So, maybe 2017 is a good time to try this again. It’s been a while since I was last able to publish a GunFAIL list. We’ve gone on hiatus before, but as with the last time, I never stopped keeping the raw lists. And neither did the TSA, which reports a 28 percent increase in the number of guns people “forgot” they were carrying through airports in 2016, smashing the record previously set in 2015. Last year, of course, smashed the previous record (with a 19 percent increase), set in 2014. And 2014 had seen a 22 percent increase over 2013, which had seen a 16.5 percent increase over 2012, which had seen a 17.9 percent increase over 2011, which … well, you get the picture.
The new year presents us a new opportunity to pick it up again, since the FAIL never stops. Besides, New Year’s Eve is one of the two annual big nights for one of the cardinal sins of GunFAIL: celebratory gunfire.
This week’s list, covering the first seven days of the year, identifies 20 separate incidents of celebratory gunfire-related GunFAIL, including two fatalities and another 10 injuries. In fact, we saw our first child under 15 years of age accidentally shot to death just six minutes into the new year. Eighteen people accidentally fired their weapons into the homes or property of neighbors. Sixteen people accidentally shot themselves. Six people accidentally fired weapons they were cleaning, and five people accidentally shot family members. In other words, a pretty typical week, with the added bonus of hundreds of people across the country still not getting the message that firing their guns in the air is a spectacularly bad idea.
Unsurprisingly, Texans were among the top offenders in the celebratory gunfire category, and as if to put an exclamation point on the need to dial it back, this time they accidentally shot a sitting state legislator. Will the NRA will allow legislators to send a sternly worded letter to reckless gun owners? Will the NRA allow legislators to say there even is such a thing?
Sadly, we also saw that other annual event: someone being accidentally shot with a brand-new Christmas gun. This time, an 11-year-old North Carolina boy showing off his brand-new shotgun cost us the life of his 6-year-old cousin.
Below, you can review the GunFAIL findings for the first week of 2017.
- ATHENS, AL, 1/01/17: The community is in shock after a New Year’s Eve party turned deadly for a small child in Limestone County. A five-year-old girl was fatally shot Sunday morning at a party on Buckskin Drive in Athens. Fidel Rodriguez Canchola, 34, of Buckskin Drive in Athens was arrested in connection to the shooting, which the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office said was accidental. Canchola, known as Rodriguez, was booked into the Limestone County Jail on a charge of criminally negligent homicide, a class A misdemeanor. He is being held on a $5,000 bond. Deputy Stephen Young, public information officer for LSCO, said Sheriff Mike Blakely and Investigator Lance Royals located Rodriguez at his home at 7:20 AM Sunday. “At 12:06 this morning, deputies responded to a residence on Buckskin Drive, where the victim had been shot once in the chest,” Young said. “She was pronounced dead at Athens-Limestone Hospital.” Young said about 30 people were at the residence for a New Year’s Eve party. Initially nobody in the group said they had seen or heard anything except gunshots coming from down the street, Young said. Investigators recovered several .22 caliber shell casings at the scene. After interviewing those on the scene, investigators were able to determine that Rodriguez had allegedly fired several rounds in the yard toward the ground when the girl walked out into the line of fire, Young said. Rodriguez had left the scene, apparently on foot, before deputies arrived, according to Young. “When he realized what happened, he got scared and ran,” Young said. The .22 caliber revolver was recovered on the other side of a fence at the location. Rodriguez was arrested at his home Sunday morning without incident. “While every accidental death is tragic,” Sheriff Blakely said. “It’s especially difficult when you lose a young child. The sad thing is that incidents like this are 100 percent preventable with a little common sense.” The LCSO is reminding the community that while we all like to celebrate during the holidays, common sense should prevail. “Firearms are not fireworks. They should never be used when alcohol is consumed and all proper safety precautions must be taken.”
- BIRMINGHAM, AL, 1/01/17: An Ensley woman has a bullet hole in her ceiling and she says celebratory gunfire could be to blame. Rosie Harris and her husband who were home at the time. She says it happened just as people were ringing in the new year. She's been living in her Ensley home for about 15 years and nothing like this has happened before. She says the bullet came through the roof and into her home, piercing the sheetrock and then landing on the floor of her house. She said the sound was loud and it really scared her. She immediately called the police. The scariest part for her: she was headed to her bedroom passing her hallway, narrowly missing the room where the bullet landed. "Like a big bam, like someone shook it. It was a big bang noise and the sheet rock from the top of the ceiling had fell to the floor and I kept saying, ‘What was that?’ And I looked down on the floor and there was the bullet," Harris said. Harris said she plans to have someone come out to see if there's any more damage to her home. She says, at the point, she is against any celebratory gunfire on holidays as things can go terribly wrong.
- ATLANTA, GA, 1/01/17: Police say a 12-year-old child was accidentally shot in Atlanta on New Year's Day. A spokesperson with Atlanta police said units responded to the incident around 12:30 AM after the child's 38-year-old uncle unintentionally discharged a .357 handgun. Police say the uncle was shot in the hand, while the child was shot in the chest, although not through the chest cavity, according to authorities. Police say both victims were in stable condition before they were taken to the hospital.
- RIVERDALE, GA, 1/01/16: Police say celebratory gunfire is to blame for stray bullets that went through a woman’s home. Bullets went through a home on Fledspar Way in south Fulton County around 2:00 AM Sunday. Homeowner Pamela Shirley said she heard four sets of gunshots. “I was so scared. Everybody was so scared. We wouldn’t turn the light on, and I’m like, ‘Boy these people are crazy,’” she said. Fulton County police were out Sunday collecting shell casings. Channel 2’s Matt Johnson went to Shirley’s home and she showed him where the bullets hit the wall and pierced her china cabinet. Shirley said none of the four people home at the time were hurt by the gunfire. “Anybody could get killed and I consider myself lucky,” she said. Shirley said she wants people to think twice before recklessly firing their guns. “Be careful. You never know. Innocent people will get caught in the craziness,” she said. Fulton County police said the search for whoever pulled the trigger is ongoing. Police warn celebratory gunfire can be a misdemeanor offense and carry a $1,000 fine.
- HEPHZIBAH, GA, 1/01/17: A Georgia family is thankful to be alive after a stray bullet went through their roof and into their kitchen seconds after the start of 2017. The Turner family lives on Cougar Court in Hephzibah, Georgia. They sent WAVY sister station WJBF pictures of the hole in their roof. Family members say they heard celebratory gunfire in the area during New Year’s Eve. Just after midnight, they heard a loud bang in their kitchen. That’s when they noticed the hole in their roof and the bullet on their kitchen floor. Two members of the family had just left the kitchen minutes earlier while they were getting a snack. Investigators took the bullet as evidence and are trying to figure out who shot it. Deputies say if you shoot a gun into the air, you could be charged with a misdemeanor and face a fine of $1,000, or worse if someone is injured or killed.
- COLQUITT CO., GA, 1/01/17: Officials say a Colquitt County man is dead after he was struck by a stray bullet during celebratory New Year’s Day gunfire. The incident happened at 12:15 AM in the 100 block of Yates Lane. Officials with the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office said Alonzo Cortez and his friends were talking and drinking in the front yard when he suddenly fell to the ground. Cortez died after being airlifted to a Tallahassee hospital. No arrests have been made.
- WIMAUMA, FL, 1/01/17: Two men were injured over the weekend when they were shot by celebratory gunfire, the Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office said. The first incident happened about 9:10 PM, Saturday (Dec. 31). Terry Wayne Snyder, 55, was riding a bicycle on Deerfield Street when he felt a sharp pain in his leg at the same time he heard fireworks in the area. Snyder was taken to Tampa General Hospital where, deputies said, he was treated and later released. The other incident happened about 12:09 AM Sunday (Jan. 1). Jesus Garcia-Renteria, 22, was standing in the front yard of 6010 First St. in Wimauma watching fireworks when a bullet struck him in the arm. Witnesses at the scene said they had no idea where the shot came from nor did anyone see any weapons. Renteria was taken to Tampa General where he was treated and later released, deputies said. Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay is offering a reward of up to $3,000 for information that leads to the identification and arrest of the unknown suspects involved in these two cases. Anyone with any information regarding the identity of the suspects and who wants to be eligible for a cash reward is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477), report anonymously online at crimestopperstb.com or send a mobile tip using the P3 Tips Mobile application. Crime Stoppers must be contacted first in order to be eligible for a cash reward.
- DELTONA, FL, 1/01/17: Not long after leaving the scene of the fire-starting, Chitwood and his driver hurried to a home where a woman had accidentally shot herself in the hand while cleaning a gun. A domestic disturbance had occurred, deputies were told, and the woman’s husband had left the house. On the scene, multiple patrol cars and other first responders, including the Deltona Fire Department and an EVAC ambulance, created a scene for neighbors as flashing blue and red lights lit up the night. The woman’s husband was subsequently located as he walked in the darkness along North Normandy Boulevard near Epic Theatres of West Volusia. After Chitwood questioned him, the man was allowed to go; Chitwood said the man was not facing any charges at that time.
- AURORA, CO, 1/01/17: Police believe a stray bullet may have struck a man in the head. Aurora Police Chief Nick Mets says at midnight, a driver stopped at a red light near I-225 and Alameda. That's when a bullet came down through his sunroof striking him in the head. The chief wants to use it as a reminder for people to not shoot guns in the air on New Year's. Chief Metz also says the person who was shot is expected to survive.
- BOULDER, CO, 1/01/17: A Boulder man was accidentally shot in the chest after the gun his friend was playing with went off after the two had returned from a night of partying this weekend. Boulder police were called to Boulder Community Health's Foothills Hospital on New Year's Day after a 23-year-old male came in with a gunshot wound to his chest. Police said that the man and a friend had been out clubbing overnight and came back to a house in Boulder and started playing with a gun. The gun then accidentally went off, hitting one of the men. Boulder police spokeswoman Shannon Cordingly said he is expected to survive the gunshot. Cordingly said the incident is still under investigation and police have not yet determined if any charges are warranted in the case.
- BROOKLYN, NY, 1/01/17: At least five men were shot in separate incidents early New Year’s Day, including a victim who told cops a stray bullet struck him inside his Brooklyn home, police sources said. The 46-year-old man said he was sitting in his 12th-floor Sutter Avenue apartment when heard gunshots just after midnight, and then felt a pain in his arm. He then realized he had been shot in the arm, he told cops.
- LAS VEGAS, NV, 1/01/17: The Clark County coroner’s office has identified the woman police say was killed in an accidental shooting in the central valley early New Year’s Day. She was 22-year-old Maryann Nabil Rosail, of Anaheim, California, the coroner’s office said Tuesday. Metropolitan Police Department homicide investigators determined Rosail was in a parked car in the 3700 block of Cambridge Street, near South Maryland Parkway and East Twain Avenue, with three other people about 4:30 AM Sunday when a gun was accidentally fired inside the vehicle. She later died at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, police said. The cause of Rosail’s death was a gunshot wound to the side. The coroner’s office ruled her death a homicide. Metro spokesman Danny Cordero said Tuesday that no arrests have been made and that after an investigation the Clark County district attorney’s office will determine whether criminal charges will be filed.
- RICHMOND, VA, 1/01/17: A mother driving home from a late-night church service with her two children was struck by a stray bullet early New Year’s Day. LaShawnda Pratt's finger was shattered by a bullet 15 minutes into 2017. After undergoing surgery Sunday morning, Pratt now has pins in her pinky finger. "I had just left church, me and the kids,” Pratt said. “And the bullet just hit the car out of nowhere – the front windshield." Pratt said she had just taken a left off Dabbs House Road onto Nine Mile Road and was headed towards the interstate when she heard gunfire. The young mother said she threw up her hand and basically caught the bullet when her windshield shattered. "I tried to keep as calm as possible, because I’ve got young kids and I didn’t want to scare them,” Pratt said. “So I kept as calm as possible and drove to [VCU Medical Center].” Pratt believes the random gunfire came from Creighton Court where officers were spotted later in the day Sunday. Pratt said she hoped police can find the gunman. "Just stop shooting on New Year’s," Pratt said. “I got a registered gun and I don’t go out and shoot just because I can." Pratt said after the initial shock of what happened to her wore off, she thought of young Brendon Mackey's story. Capt. Frank Carpenter tweeted Sunday evening warning folks about the dangers of celebratory gunfire. One Richmond police officer on patrol tweeted a photo showing the number of calls coming in for random gunfire just after midnight on New Year’s. The seven-year-old boy was killed after he was struck by celebratory gunfire on the Fourth of July in Chesterfield County in 2013. Pratt, who is out of work and trying to heal, said she never imagined something like this would affect her family.
- DALLAS, TX, 1/01/17: After days of warnings about celebratory gunfire for the new year, people are finding bullets and bullet holes in some pretty scary places. The bullet hole through the window of Adam Murnan’s Uptown home is clear in daylight, but around four in the morning, he didn’t know what had happened. “I kind of blacked out. It was pretty terrifying, but we called 911, and they came pretty quickly,” Murnan said. He was asleep when he woke to a pain in his lower right leg. “A friend of mine actually eventually saw the little copper or brass coloring of the bullet. The other friend saw the hole through the window and the curtain,” Murnan said. His x-ray shows his shattered bone. Dallas Police would only say the case remains under investigation, but Murnan is convinced the bullet came from someone firing a gun into the air to celebrate the new year.
- DALLAS, TX, 1/01/17: After days of warnings about celebratory gunfire for the new year, people are finding bullets and bullet holes in some pretty scary places. In Oak Cliff, Milani Arguelles said the same thing caused a bullet to come through the ceiling of her bathroom. “I saw the hole, and I was like Holy Cow that is a bullet hole through my house. Happy New Year. There’s a bullet hole through my house,” Arguelles said.
- FORT WORTH, TX, 1/01/17: [I]n Jerry Serrano’s northwest Fort Worth yard, he said a bullet out of nowhere bounced off his shoulder just after midnight. “One of my friends, he says, hey you got a hole in your shirt,” Serrano said. His doctor told him he was lucky, but Serrano wonders what would have happened if he had been standing a little to the left. “He told me too, you know what, you’re just a couple of inches from your head. Now you’re head’s a different story. It hits your head, your brain could be sensitive, and it could do something to it,” Serrano said.
- HOUSTON, TX, 01/01/17: Two people were injured by celebratory gunfire overnight, police said. One man, Jorge Leal, said he and his wife were hosting a neighborhood party last night when his friend Pedro was hit. He and his friend were standing near the street when the clock hit midnight - and Pedro was hit by a bullet. "[He] said, 'Hey, I feel something', and I said, 'What happened'," Leal said. "He took off his shirt and he was hit... I saw the bullet right there, there was a hole right here." Pedro was bleeding badly and they called 911, Leal said. "I was nervous because my kids were outside, everybody was outside," Leal said. The bullet narrowly missed his friend's heart, Leal said. Pedro was released from the hospital this morning. It's not the only injury from celebratory gunfire. A state representative from Hidalgo County was injured overnight. He is doing okay, officials said.
- HIDALGO CO., TX, 1/01/17: A Texas lawmaker is lucky to be alive after an apparently stray bullet hit his head during a New Year's celebration early Sunday, authorities said. State Rep. Armando "Mando" Martinez, D-Weslaco, said his wife had just given him a kiss shortly after ringing in the new year with family and friends, and the next thing he knew, "it felt like a sledgehammer hit me over the head." A bullet fragment had just punctured the top of the south Texas legislator's head. Martinez said he had just stepped outside a home in a rural neighborhood north of Weslaco when he was hit. Martinez, 40, was transferred to the neurosurgical unit at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen, where surgeons removed the bullet fragment. The fragment had penetrated his skull and lodged itself into the dura mater, the top layer of the brain, doctors told Martinez. The fragment appears to be from a .223 caliber round, said Martinez, who spoke to CNN by phone on Sunday while recovering at the hospital. "Had it gone any further, I don't think we would be having this conversation," Martinez said. Hidalgo County Sheriff Eddie Guerra said Martinez's survival was nothing short of a miracle. The sheriff's office is investigating the shooting, and investigators "have reason to believe that (Martinez) was hit by a stray bullet," county sheriff's office spokesman JP Rodriguez said. "There is no evidence to indicate he was targeted," Rodriguez said. "It was a miracle last night. I was given another chance at life and I'm grateful for it," Martinez said. Martinez was elected to a seventh term in November and scheduled to take the oath of office January 10.
- AUSTIN, TX, 1/01/17: Police are investigating after a woman was hit by a bullet while party goers were ringing in the new year on Sixth Street Saturday night. Victoria Rocha, 35, was transported to University Medical Center Brackenridge with a gunshot wound to her leg. Rocha tells KXAN she and her fiance had just parked minutes before and walked down to 6th and Brazos. She sat down on a bench across from the Driskill Hotel to rest her feet, and called her son at 12:03 AM to wish him a Happy New Year. “As soon as I hung up the phone we heard a loud bang out of nowhere,” said Rocha. “At the time I didn’t realize I was hit.” When she tried to get up she could tell something was wrong. “It was kind of numb and I could feel it burning like a hotness to my leg,” said Rocha. Austin Travis County EMS rushed her to the hospital where Rocha says doctors removed a 45 caliber bullet that had traveled from the front of her left thigh to the back. Austin police said they believe it was a falling bullet that came from someone firing a gun into the air nearby “I’m just left with why, I don’t understand,” said Rocha wiping tears from her eyes. There are currently no suspects in the case and detectives are expected to be reviewing video footage to see if they can spot the person who pulled the trigger. A HALO camera is on the corner recording around the clock and and providing a live feed to Austin police. The Driskill Hotel also has surveillance cameras. The head of security tells KXAN APD looked at their footage, but didn’t see much. Officers stationed at the hotel, along with employees at nearby bars say they didn’t see or hear anything either other than a loud crowd in the packed street. “Not a way to start the year, but thank God it wasn’t worse,” said Rocha. “I really hope that they find the owner of the gun or that somebody comes forward.” In the meantime, the mother of four will be home recovering and is unable to go back to work until her leg heals. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with medical expenses.
- KANSAS CITY, MO, 1/01/17: As the metro celebrated the new year, some families in Kansas City were hiding from gunfire. As the clock struck midnight, celebratory shots were fired and homes were hit by stray bullets. “We were just sitting on the couch watching a movie and we heard this bang.” When Stephanie Swanson’s husband went to look, he found a bullet hole in their sliding door. The two began to panic as their three young children were sleeping soundly upstairs. “There was a moment there of 15 minutes, where we weren't exactly sure how to keep them safe,” Swanson said. Police believe someone sent a celebratory shot into the air 5 blocks away from their Hyde Park home. “I'm so thankful that it went through this window and not the bedroom window on the second floor. It easily could've been in my sons bed.”
- KANSAS CITY, MO, 1/01/17: Across Kansas City, another metro mom knows the feeling. Jamie Moore came home to find a bullet hole in her ceiling and a bullet fallen right next to her 4-year-old daughter’s favorite spot to play. “Makes you think twice about where you live, if you're safe in your own home,” Moore said. On an evening that is supposed to be all about celebrations with loved ones and finding a fresh start, two metro moms are ridden with what-if’s and unsettling anxiousness that they can’t shake. “When you fire a gun into the air, sure it's fun for the moment. Until you are the one who is responsible for a bullet going through someone's bedroom window,” Swanson said. “We get to go to Home Depot and buy a new door and we're fine. So many parents, that's not their reality. A few minutes of fun on New Year’s Eve is not worth that ever.” If you’re caught shooting gun within city limits, you’ll be charged with a misdemeanor.
- KANSAS CITY, MO, 1/01/17: People who live on the ninth floor of a building at Ninth Street and Baltimore Avenue in downtown Kansas City were just about home a few minutes after midnight Sunday when they heard fire crackers or gunshots. Entering their loft, they found three windows shot out and a bullet lodged in the drywall of their bedroom. There were three more bullet hits in the brick exterior of the building. Theirs was just one of 156 reports to Kansas City police of shots fired just after midnight Jan. 1, the result of people who felt the need to shoot a firearm to celebrate the new year. Theirs was the fourth police report taken in Kansas City in 2017. Police are getting really tired of this. “For 10 to 15 minutes after midnight (on New Year’s), it sounds like a war zone,” said Sgt. Mike Foster of the property crimes division at the Kansas City Police Central Patrol, adding that it puts officers on edge. There were eight reports of property damage believed to be caused by celebratory gunfire on New Year’s night in the Central Patrol alone. Many, if not most, celebratory shooters fire up into the sky, but those bullets still have to come down somewhere. Eleven-year-old Blair Shanahan Lane was killed by such a bullet on the Fourth of July in 2011, in east Kansas City. The man convicted in her death, Aaron Sullivan, served 18 months in prison. In the case of the loft shooting, however, the bullets came from a high-powered rifle at a more or less straight angle, leading police to believe they originated from another high rise about 400 yards away. Foster said police are still investigating, but they have witnesses and have identified a person of interest. “It could have been ugly,” Foster said. “They might have been having fun, but what they did was really dumb. It was dangerous. We’re really investigating this. We’re taking this case seriously. We’re going to bring somebody in and find out why they did this.” Foster suggests that next New Year’s, people pop a bottle of bubbly instead of popping off a gun. “Don’t do it,” he said. “It’s not worth it.”
- FERGUSON, MO, 1/01/17: A Ferguson woman said her neighborhood's New Year's Eve celebration nearly killed - her and she has a bullet hole in her bed frame to prove it. It happened just after midnight New Year's Day when neighbors apparently fired several celebratory gun shots. The first day of the new year almost became the last day of Jammie Fuller's life. "I started hearing 'bang bang bang bang', and all of a sudden I felt something I thought hit my headboard," said Jammie Fuller, Ferguson homeowner. Fuller found a bullet had torn through her bedroom wall and lodged in the bed frame. "If it had been higher, it would've struck me in my bed sleeping," said Fuller.Fuller said just after midnight, shots of celebration rang out across the street. "There were just guns being shot, and it sounded like a war zone. Neighbors are shooting up other neighbors homes and allowing that kind of celebration," said Fuller. Fuller said this is not even the first time her home has been shot up during a big holiday. There are other bullet holes in her home - including one from a New Year's Eve a few years ago, which shot through her patio window."Every New Year's, every Fourth of July, you might be shot in your own home," said Fuller. In the middle of speaking with her, Fuller pointed out the sound of gunshots in the neighborhood. A sound becoming all too familiar, and the main reason she plans to move. "I want to live in a neighborhood take care of neighbors. I can't deal with it anymore," said Fuller. Fuller says the police have pinpointed the home the shots came from, but no charges or citations have been issued at this point.
- LOUISVILLE, KY, 1/01/17: Metro police released a statement Sunday regarding New Year's celebratory gunfire. The statement came after two people were injured by celebratory gunfire. LMPD’s statement read: “Firing a gun into the air is not only dangerous but illegal since what goes up must come down. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the majority of injuries related to guns fired in the air are to the feet, shoulders and head, which can result in death. The LMPD is thankful that no one was seriously injured during last night's celebrations and we encourage the community to refrain from or report gunfire as well as any other illegal activities.” [...] A man, who was attempting to fire his gun when it backfired, has injuries that police believe are not life-threatening.
- ADELANTO, CA, 1/01/17: An Adelanto woman was rushed to a hospital after she was shot while sitting in her home just minutes after the New Year celebration at midnight. On Sunday, January 1, 2016, at 12:08 AM deputies responded to a residence in the 17800 block of Bellflower Street following the reports of shots fired/shooting at a dwelling. “A female adult was struck by a bullet while sitting in her home,” said San Bernardino County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Jodi Miller. The woman was transported by ground ambulance to a local area hospital for treatment. The call history indicates three suspects were detained however, it is unclear if they were arrested, stated Miller. At this time, it’s unknown if the round was a stray bullet fired into the air during the celebratory News Years countdown. Or a bullet intended for the victim.
- OAK HILL, OH, 1/01/17: An Oak Hill man started his New Year off in the hospital after his firearm accidentally discharged and left him with a gunshot wound to his head. On Sunday January 1, at approximately 1:30 AM, the Oak Hill Police Department (OHPD) received a call regarding a male with a gunshot wound to the head. Officers responded to 128 Bingham Street in Oak Hill. According to Oak Hill Police Chief Donald R. Arbogast, officers arrived at the scene and found 24-year-old Michael Hickman of Oak Hill inside of the residence with a gunshot wound to his head. Reportedly, he was conscious and alert and was transported by Jackson County EMS to a local hospital and was later flown to a Columbus hospital. As of Tuesday Hickman was listed in stable condition Arbogast stated. "At this time, it is believed that Mr. Hickman’s injuries were the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound from an accidental discharge of the firearm he was handling," explained Arbogast. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Madison-Jefferson Fire Department also responded and assisted at the scene.
- FRANKLIN, IN, 1/01/17: A Franklin man accidentally shot himself in the leg early on New Year’s Day when he dropped his gun with a bullet still in the chamber, he told police. The bullet struck Kyle Berry, a resident of the 4000 block of Jason Avenue, in the leg, according to a police report. Police were called just after midnight on Jan. 1 when he went to the Johnson Memorial Health emergency room. Police searched the home to make sure the bullet hadn’t left the property. Berry told police he was carrying his 9mm handgun and dropped it accidentally. He had already removed the magazine, and didn’t know that a bullet was in the chamber, he told police. The gun went off when it hit the ground, the report said.
- COLUMBUS, OH, 1/02/17: Columbus Police say a 12-year-old boy is in stable condition after an accidental shooting on the city’s west side. It happened around 6pm on the 680-block of Racine Avenue. Officers say they found the 12-year-old suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg. The boy told Columbus Police that he found a handgun in his grandfather’s bedroom and accidentally shot himself in the leg while he was holding the gun. The boy was transported to an area hospital and is in stable condition.
- CHICAGO, IL, 1/02/17: A man was accidentally shot in the hand Monday morning in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side. The 20-year-old man was accidentally shot in the right hand by someone he knew in the 300 block of South Homan at 9:32 AM, according to Chicago Police. He took himself to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition stabilized, police said. The person who shot him was not in custody as of Monday morning, police said.
- LAKEWOOD, NJ, 1/02/17: An employee of the Garden State Pistol Range in Lakewood accidentally shot himself in the hand while pulling a gun from a storage cabinet on Monday, police said. Police say the bullet entered and exited the employee’s left hand, and he was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The employee, who was not named, is expected to make a full recovery, police said. The accident occurred around 4:30 PM at the range on Swarthmore Avenue, police said. The gun was a rental, police said. Several customers, including two young boys, and at least one employee were in the area at the time of the shooting, according to police.
- HUTCHINSON, KS, 1/02/17: Law enforcement authorities in Reno County are investigating what an apparent accidental shooting. Just after 8 PM, Monday deputies from the Reno County Sheriff’s Office and EMS were dispatched to 2203 Nickerson Blvd. on the west side of Hutchinson for a 15-year-old that had been shot in the chest with a shotgun, according to a social media report. It appears that two teens, including one who lived there and a friend that was visiting, had been out shooting shotguns earlier in the day. They were on the backside of a barn and there was an accidental discharge, striking the friend in the left upper chest and left arm. The young man was talking to officers and EMS at the scene and was been transported to Wichita by ground ambulance in serious but stable condition, according to the sheriff’s department. Names are not being released at this time.
- FORT WAYNE, IN, 1/02/17: A man was seriously hurt in an overnight shooting at a Fort Wayne motel. The incident happened around 11:30 PM Monday at Regency Inn in the 1000 block of W. Coliseum Blvd. Police at the scene told NewsChannel 15 someone apparently accidentally pulled the trigger of a gun as it was being passed around a party at the motel. A man in the room was shot in the head, but the injury was not life-threatening. According to a Fort Wayne Police report, an officer nearby heard the shot ring out and saw people scatter into the motel’s parking lot. A woman then came to the officer’s squad car and told him someone had been shot, the report said. As the officer approached the motel, he saw a man holding a black “Ak-47 style rifle” and walking northbound near two rooms with open doors, the report said. The officer ordered the man o drop the gun, and he did, the report said. The man – identified as Christian D. Myers – was placed into custody. Inside Room 123, officers found a man identified as Tyler Eddington laying near a bed bleeding from his head, the report said. Police found another gun inside the room, along with apparent marijuana, the report said. Officers also found a bullet hole in the west wall of the room and holes on the outside of the wall and the inside and outside of the stairway wall, according to the report. Investigators identified at least two witnesses, and one woman went with detectives to police headquarters to make an official statement, the report said. Court records show Myers was charged Tuesday with criminal recklessness.
- LAMESA, TX, 1/02/17: A woman has been arrested and an arrest warrant has been issued for a man in connection to the investigation into a drive-by shooting that was reported here on Jan. 2. However, those charges against the pair actually are in regard to a separate, alleged accidental shooting that took place about seven hours earlier inside the same residence, injuring a six-year-old boy. The boy’s mother, Jennifer Ruiz, 29, of Lamesa, has been arrested and charged with “endangering a child,” Lamesa Chief of Police Dale E. Alwan Sr. said on Thursday. He said the charges against Ruiz are a result of “her refusal to seek medical attention for the child.” An arrest warrant also has been issued for Benny Vela, 28, of Lamesa, charging him with “injury to a child” in connection to that same shooting incident. “Vela remains at large and is evading law enforcement,” Chief Alwan said on Thursday. Officers with the Lamesa Police Department first discovered that the boy had been struck by a shotgun blast more than 13 hours earlier, according to information from the police department, while they were investigating the drive-by shooting that had been reported about 6:40 p.m. in the 1600 block of North 8th Street. About 12:50 AM Tuesday, Jan. 3, officers requested an ambulance be dispatched to 1615 North 8th Street in regard to the boy’s injuries. The boy was taken by Medical Arts Hospital EMS to the local emergency room, Chief Alwan said, but later was transported to a Lubbock hospital where he was admitted.
- AURORA, IL, 1/03/17: A 21-year-old Aurora man was seriously injured in what police said appears to be an accidental shooting last week. At about 11 PM Jan. 3, the man and two friends, a 21-year-old Aurora man and an 18-year-old Oswego woman, were apparently passing around a shotgun inside a home on the 900 block of Almond Drive when it went off, injuring the man in the abdomen, police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said in an email. The man's friends, joined by a 20-year-old Aurora man, took him to an Aurora hospital where he received treatment, Ferrelli said. No one else was injured, Ferrelli said. Alcohol apparently was a factor in the incident, for which there have been no charges, Ferrelli said.
- PERRYSBURG, OH, 1/03/17: Charges have been filed after a man accidentally discharged a firearm in the locker room of the Planet Fitness location in the city on Tuesday. Brent Monday, 26, Maumee, has been charged with discharging firearms in the city limits after the incident, which was reported at the business, 144 E. South Boundary St. The incident was reported at 2:14 AM in the men’s locker room of the business, which is open 24 hours. According to Perrysburg Deputy Police Chief James Rose, the man was putting the weapon away in a locker and accidentally discharged it. There was reportedly at least one other person in the locker room at the time. No injuries were reported. “The safety of our members is paramount at Planet Fitness. We are aware of the incident that took place at the Planet Fitness location in Perrysburg, Ohio and can confirm that no one was injured. As it relates to policy, all locations are expected to comply with applicable state and local laws and regulations with respect to firearms,” McCall Gosselin, spokeswoman, said in an email. “As this is an ongoing investigation, we defer any further questions to the local authorities.
- ALBUQUERQUE, NM, 1/03/17: Deputies say a man is charged in connection with the Tuesday accidental shooting death of his best friend. Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Felicia Romero said around 2:45 PM deputies received a shots-fired call on the 100 block of Cynthia Loop in the northwest Albuquerque. According to the criminal complaint, when they arrived, they found a 61-year-old male with a gunshot wound and another man, uninjured, saying that he had shot his best friend. Life-saving measures on the victim were not successful, Romero said. The male victim was identified as 61-year-old Charles Ulery. According to the criminal complaint, John Bennett, 46, and Ulery had returned to Bennett's residence in the 100 block of Cynthia Loop after driving around town selling jewelry. Bennet told deputies that he exited the truck and Ulery's girlfriend got into the truck, as she and Ulery were going to leave. Bennett said he reached into the cab of the truck to retrieve his shotgun which he had been carrying around for protection due to threats against him and his girlfriend. In the complaint, Bennett told authorities that he had reported these threats to law enforcement. Bennet told deputies that he put the shotgun under one of his armpits with the barrel facing forward but was unsure of how exactly he was holding. Bennett said that he somehow managed to unintentionally fire the shotgun, striking Ulery in the face and killing him. Bennett said Ulery was either in the driver's seat or near the door of the driver's side. According to the criminal complaint, when the weapon fired, it recoiled and struck Bennett in the face, causing laceration and bleeding. In the complaint, Bennett also told deputies that he knew he shouldn't have been carrying the shotgun and that he was not knowledgeable in how to handle firearms. Bennett is charged with involuntary manslaughter and is being held on $5,000.00 cash or surety bond.
- SILVER CITY, NM, 1/03/17: A Silver City man is in critical condition with major head trauma after accidentally shooting himself in the head with his loaded pistol. The Silver City police responded to a home in the 1200 block of 40th Street at 1:21 on Tuesday afternoon for a request for an officer. When police arrived, a woman came running out of the home with blood on her hands and neck, saying her boyfriend was inside. Police found the victim, 24-year-old Randy Iler, lying on the couch with an open wound to the left side of his head. There was a black pistol on the floor next to the couch. The officer began to put pressure on Iler’s open wound and waited for EMS. Police interviewed Iler’s girlfriend, who told them that Iler was sitting on the couch holding the gun in his hand. She said he usually holds his firearm and pulls the trigger but usually the safety is on. She said Iler was getting ready to leave and go pick up a friend and take them to Walmart and he had the gun pointed toward the ceiling and pulled the trigger and the gun went off. She said when the gun went off, that’s when she noticed his wound. EMS arrived on scene and advised that Iler would need to be airlifted to the El Paso Trauma Center. Silver City Police Chief Ed Reynolds said the incident is still under investigation. Reynolds said Iler was in critical condition in an El Paso hospital. A Go Fund Me started on Wednesday aiming to raise $5,000 to help with Iler’s medical care had raised $135 on the first day. To donate, visit: www.gofundme.com/donations-for-randy
- SINAI, SD, 1/03/17: A man was airlifted to Sioux Falls after accidentally shooting himself Tuesday, according to the Brookings County Sheriff’s Office. The report came in at 10:40 PM Tuesday from the 300 block of Fourth Street in Sinai, said Assistant Sheriff Scott Sebring. “It was found that a 37-year-old male was unloading a 9 mm hand gun when it accidentally went off, striking him. He was transported to the Brookings hospital and later airlifted to Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls to be treated for his injury,” Sebring said. The incident is under investigation with the Brookings County Sheriff’s Office.
- BEAVERTON, OR, 1/03/17: Police said someone told them he had been shot while he was leaving his apartment Tuesday night, but Beaverton police said it turned out that he had shot himself and made up the story. Police were called to the Southwest 12000 block of Longhorn Lane just before 8:30 PM. The person who was shot was taken to the hospital for treatment and was expected to survive.
- PINETOWN, NC, 1/03/17: The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office has released the name of a 6-year-old girl who was killed Tuesday after deputies said her 11-year-old cousin’s new shotgun went off while he was showing it to her. Deputies were called out to a residence in Pinetown around 6 PM on Tuesday, and first responders said they found 6-year-old Victoria Whitehurst had died of a gunshot wound. The Sheriff’s Office said Victoria was visiting the home of her 11-year-old cousin and a 12-year-old girl, who are not being named. The boy was showing the two girls a shotgun he got for Christmas when the gun went off, struck and killed Victoria and injured one of the family dogs, deputies said. The dog suffered minor injuries and was taken for medical treatment, the Sheriff’s Office said. Those who have visited the family said the 11-year-old is distraught. “He’s a good boy,” said neighbor Kaliff Moore. “But, phew, I just can’t imagine how the family is now. We just need prayers up there for them.” Jennifer Gray, a family friend, said Victoria and the boy were close. “They got along great,” said Gray. “They were more like brother and sister a lot of the times because, you know, Victoria was here a lot.” Neighbors are in disbelief and want the community to remember the little girl whose life was cut short. “We’ve all gotten to know Victoria,” said Gray. “She was here a lot, so we all got to know and love her.”
- WAXHAW, NC, 1/04/17: The 2-year-old son of a Waxhaw police officer accidentally shot his mother after getting a hold of his father's gun, according to the Union County Sheriff's Office. The shooting happened about 6:45 PM Wednesday, Jan. 4 at the officer's home along Bigham Road in Waxhaw. According to the sheriff, Officer Jeremy Ferguson's 2-year-old son found his off-duty gun and fired a shot. The bullet hit Ferguson's wife, but she is expected to be okay. Waxhaw Police Chief Mike Eiss said officer Jeremy Ferguson has been placed on administrative leave with pay while the department holds an internal investigation. Ferguson has been a member of the Waxhaw Police Department for about a year. The Union County Sheriff's Office and SBI are investigating the incident. Statement from the NC State Bureau of Investigation: "The NCSBI can confirm that we are currently investigating a shooting incident that occurred in the evening hours of Wednesday, January 4, 2017 at the request of the Union County Sheriff’s Office. At this time, we cannot comment in reference to an on-going investigation but will be conferring with the Union County District Attorney about this investigation and will update you all on the status of this case at the appropriate time."
- LEE TOWNSHIP, MIDLAND CO., MI, 1/04/17: A 22-year-old man was hurt when he accidentally shot himself while loading a firearm. The Midland County Sheriff’s Office reports the accidental shooting occurred at 4:55 PM Wednesday at a West Bradford Road home in Lee Township. The man said he was loading a firearm when it discharged. He was struck in a hand and his side. He was taken to the MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
- ATLANTIC CITY, NJ, 1/04/17: A city man accidentally shot himself Wednesday, police said. At 6:21 PM officers responded to a call of a man shot and found Jose Torres-Hernandez, 20. Torres-Hernandez was transported to the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Division, with and injury not considered life threatening. An investigation revealed Torres-Hernandez shot himself, police said.
- BARTOW CO., GA, 1/04/17: Bartow County Emergency Responders were dispatched to two accidental shootings on Wednesday. The second occurred on Benefield Circle off Grassdale Rd. This shooting involved a 31 year-old male victim with a gunshot wound to his leg. Reports added that the man said he was cleaning his gun when it went off. The victim was transported to Cartersville Medical Center for further treatment.
- BARTOW CO., GA, 1/04/17: Bartow County Emergency Responders were dispatched to two accidental shootings on Wednesday. Reports stated that the first occurred at Heritage Dr off East Valley to where an 18 year-old male was shot in the leg. The wound was quickly assessed and treated but due to the severity of the injury he had to be flown to Grady Hospital.
- NEW LONDON, OH, 1/04/17: A fatal shooting, firearms and marijuana: the Huron County Sheriff’s Office encountered all three while responding to the 9-1-1 call Wednesday at 3741 Prospect Road. Trent W. McCullough made the call and reported his friend, George Ely, had suffered an accidental, self-inflicted .45 caliber gunshot wound to the abdomen, according to deputies’ reports. “Units responded in reference to a gentleman that was shot in the stomach,” Sheriff Todd Corbin said. “They initially came in as a self-inflicted gunshot wound.” After speaking to McCullough, Corbin said he learned the wound likely was not self-inflicted. A press release from the sheriff's office noted that evidence indicated "the shooting was not an intentional act, but it was also not self-inflicted." “I actually interviewed Mr. McCullough and during my conversation he was overcome by the grief that his friend was injured,” Corbin said. “He admitted that he didn’t mean to shoot his friend." An injured man was not all the sheriff’s office encountered. Detective Sgt. Bill Duncan obtained a search warrant for the residence following McCullough's arrest. Deputies recovered drug paraphernalia and firearms during a search of the house. “It was a marijuana grow operation,” Corbin said, referring to the drug paraphernalia. The firearm used to shoot the victim also was recovered from the home, where the sheriff said McCullough does not live alone. Corbin referred to the residence as a family home, but declined to elaborate. “We were able to canvass the area and recover all the trace evidence (including) the shell casing,” Corbin said. McCullough still was awaiting his bond hearing as of Thursday afternoon. He is charged with reckless homicide, a third-degree felony punishable by nine months to three years in prison.
- DARTMOUTH, MA, 1/04/17: Two houses on Leonor Drive were damaged Wednesday when a 26-year-old Dartmouth man "negligently discharged" his handgun while cleaning it, police said. Deputy Chief Brian Levesque said the gunshot went through the wall of one home and entered a neighbor's home on the same side of the street. Leonor Drive is a small street between Slocum Road and Alpha Street. No one was injured in the incident, he said. It occurred shortly before 6 PM. The man was cleaning a HNK 9mm when it discharged, according to Levesque. The Standard-Times learned of the incident when a reader messaged the newspaper on Facebook about it. Levesque said the gun was "negligently discharged," and not "accidentally discharged." He said a gun owner must make sure the gun is empty before cleaning it. He declined to identify the addresses of the house where the gun was discharged from and the second house that was struck by the gunfire. "It went through the house and went into the other house," he said. There were no arrests in the incident, he said. Levesque said the man, whom he would not identify, has a license to carry a handgun. The license is currently under review by the Dartmouth Police Department's Firearms Division.
- LAGRANGE, IN, 1/05/17: The LaGrange County Sheriff's Department reported that a man was accidentally shot on January 5 at his residence on CR 325N.
- STAMFORD, CT, 1/06/17: A Stamford woman is in stable condition Monday after what police say was an accidental shooting in the city. They say that on Friday, the 30-year-old woman came to a small park on Weed Avenue with a male friend. Officials say the man then shot her. The woman was transported to Stamford Hospital to be treated for her injuries. Police say they don't believe anyone else in the area was in any danger. Police are asking anyone with information to contact them.
- JACKSON, TN, 1/06/17: An 11-year-old child was shot and killed in an accidental shooting in Madison County. According to the Jackson Police Department, the incident happened Friday, Jan 6 around 9:20 PM. The child suffered a gunshot wound, and was sent to Jackson Madison County General Hospital then airlifted to a Memphis hospital. The child later died at LeBonheur Children's Hospital the next day at 7 AM. Officers' preliminary findings indicated the the shooting was accidental; however details of the shooting or whether or not charges would be filed were not known.
- CHARLOTTE, NC, 1/06/17: One person was taken to the hospital after they were shot in southwest Charlotte Friday evening. Police said the shooting appeared to be accidental. The incident happened on the 12000 block of Sherman Drive, between Sandy Porter Road and O'Hara Drive. Medic said the victim was taken to Carolinas Medical Center with serious injuries. The victim's name has not been released. Police have not said what may have led to the shooting or if any charges are being filed.
- MILFORD, OH, 1/06/17: An off-duty police officer with a gun prompted the evacuation of a Milford movie theater Friday night, officials said. Milford police say Shauna Lambert, 50, who works at Cincinnati’s District 2, was intoxicated when she dropped her gun inside a theater at the Rave Cinemas around 9:30 PM. Cellphone video shot by witness Robert Dunaway shows the moment Lambert was handcuffed inside the Rave Cinema. “What she did could have accidentally killed somebody. When she dropped the gun, you go to pick up a gun, you're squeezing your hands. You could accidentally pull that trigger, accidentally shoot myself or my father, my mother,” Dunaway said. Dunaway started rolling after the commotion died down. Moviegoers watching "Rogue One" panicked when someone saw the weapon and yelled. “There was a battle scene going on so all you heard were gunshots. I just kind of stood and watched until everything cleared up,” Dunaway said. Other video clips show Lambert lying across several seats. People inside the theater were holding her down before police arrived. Some claimed Lambert had been acting odd from the moment the movie started. “She seemed a little strange, then once the movie started, she stood up a couple times and then started to grab towards my fiancée who was right beside me,” witness Tory Peterson said. Lambert has a history with alcohol, police said. She was charged with an OVI in Blue Ash last April, officials said. She pleaded to a lesser charge of recklessly operating a vehicle. Some hope this latest incident at the Rave Cinemas is a wake-up call. “The whole situation is bad, it just has to stop. She needs to probably have a job where holding a gun is not part of her job,” Dunaway said. Cincinnati police say Lambert could face disciplinary action. She faces charges of possessing a weapon while intoxicated and inducing panic, authorities said.
- BAY VILLAGE, OH, 1/07/17: Police say a northern Ohio man accidentally shot and wounded himself and his 10-year-old son while cleaning his semi-automatic handgun. Investigators reviewing what happened haven't said whether criminal charges might be brought over the shooting Saturday night in Bay Village, roughly 15 miles west of Cleveland. Police say the bullet struck the man's hand and grazed the boy's torso. Both were taken to an area hospital for treatment. Authorities haven't released any further details about what happened, including the names of the man and the boy.
- WARREN, OH, 1/07/17: A Warren man sustained minor injuries Saturday at about 5 PM when he accidentally shot himself in the thigh while getting ready to clean his gun, according to a police report. Marko Provonozac Jr., 30, of 1553 Longfellow Court NE, was found lying on his back in his bedroom, bleeding heavily from his upper thigh, the report states. An officer secured a tourniquet to slow bleeding and an ambulance transported him to Trumbull Memorial Hospital and later to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, police said. Provonozac told police he was sitting with his legs cross and was about to clean his firearm when it discharged. Officers found cleaning supplies out. The Smith and Wesson semi-automatic handgun was found on the bedroom floor with 15 live rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber. Police said it appears to be an accident. The gun was taken to the police station for safe keeping, the report states.
- SOUTH WINDSOR, CT, 1/07/17: A 23-year-old man is recovering after his father accidentally shot him with a handgun, according to South Windsor police. Police said they were called to a home on Gail Lane around 9:50 AM Saturday for a reported shooting. When they arrived the resident told them that he accidentally shot his son in the stomach with a 9mm handgun while showing off the weapon, police said. The victim was conscious and alert when police arrived and was taken to Hartford Hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound to his lower abdomen. Officers interviewed other family members on scene and it appears this was in fact an accident, police said.
- JACKSON, MI, 1/07/17: Believing the weapon he was holding was unloaded, a child accidentally shot a man Saturday afternoon, police said. The 42-year-old man was shot by a 12-year-old boy inside a home on Griswold Street Jan. 7, said Jackson Police Deputy Chief Elmer Hitt. At about 4:30 PM, police were called to Henry Ford Allegiance Health to investigate a report of a gunshot victim who was brought to hospital by his wife, Hitt said. According to the victim and a witness at the scene, the man and his wife were visiting his mother at the home where he was shot. The man had a personal firearm with him, which he said he was showing to others at the home, Hitt said. The man told police he believed he unloaded the weapon and sat it down, Hitt said. Sometime later, a 12-year-old boy at the home --believing the weapon was unloaded -- picked it up and pulled the trigger, firing a single round at the man striking him in the abdomen, Hitt said. The man was taken to the hospital by his wife where he was treated and listed in stable condition, Hitt said. The weapon was legally owned, and he had a valid concealed weapons permit at the time of the shooting, Hitt said.The case has been forwarded to the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office for review.
- SPRINGFIELD, OR, 1/07/17: A Medford man accidentally shot himself in the leg at The Holiday Inn on Saturday night, according to Springfield police. Sgt. Rich Charboneau said the 23-year-old was in a hotel room at 919 Kruse Way with six people when he unholstered his gun around 9:15 PM to disassemble the weapon—a process that also involves pulling the trigger. The man later told police from the emergency room at Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend that he’d forgotten, however, to eject the bullet from the chamber before he fired the gun. The bullet went through his thigh, but missed any major arteries and the bone, Charboneau said. The gun was seized for safe-keeping, but Charboneau said the man would be able to reclaim the weapon at the Springfield Police Department. No charges were filed in connection with the incident.
- SEATTLE, WA, 1/07/17: Just found this while going through police reports looking for the newest ones published with narratives: A 17-year-old girl showed up in a hospital emergency room on Saturday afternoon with a gunshot wound. East Precinct police were dispatched. They talked to the victim’s boyfriend, who they found “pacing outside the emergency room.” The report says he told them it happened in his car at 27th SW and SW Cambridge. He and his girlfriend were in the car with friends of his; one friend, he said, had a gun and while saying “something similar to ‘we’re going to be brothers for life’,” racked the slide on his pistol, and it fired, going through the front passenger seat and through the girl’s chest. They drove to the hospital. Police talked to the girl just before she was taken into surgery and reported that “she made statements consistent with the gunshot being accidental.” They found a bullet hole, bullet, and blood in the car, which was impounded. Police later met with the man whose gun fired; he was arrested and booked into the King County Jail for investigation of assault. ADDED 9:54 AM TUESDAY: We now have the probable-cause document from the 18-year-old suspect’s bail hearing Monday afternoon. He is a Rainier Valley resident and was released on personal recognizance. The document says that he told police a different story about the gunshot – that he got into the car, noticed a gun on the floor, picked it up with the intent of throwing it out the window, and that, he said, was when it went off. He said he then gave it to his brother, who also was in the car, and told him to get rid of it, adding that he doesn’t know what happened to the gun. He has no criminal record in online statewide files.
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