami Valley Hospital on the report of a man who accidentally shot himself in the upper leg. It happened around 1:30 AM Monday in the 700 block of East Stewart Street in Dayton. The man was cleaning his .22 caliber revolver in his bedroom with a woman present when a “cartridge got stuck and he tried to get it out,” and that’s when the gun went off, according to a Dayton police report. After the gun went off, the man reportedly stayed calm and asked for something to put pressure on the gunshot wound. The two then reportedly got into a vehicle and the woman drove him to the hospital to be treated.
  11. LITHONIA, GA, 3/21/16: Police believe a 2-year-old boy found a handgun inside his mother’s purse and accidentally shot and critically injured himself in the stomach area early Monday in DeKalb County. He was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition. Police responded about 2:15 AM to a call about a person shot at a Knights Inn on Panola Road, DeKalb County police Lt. Mark Lavigne said. They arrived to find the child wounded in the accidental shooting. The child was in surgery early Monday. Police interviewed the child’s mother and another woman in the room with the wounded toddler. They also worked to secure a search warrant for the room and impound the mother’s car parked outside the inn. The family is from North Carolina and arrived at the DeKalb hotel Sunday evening, Lavigne said.
  12. SAVANNAH, GA, 3/21/16: SCMPD Violent Crimes Detectives say a man accidentally shot himself with a stolen gun Monday afternoon. It happened just after 5 PM. Police responded to the 100 block of Scarborough Street to find 22-year-old Jackie Heath on his front porch suffering from a gunshot wound. Heath said he was shot by men driving by in a Crown Victoria, but it was later determined that Heath accidentally shot himself. Police located the gun and found it had been stolen in another county. Charges for Heath are pending.
  13. GROVETOWN, GA, exact date unknown: A Grovetown man was treated at Doctors Hospital after accidentally shooting himself in the hand. According to reports, police responded to the hospital after being called about an accidental shooting. The man told police he was attempting to show his wife how the safety worked on his Sig Saur P238. According to police reports, the man stated the bullet entered the palm of his left hand and exited the back of his hand. He then said his wife took him to the hospital.
  14. CLYO, GA, 3/22/16: A Georgia man accidentally shot himself and his dog while he was cleaning his gun and talking on the phone. Todd A. Crouse, 44, of Clyo, was at his home in Clyo, Ga., on March 22 when the accident occurred, according to reporting from the Savannah Morning News. Crouse said he “unknowingly reloaded the gun” while he was he was reassembling it, according to the Effingham County Sheriff’s Department. Then he told officers that he pulled the slide back, but he still had his finger on the trigger, accidentally firing the gun, the report says. Crouse told officers he was putting the weapon down when it fired. The bullet struck his upper thigh, traveled through his left leg, and then hit his dog, according to the report. Crouse was treated at the hospital while his wife, who was sleeping at the time, took the dog to the veterinarian to be treated. The Savannah Morning News reports that Ryan Williams, the Effingham County Sheriff’s deputy on the case, said he smelled “a faint odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from Todd’s person while speaking with him” and no charges were filed. Clyo is located roughly 25 miles northwest of Hardeeville.
  15. ATHENS, GA, 3/22/16: A 24-year-old Athens man suffered a gunshot wound Tuesday night from what he called an accidental shooting, Athens-Clarke County police said. The man said he and others were sitting in the kitchen of his girlfriend’s Rhodes Drive residence about 9 PM when a shot rang out and he was struck by a bullet in his leg, according to police. He wrapped a shirt around the wound and his girlfriend drove him to the hospital. The man said he did not know the name of the person who shot him, according to police.
  16. CHICAGO, IL, 3/22/16: Police say a girl was transported to Comer Children’s Hospital on Tuesday after suffering a gunshot wound to the neck. According to police the girl was sitting at a kitchen table when someone pulled out a gun to show it to her. The gun accidentally went off, and she was struck in the neck. The incident happened about 3:30 PM. Tuesday on the 7100 block of South Ingleside in the city’s Grand Crossing neighborhood. The girl’s name and age have not been released. She is in guarded condition at the hospital. No one is in custody. MORE:A 17-year-old boy was charged with a felony in the accidental shooting of his friend in her home in Chicago's Grand Crossing neighborhood. Relatives of Jasmine Snipe, 14, said she is expected to remain at Comer Children's Hospital for at least two more days. Her brother, Tidrick Gilmore, said she had two friends over Tuesday afternoon. One of them was the 17-year-old boy, who had brought the house in the 7100-block of South Ingleside Avenue. The boy was holding the gun when it went off around 3:30 PM. Snipe was shot in the neck "My sister indicated it was an accident. He didn't intentionally try to do it. He was showing off the gun. He shouldn't have had the gun in the house in the first place," Gilmore said.
  17. GOSHEN, IN, 3/22/16: Robert Rink, 58385 Ind. 15, Goshen, reported an accidental shooting when he shot one of his fingers while cleaning a handgun at 4:38 PM Tuesday, according to Elkhart County police. He was taken to IU Health Goshen Hospital for treatment.
  18. LONGMONT, CO, 3/22/16: A Longmont man accidentally fired his gun while cleaning it inside a home on the 1700 block of Atwood Street on Tuesday. No charges were filed.
  19. TALLAHASSEE, FL, 3/22/16: A stray bullet struck the window of a school bus Tuesday afternoon at Killearn Lakes Elementary School. Four students were on the bus at the time, and another four were beginning to board the vehicle, which was parked at the bus loop at the front of the school, when the ammunition round shattered the glass, confirmed Leon County Schools Superintendent Jackie Pons. No one was injured. While canvassing the surrounding area after the incident, deputies learned that a rifle round ricocheted from a target almost a mile away from the school, in a wooded area near Thomasville Road. The rounds used at this target practice matched the consistency of the round found in the bus, said Lt. Grady Jordan, spokesman for the Leon County Sheriff's Office. No arrests have been made. "We are just thankful no kids were hurt," Grady said. The round punched an almost circular hole at least the size of a softball in the second to last rear window on the driver’s side. The round was found resting on the seat near the shattered window. The bus driver told administrators he heard a “loud cracking sound,” Pons said, and then evacuated the students into the school, which is located in the sylvan residential Killearn Lakes neighborhood of northeast Tallahassee. School officials called LCSO  and deputies arrived moments later, just before 3 PM. In accordance with its safety plan, the school temporarily shifted into “lockdown” status, though most of the students, except those enrolled in after-school programs, had already left campus. Other transportation was arranged for the eight students on the bus.
  20. TOLEDO, OH, 3/22/16: A 17-year-old female is hospitalized and a suspect has been arrested in connection to what police say was an accidental shooting in central Toledo Tuesday. According to the Toledo Police Department, Earl Smith Jr., 19, was arrested and charged with negligent assault, tampering with evidence and receiving stolen property after a shooting at 511 N. Miller St. in Toledo. Police say the shooting appears to be accidental. Arieana Pettaway, 17, was taken to the hospital after receiving a gunshot wound to her hip, according to police. The wound does not appear to be life threatening. Police continue to investigate.
  21. MIAMI CO., OH, 3/23/16: A deputy responded to the UVMC for a male that had accidentally shot himself while cleaning his gun.
  22. EMPORIA, KS, 3/23/16: At approximately 8:20 AM on Wednesday a shooting was reported in the 1400 block of North Highway 99. Scanner traffic indicates that a woman in her forties accidentally shot herself in the hand. She is breathing and alert. Lyon County Sheriff's deputies and the Emporia Fire Department responded to the address to provide treatment.
  23. MAHASKA CO., IA, 3/23/16: A shooting that occurred on March 23 has been deemed an “accidental discharge” by authorities, according to Mahaska County Sheriff Paul DeGeest. “We looked into it and it turned out to be an accidental discharge,” he explained. “The guy was working on his gun and accidentally shot himself.” Backstory: On Wednesday, March 23, at around 7 PM, the Mahaska County Sheriff's Office received a call that one person had been shot at 3300 Block of Plymouth Avenue in Mahaska County. Deputies and medical personnel arrived on the scene to discover that a man had been shot in the left shoulder. The man, who has since been named by DeGeest as Larry Dunn, 58, was transported to Mahaska Health Partnership in Oskaloosa with a non-life threatening wound to his shoulder.
  24. SPRINGFIELD, VA, 3/23/16: Fairfax County Police staking out a residence in the Springfield area Wednesday night for a suspect in a reckless discharge of a firearm got more than they bargained for, according to a news release from police Thursday. Read the news release here for the sequence of events: Shortly after 10 PM on Wednesday, March 23, Special Operations Division/SWAT officers were responding to serve a warrant at a residence in the 7500 block of Tralee Woods Court in Springfield. The warrant was for Rashad James for the reckless discharge of a firearm that occurred on Saturday, March 19. Neighborhood patrol units and patrol officers from the West Springfield District Station were already on Tralee Woods Court, on March 23, maintaining a visual presence, watching for James. Officers watched several subjects enter the target residence, but none were believed to be James. Prior to SWAT’s arrival, officers heard the sound of a gunshot come from inside the residence. Shortly thereafter, three subjects ran from the home and got into two separate cars. This information was relayed to officers standing by on Creedmore Drive. As an officer pulled out and attempted to stop the first vehicle, the second vehicle traveling up Creedmore Drive with no headlights on, collided with the police cruiser. With the knowledge that weapons were unaccounted for, and believing that the first vehicle was involved with the Tralee Woods address, officers immediately made contact with the driver, who refused commands to show officers his hands and to exit the vehicle. After more than an hour of negotiation, the driver still refused to comply with any commands; he would not put his hands up, would not exit the vehicle and would not speak with us. Pepper spray was deployed into the vehicle and had no effect on the driver. Officers eventually approached the vehicle, behind the cover of a ballistic shield, opened the vehicle door and the driver then exited. Upon further investigation, officers determined that the vehicle and driver were not involved with the Tralee Woods address and the driver was subsequently released. Simultaneously, officers stopped both of the involved suspect vehicles; one being the one that collided with the cruiser, on Creedmore Drive. The driver of that vehicle was detained and he was found to be in possession of a handgun. The driver and occupant of the second vehicle both appeared to have sustained gunshot wounds; one to the upper body and the second to the lower body. Our SWAT Medic rendered first aid until rescue arrived and transported both victims to Inova Fairfax Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The gunshot wounds occurred prior to any contact with police. The victims were also uncooperative with officers at the hospital. The extensive investigation continued throughout the night, into the early morning hours. As a result, police now believe that the shooting was accidental. The subject who was alone in the vehicle that collided with the cruiser, and the two subjects in the second vehicle, were inside the Tralee Woods address. The first man took a handgun out to show it to the second two and the gun unintentionally discharged. The bullet struck one victim in the hand, passed through and struck the second victim in the leg. That is when all three men exited the home with the intent of going to the hospital. Chief Edwin C. Roessler Jr. commended his officers and commented that, “Success was driven by plans and actions of skilled/trained officers who were able to quickly isolate, contain and analyze the situation.” No officers were injured. The address on Tralee Woods was searched, but the wanted subject, Rashad James, was not located. Police do not believe that James was involved in this incident.
  25. LAKEWOOD, CO, 3/23/16: A man told police March 23 that he accidentally discharged a handgun when he placed it on the kitchen table of his home in the 8700 block of West Cornell Avenue, Lakewood, after a day of drinking and arguing with his girlfriend. He was arrested on three firearms charges.
  26. ROME, GA, 3/23/16: A man who police say accidentally shot a woman on Elliott Drive could face additional charges based on the condition of the victim, said Floyd County Deputy Chief Mark Wallace. Devon Lavan McDougald, 25, of 520 Elliott Drive, was arrested Wednesday evening and charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and reckless conduct. He was being held in jail without bond Thursday evening. “Additional charges depend on the condition of the victim,” Wallace said. “Right now, it doesn’t look like she has life-threatening injuries, but she could have life-altering injuries.” Wallace said police are at a “wait and see” point in the investigation. “If anything else does happen, we’ll have a discussion with the district attorney to figure out what else he could be charged with,” said Wallace. The victim, Shambria Sams, 23, was shot in the lower torso and was in stable condition Thursday afternoon at Floyd Medical Center according to FMC spokesman Dan Bevels. Floyd County police investigator Charles Miller said Sams had surgery late Wednesday night. On Wednesday around 7 PM, Sams was sitting in the driver’s seat of a gold 1997 Nissan Maxima and McDougald was sitting directly behind her in the back seat. The car was coming to a stop in the driveway when the gun went off. The bullet went through the driver’s seat and through Sams. At the scene, Floyd County police Sgt. Greg Beck said it was a clean shot. Emergency personnel told Miller that Sams was responsive to questions before she was taken to the hospital. Investigators are treating the incident as an accident at this time, but the investigation is still ongoing.
  27. MACON, GA, 3/24/16: A man was shot while he was with his friends Thursday night. 17-year-old Tyricco Simmons shot 18-year-old Marquez Jones on Courtland Avenue. The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office says Simmons was handling a pistol when it went off. Jones was shot in the face. He went to Medical Center, Navicent Health and is in stable condition. No one was else was injured. Simmons faces an aggravated assault charge. Investigators are still questioning witnesses.
  28. BIRMINGHAM, AL, 3/24/16: Authorities are warning parents about gun safety after a child was injured in an accidental shooting in Birmingham. A four-year-old was shot in a car in the 7700 block of 2nd Avenue South around 9:30 PM Thursday night, according to Bryan Shelton with the Birmingham Police Department. Investigators said the shooting occurred after the child’s mother left her children in the car. One of the children found the gun and it discharged. The bullet grazed the boy’s skull but did not enter it. He is in stable condition. “If you choose to own a gun, you have to be safety-minded and exercise a higher standard of care,” Shelton said. “We’re just glad he’s okay.”
  29. FORT MOHAVE, AZ, 3/24/16: Mohave County Sheriff’s deputies responded to an accidental shooting on Thursday, March 24. At about 11:17 AM, deputies responded to a gun sales business in the 4400 block of S Highway 95. Investigations determined that an employee was repairing a 9mm gun which was having jamming issues when the gun accidentally discharged and shot another employee standing about 10 feet away. Medical responded and transported Neil Anthony Petrillo, 59, of Bullhead City, to Valley View Medical Center with non-life threatening gunshot injury to his buttock.
  30. HENLEY, MO, 3/24/16: A young Cole County man apparently accidentally shot himself while playing with a gun with some friends at a mobile home near Henley. Sheriff’s Captain John Wheeler says 23–year old Casey Pitman died at the home Thursday after someone else loaded the gun … Wheeler says the group then tried to cover up what had happened. Three suspects are charged in connection with the incident. They face charges ranging from involuntary manslaughter to tampering with evidence.
  31. POWER COUNTY, ID, 3/24/16: The Power County Sheriff's Office is investigating an accidental shooting case that occurred Thursday afternoon. At around Noon Thursday the sheriff's office received a 911 call reporting that a 31-year-old male had been accidentally shot in the back while target practicing in the Lake Channel area. The man had been practicing there with 2 other men. The sheriff's office and Power County EMS responded to the scene. The injured man was taken to Portneuf Medical Center via ground ambulance. Power County Sheriff's Office says the investigation of the shooting is continuing, however foul play is not suspected and the incident appears to be accidental.
  32. SPARTANBURG, SC, 3/24/16: Police were called to Mary Black Hospital Thursday morning in reference to a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office reports. The report said a 34-year-old Spartanburg man was cleaning his Sig Sauer Mosquito .22 caliber semi automatic pistol when the man said he did not take the magazine all the way out of the pistol and the gun went off. The bullet traveled through the man's left lower leg on a downward angle and exited into the flood, according to the police report. The man's father was present at the time of the shooting, the report said. The report said police cleared the weapon and would not be needed for the investigation.
  33. ZIONSVILLE, IN, 3/24/16: 10:08 PM — Shots fired, 800 block U.S. 421, Zionsville, accidental shooting, subject dropped gun and shot himself in the leg, receiving treatment at St. Vincent's, BCSO.
  34. LARGO, FL, 3/24/16: A man was shot in the chest late Thursday night after a friend pointed a loaded revolver at him in fun, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. Deputies responded just before midnight to the accidental shooting at 15116 Topaz Lane in Largo.
    Tony Roe, Dylan Harvey and Brianna Harris were all inside the home at the time of the shooting. Police said Roe, 23, and Harvey, 19, were playing with a loaded revolver by rolling the chamber then taking turns pointing the gun at each other. At one point, Harvey pointed the gun at Roey and the gun discharged. Roe was shot in the chest and was taken to Bayfront Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. No arrests have been made.
  35. TREMONT, ME, 3/24/16: Deputy Jacob Day met March 24 with a Tremont resident who said he had accidentally fired a gun inside his residence.
  36. REDLANDS, CA, 3/24/16: A woman who was held hostage by her ex-boyfriend in Redlands ended up being shot by police, Redlands Police Chief Mark Garcia said Friday. During a morning press conference, Garcia released the details of what led up to the tense hostage situation and how the woman, 28-year-old Kristen Bauer, was struck by police gunfire on March 24. Around 2 PM that afternoon, the suspect in the case, 29-year-old Andrew Mike of Downey, went to a Redlands Office Depot where his ex-girlfriend, Bauer, worked. Bauer told authorities she had tried to end her relationship with Mike earlier that morning. In order to avoid causing a scene, Bauer went outside to meet Mike in his car in the Office Depot parking lot. As they sat in the car, authorities said Mike pulled out a handgun, put it in his mouth and pulled the trigger, but the gun didn't fire. He then drove away with Bauer in the car. As they drove around the area, Bauer continually asked Mike to stop and let her out. At one point while they were driving, he fired the gun in her direction, but ended up hitting the inside of the passenger door. He also kept trying to inject her with an unknown substance, but she was able to avoid being pierced by the needle, police said. Mike and Bauer eventually ended up back at Office Depot, where he let her out of the car but followed her into the store. While they were inside, he physically restrained her and held her at gunpoint. During the struggle, one person who had tried to help was shot in the finger. Authorities were called during that time and responded to the scene within two minutes. Mike then forced Bauer through the back door, saw the police presence and dragged her to a spot on High Street, just east of Sixth Street. There, he held her at gunpoint for more than two hours while negotiators tried to convince him to release Bauer to safety. According to Bauer's police statement, Mike threatened her life at least eight times during the standoff. Authorities said Mike also indicated to them at least 10 times that he was prepared to die. Toward the end of the hostage situation, Mike made a sudden movement, pulled Bauer back as a shield and pushed the gun into her back. Authorities then believed Bauer was in immediate danger and quickly chose to fire multiple rounds at Mike in order to save her life. Garcia said 11 officers from multiple agencies fired 25 rounds at the suspect. Nine of those officers were from the Redlands Police Department, while two were part of the San Bernardino Police Department, according to Garcia. Mike was struck and killed during the shooting, and Bauer, who was found wounded, was pulled away from the scene and transported to Loma Linda Medical Center. At the time, she was listed in critical condition. Medical staff treated her and determined she suffered a single gunshot wound. The injury caused damage to one of her lungs, her liver and diaphragm, her father said, adding that she has a long road to recovery. Mike's gun from the scene was recovered and looked over by authorities. Garcia said the cartridge appeared to have been jammed, which prevented the gun from firing. According to preliminary results, Bauer was struck by police gunfire. Her family was contacted early Friday morning and updated with the latest findings, Garcia said. He said hopes Bauer, who is now in serious condition, makes a full recovery. "After meeting with Kristin again this morning, I am encouraged by her recovery," he said at the press conference. "I pray for her continued recovery, and the Redlands Police Department and I will continue to do all we can to assist her and support her family as she heals." The incident remained under investigation, Garcia said.
  37. BRISTOL, VA, 3/25/16: A woman is facing a non-life threatening gunshot wound after a gun was fired in Bristol, Virginia. The victim was put in an ambulance in the parking lot of the Bristol Virginia Jail located off of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The shooting did not happen in the parking lot; the driver pulled over in the parking lot after the gun was fired, according to Bristol Virginia Police Department officers who were on scene.
  38. MEMPHIS, TN, 3/25/16: An 11-year-old girl critically hurt in a shooting at an apartment near Memphis International Airport on Friday was apparently shot accidentally by another child, police said. “At this point, this appears to be an accidental shooting where a child (11) was playing with a gun when it went off, striking the 11-year old,” police spokeswoman Sgt. Karen Rudolph wrote in an e-mail. Police responded to a shooting call at 11:59 AM in the 3400 block of Winchester Park Drive, near Winchester Road. The girl was taken to LeBonheur Children’s Hospital, police spokesman Louis Brownlee said. A neighbor, Rosemary Jones, 51, said that after the shooting, she’d heard another little girl — not the one who was shot — telling police that someone had fired from a car. It’s not clear if this was the child who police believe accidentally fired the shot. Police investigators at the scene of the shooting wouldn’t comment. They had used yellow crime-scene tape to block off an area near the entrance gate to the Somerset Park apartment homes. One officer took pictures of the scene. Then a group of officers went into an apartment near the entrance. In the doorway of a nearby apartment a few minutes later, Herman Maxwell, a gray-haired 69-year-old in an Army T-shirt and camouflage pants, said he hadn’t heard a shot. “I did!” piped up his grandson, Laquan Maxwell, 9. The grandfather said he lives with his grandson and the boy’s parents and is planning to move, in part because of maintenance problems. “And I’m sick of these gunshots.” The boy and his grandfather said they didn’t know the 11-year-old girl or her family. Officers left the scene shortly before 3 PM.
  39. PEORIA, IL, 3/25/16: A mixture of alcohol and a gun led to an accidental shooting in Peoria. Police were called to a home at 5801 North Andover Court around 1:00 AM Friday morning. They found a man lying on the floor who had been shot. Another man was sitting on a couch, crying. The man on the couch told police he had been asleep when he heard someone in his house. He started shooting before realizing the victim was a close friend. Both men were intoxicated at the time of the shooting. The man who was shot suffered a fractured hand and forearm and had three bullets lodged in his groin. He is expected to survive.
  40. SAN ANGELO, TX, 3/25/16: A young boy was taken to a local hospital, Friday night, after an accidental shooting. The incident happened at an apartment complex in the 5700 block of Green Hill Road. The initial call reported a vehicle collision involving a child. When emergency responders arrived they found the father of the seven-year-old shooting victim had hit a five-year-old boy in his truck when he was attempting to drive his son to the hospital. Investigators are saying they believe the shooting was accidental. Both boys were transported by ambulance to a hospital for what officers are calling minor injuries. UPDATE: A parent has been charged with endangering a child and criminal negligence after handing his seven-year-old a handgun. The boy accidentally shot himself in the leg Friday night at some San Angelo apartments. San Angelo Police tell KIDY the father, 26-year-old Andrew Crittenden, said he thought the gun was unloaded when he handed it to the boy.
  41. SOUTHAVEN, MS, 3/25/16: A man was accidentally shot at O’Charley’s in Southaven Friday night. Police said a man accidentally shot himself while in front of the restaurant. He was later taken to the hospital, but his condition is unknown.
  42. JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP, PA, 3/25/16: A 23-year-old man was injured in an accidental shooting Friday night at a home in the 100 block of Bullcreek Road, authorities said. The man was shot in the leg and suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to state police. A medical helicopter flew him to a Pittsburgh trauma center following the shooting about 8:25 PM. Police did not identify the man and a report was not immediately completed. A patrol trooper is investigating but a criminal investigator also was called to the home. Authorities said there were several people at the house when one of them apparently pulled a handgun from a holster. The gun went off, hitting the victim. The Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Company and its ambulance arrived to tend to the man, who was reportedly shot in the thigh. The man was “awake and alert” throughout, rescuers said. When medical crews could not find an exit wound, the decision was made to fly the man to Allegheny General Hospital, out of concern the bullet could have struck an artery. Firefighters set up a landing zone for the helicopter in a field at Bullcreek and Smith roads. Police said their investigation continues, and it was not know if any charges would be filed.
  43. SOMERTON, PA, 3/25/16: A Somer­ton wo­man says she ac­ci­dent­ally shot her boy­friend in the leg in­side their home, but she’s fa­cing crim­in­al charges for the Fri­day night in­cid­ent any­way, ac­cord­ing to po­lice. The 911 call went out at about 8:44 PM when someone re­por­ted a “per­son with a gun” on the 400 block of Jeanes St. Of­ficers from the 7th dis­trict ar­rived at the scene and found a man, 54, bleed­ing heav­ily from his left leg. Melanie Ma­jer, 54, of that ad­dress, was at­tend­ing to the vic­tim and told the of­ficers that she had ac­ci­dent­ally shot him. Para­med­ics took the man to Holy Re­deem­er Hos­pit­al in stable con­di­tion. Po­lice did not dis­close the cir­cum­stances of the shoot­ing or the source of the gun, but they ar­res­ted Ma­jer for ag­grav­ated as­sault, pos­sess­ing an in­stru­ment of crime, simple as­sault and reck­less en­dan­ger­ment.
  44. CLAYTON, CA, 3/25/16: A man was hospitalized after his brother accidentally shot him in the leg while cleaning his handgun Friday afternoon, authorities said. A 53-year-old man called police to report that he mistakenly shot his brother around 1:25 PM on the 9300 block of Marsh Creek Road in unincorporated Clayton, said Contra Costa County Sheriff's spokesman Jimmy Lee. Responding deputies found the 72-year-old victim with a gunshot wound in his right leg, Lee said. The older brother was transported to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek for an injury that was not life-threatening. A preliminary investigation indicates that the shooting was accidental.
  45. VACAVILLE, CA, 3/26/16: A man is suffering from a single gunshot wound after being struck by a stray bullet from a target shooting area in Vacaville late Saturday morning, according to sheriff's officials. Deputies responded to the area Fry and Lewis Roads around 11:15 AM on a reports of an 18 year old man that had been shot. Deputies said the man was transported to an area hospital with injuries considered non life-threatening, and after an investigation found the victim was unintentionally hit by a stray bullet. Deputies contacted the person that was target shooting and they are cooperating with the investigation.
  46. HARRISON TOWNSHIP, OH, 3/26/16: A shooting victim turned up tonight at Miami Valley Hospital saying he was accidentally shot. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting, which reportedly happened sometime around 10 PM at JJ’s Chicken and Fish restaurant at 4633 N. Main St. in Harrison Twp. Deputies responded to the hospital, but it’s not clear how the victim was shot or whether it happened inside the restaurant.
  47. DES MOINES, IA, 3/26/16: Officers were sent to the 400 block of East Phillip Street at 5:45 PM on Saturday on a report of a self-inflicted shooting. The caller told 911 that her son had accidentally shot himself in the leg and way lying in the hallway of the apartment building. Arriving officers found no one in the hallway, but could hear screaming coming from the second floor and found Rod William Mundy, 22, lying at the top of the stairs. An officer grabbed a belt next to Mundy and used it as a tourniquet just above the leg wound, which was behind his right knee and calf area. A sweatshirt was also used to apply pressure to the wound until medics arrived. Police said those at the scene would not answer questions about what happened or where the firearm was located. Mundy was taken to a metro hospital for treatment. His current condition is not available. A witness told police that other people ran out of the apartment after the shooting. The firearm was eventually located in an apartment in the building on top of one of the kitchen cabinets. The shooting remains under investigation.
  48. RIGBY, ID, 3/26/16: On March 26, Rigby Police Chief Keith Hammon was informed by the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center’s (EIRMC) officer on duty, of a patient that had come in with a gunshot wound. The victim, Travis Sorensen, 25, of Idaho Falls, was lying on a couch in the basement of a home at 330 W. First South, when he was shot in the left foot. Witnesses at the home say they were in the process of helping the family move, when a bed was broken down and a gun was found between the mattresses. The gun was placed on the floor and later picked up by a 3-year-old. The toddler discharged the weapon into the floor, the bullet ricocheted off of a window sill and struck Sorensen in the left foot. Sorensen has been treated at EIRMC for his injury. No charges have been filed and police consider the incident closed. The Rigby Police Department remind residents to keep all guns safely secured, and locked, especially those homes with small children. UPDATE: The man who was shot in the foot Saturday after a toddler found a gun in a Rigby home says he was not at fault. “This wasn’t my house, this wasn’t my gun, I was helping a friend move,” Travis Sorensen, 25, said Thursday. “I have gotten so much negative feedback from this, even death threats from people.” Rigby police spokesperson Carol Shackelford confirmed Sorensen’s version of events. She said he’s “absolutely the victim here.” Sorensen told EastIdahoNews that another man who was helping move had placed the gun on the floor. “I don’t know why he did that,” Sorensen said. “Maybe he didn’t know it was real.” At one point, Sorensen went into the basement to take a nap. Later he was awoken by a loud noise and pain in his foot. A child in the room above Sorensen fired the gun into the floor. “I just want people to know that I had nothing to do with this gun being placed on the floor, I knew nothing about it,” Sorensen said. “I just want it to be clear that I was the victim of circumstances, not at fault for negligence.”
  49. COWLEY CO., KS, 3/26/16: The Cowley County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating an accidental gunshot wound from an incident that occurred early Saturday morning. Undersheriff Jeff Moore said the incident was reported prior to 8 AM Saturday when a 24-year-old Cowley County man went to the hospital with an accidentally, self-inflicted gunshot wound. Moore said the situation is under investigation, but appears to be nothing of a criminal nature.
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