Thu Feb 27, 2014 at 12:28 PM PST
As SC allows guns in bars, 15 people are accidentally hit in bars in other states: GunFAIL LVIII
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Eight of 26 guns discovered by TSA agents at airports around the country last week.
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Among the standouts were one of our two patriots who somehow forgot their constant companions and lifelines to freedom, and left them behind. In this case, a Colorado state legislator who left his loaded pistol behind in a canvas bag, underneath the table where he'd been seated for a hearing on expanding concealed carry laws, since concealed carriers are so awesome and safe and stuff.
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There were a number of stories originally picked up as accidental shootings last week, but that on further examination were called into some question. Included among them, this episode from River Hills, WI, in which a man was said to have accidentally shot himself. Later, it was reported more ambiguously as a case of a man who was cleaning a gun, and then began “handling it in a careless manner,” How so? "River Hills police say Gifford placed one round in the gun, and 'made random and reckless statements about the weapon and its use.'" This resulted in a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled this death a suicide. So, how do you count that one? Intentional? Russian Roulette? Accident? I don't know, so I left it out of the count.
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Then there was this one from Scotch Plains, NJ, in which it was reported that a man had been accidentally shot while he and a relative were cleaning a gun. No charges were initially filed. But the next day, the cops were back, and seized nearly 100 firearms from the house, and charged the shooter with aggravated assault, pointing a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine. So what does that mean? They changed their minds about the circumstances? The cleaning story was a lie? I don't know.
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One more, this time from Marietta Township, WI, where Boscobel Elementary School sixth grader Briar Brown shot himself at his Crawford County home. Briar had been shot with his .22 rifle, and he died the following day. “I’m not sure anyone will ever know exactly what happened; he was alone at the time,” said Crawford County Sheriff Dale McCullick. “Was it self-inflicted? Was he cleaning his gun? Was he going to shoot a skunk? I’ve heard all those things, but none of us will ever know what happened. It’s an absolute tragedy. We all know that.” The only hint at anything other than this being an accident is the question of whether it was "self-inflicted," which doesn't necessarily carry the implication that it was suicide. What happened? Again, we don't know. But there are stories like these every week, and we usually have to put them aside and just be resigned to never knowing what happened.
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The children of GunFAIL were somewhat fewer than usual this week. Six were accidentally shot, the youngest being just 5 months old. The others were aged 3, 6, 12, 13 and 16. The kids were vastly outnumbered by those who shot themselves, as usual. But they were also outnumbered by those accidentally injured by gunfire in bars and restaurants. As I mentioned in the title, as South Carolina clears the way for carrying weapons in the state's bars (with Georgia now considering it, as well), a total of 15 were wounded just this past week in accidental discharges in bars and restaurants in Florida and Kansas, appropriately enough in establishments known as "Shooters" and "Shot Time II," respectively.
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Below the fold, last week's list.
Among the standouts were one of our two patriots who somehow forgot their constant companions and lifelines to freedom, and left them behind. In this case, a Colorado state legislator who left his loaded pistol behind in a canvas bag, underneath the table where he'd been seated for a hearing on expanding concealed carry laws, since concealed carriers are so awesome and safe and stuff.
.
There were a number of stories originally picked up as accidental shootings last week, but that on further examination were called into some question. Included among them, this episode from River Hills, WI, in which a man was said to have accidentally shot himself. Later, it was reported more ambiguously as a case of a man who was cleaning a gun, and then began “handling it in a careless manner,” How so? "River Hills police say Gifford placed one round in the gun, and 'made random and reckless statements about the weapon and its use.'" This resulted in a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled this death a suicide. So, how do you count that one? Intentional? Russian Roulette? Accident? I don't know, so I left it out of the count.
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Then there was this one from Scotch Plains, NJ, in which it was reported that a man had been accidentally shot while he and a relative were cleaning a gun. No charges were initially filed. But the next day, the cops were back, and seized nearly 100 firearms from the house, and charged the shooter with aggravated assault, pointing a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine. So what does that mean? They changed their minds about the circumstances? The cleaning story was a lie? I don't know.
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One more, this time from Marietta Township, WI, where Boscobel Elementary School sixth grader Briar Brown shot himself at his Crawford County home. Briar had been shot with his .22 rifle, and he died the following day. “I’m not sure anyone will ever know exactly what happened; he was alone at the time,” said Crawford County Sheriff Dale McCullick. “Was it self-inflicted? Was he cleaning his gun? Was he going to shoot a skunk? I’ve heard all those things, but none of us will ever know what happened. It’s an absolute tragedy. We all know that.” The only hint at anything other than this being an accident is the question of whether it was "self-inflicted," which doesn't necessarily carry the implication that it was suicide. What happened? Again, we don't know. But there are stories like these every week, and we usually have to put them aside and just be resigned to never knowing what happened.
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The children of GunFAIL were somewhat fewer than usual this week. Six were accidentally shot, the youngest being just 5 months old. The others were aged 3, 6, 12, 13 and 16. The kids were vastly outnumbered by those who shot themselves, as usual. But they were also outnumbered by those accidentally injured by gunfire in bars and restaurants. As I mentioned in the title, as South Carolina clears the way for carrying weapons in the state's bars (with Georgia now considering it, as well), a total of 15 were wounded just this past week in accidental discharges in bars and restaurants in Florida and Kansas, appropriately enough in establishments known as "Shooters" and "Shot Time II," respectively.
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Below the fold, last week's list.
- JENNINGS, LA, 1/16/14: Jennings Police Chief Todd D'Albor says a homicide investigation of a January 16 shooting at a residence on Main Street in Jennings has now been ruled an accidental shooting. The victim, identified as Kenneth Morrow Sr., died at his home. D'Albor says forensics and ballistics confirm that Morrow fired his own fatal shot. D'Albor says they are confident Morrow was alone at the house at the time, and their investigation shows that it appeared Morrow went to reach for the gun that was on his waist or waistband when it discharged. The bullet entry was just beneath his buttocks, and the exit was near the calf. Jennings Police initially had a person of interest in the shooting, but D'Albor said through the investigation they have concluded that Morrow was alone.
- LANCASTER, PA, 1/19/14: Lancaster police are looking for a man who was injured in a shooting incident in the 400 block of South Queen Street last month. Jovar Juwan Jackson, 19, has been charged with reckless endangerment and a firearms violation now that investigators have determined he accidentally shot himself, city police said Monday. Jackson was treated at Lancaster General Hospital for a gunshot wound to his right thigh on Jan. 19. Police said he was uncooperative with officers at the scene and during attempted follow-up interviews.
- CUMMING, GA, 2/01/14: A man found his bathroom window shattered after he heard a bullet had been fired, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff's incident report. At about 8 a.m. Feb. 1, a man in the 6000 block of Walker Avenue told deputies a bullet went through his window and lodged into the wall. Deputies said they saw a quarter-sized hole in the bottom of the window and bullet fragments scattered on the floor. There were two small holes in the bathroom wall likely caused by bullet fragments, they said. Deputies talked to a neighbor who said he had accidentally discharged his "AR-15 firearm" while clearing it to clean. The neighbor apologized and said he would pay for all damages.
- DENVER, CO, 2/06/14: In the moments after lawmakers and visitors cleared a committee room Feb. 6 following a debate on concealed handgun permits, Rep. Jonathan Singer found a black canvas bag under the table where lawmakers sit. Inside, Singer discovered a loaded handgun that belonged to Rep. Jared Wright, R-Fruita, who sits next to him on the House Local Government committee. “I just immediately notified the Sergeant at Arms and soon we realized it was Jared’s bag,” Singer, a Democrat from Longmont, said Wednesday. Wright, who is in his first term, told The Denver Post he often carries a concealed handgun inside the Capitol and under state statute has the right to do so as a peace officer. State law prohibits carrying a gun in the Capitol “without legal authority.” “The bag was taken to my office where I got it back,” said Wright, who served in the Fruita Police Department from 2007 until 2011. Wright said he was contacted by Gov. John Hickenlooper’s office about the incident and after speaking with Colorado State Patrol and Roxane White, Hickenlooper’s chief of staff, he agreed to no longer carry it inside the building. A report was not filed. “I feel it’s my duty to be a first responder wherever I am at,” said Wright. “That’s why I carry it.” A spokesman from Hickenlooper’s office said Wednesday the incident had been resolved and Wright “agreed to be more careful” about keeping the gun in his possession.
- SACRAMENTO, CA, 2/07/14: Four teens face charges after an apparent accidental shooting inside a parked car on February 7. The shooting happened at about 1 p.m. on the 2600-block of Franklyn Way in West Sacramento. A neighbor heard a gunshot and called police. Investigators believe a handgun went off inside a car occupied by four teens age 16-17. A 16-year old male was shot in the abdomen. The car then began driving and encountered a patrol car nearby. “The only got to the end of the block and the cops showed up on scene,” said Lieutenant Tod Sockman of the West Sacramento Police Department. “They weren’t trying to hide.” All of the teens – including the injured victim, who is now recovering – say the shooting was an accident. “One of the other kids had it and they were playing with it,” said Sockman. “I think they thought it was a BB gun. They were playing with it and it went off.” The gun turned out to be reported stolen.
- SAN ANTONIO, TX, 2/12/14: A man who was shot at as he stood in front of an East Side convenience store last week was struck by a bullet when his own gun went off, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. Police had responded to a shooting in the 900 block of F Street around 4:15 p.m. Feb. 12. Police initially reported that Brion Lorence Alezander Shields, 27, had been shot as he fled from assailants who fired on him at the convenience store at Morningview Drive and Wheatley Avenue. Shields fled to a nearby home as his attackers pursued him in a car, still shooting, according to the affidavit. When officers found Shields, he was bleeding on a porch in the 900 block of F Street with a gunshot wound to his groin area, the affidavit said. Shields was taken to San Antonio Military Medical Center in stable condition, officers said. Investigators later determined that Shields suffered the wound when a gun he held in his waistband went off.
- BAXTER, TN, 2/14/14: Baxter Police received a 911 call Friday, Feb. 14, at 7:54 p.m. regarding a shooting at a residence at 3rd Ave. North, and responded within three minutes to investigate the situation. “We went inside the residence and a Mr. Zack Scott was standing in the living room with a gunshot wound to his arm,” said Baxter Police Chief Danny Holmes, who responded to the call with Sgt. Dustin Stanton. “We determined that he had been in the process of cleaning a 38 special (revolver) when the gun discharged and struck him in the arm.” Witnesses confirmed the man’s story and Baxter Fire/EMS was called in to transport him to Cookeville Regional Medical Center with a non-life-threatening wound.
- ROCKVILLE, MD, 2/15/14: Montgomery County Police on Saturday are investigating an apparent accidental shooting at a home in Rockville. Police were called at 1:36 a.m. to a home in the 11600 block of Danville Drive for a report of a shooting, according to Montgomery County Police Officer Rebecca Innocenti, a MCP spokesperson. Police are investigating it as an accidental shooting, Innocenti said. The man who was shot is a 22-year-old who is in serious condition. The man who shot the gun is known to the victim, Innocenti said, though he left the scene and police are trying to contact him Saturday morning. Police remained on the scene Saturday. The driveway to the home remained taped off and the garage door was open. According to scanner reports, the victim was transported to Suburban Hospital. The home is in a neighborhood off Tilden Lane and near Old Georgetown Road.
- NEW ORLEANS, LA, 2/15/14: A New Orleans police lieutenant's gun accidentally fired as he pistol-whipped a combative man in the French Quarter over the weekend, according to records obtained Wednesday. No one was struck by the bullet. Lt. Kevin Imbraguglio pulled his department-issued Glock from his holster only after his Taser failed to subdue the man and the officer "feared for his safety," police spokeswoman Remi Braden said Wednesday. The officer was trying to stop the man, who appeared intoxicated, after a woman said he had punched her store window.
- WICHITA, KS, 2/15/14: Two people were hurt in an accidental shooting early Saturday morning at a south Wichita bar. It happened around 1:30 a.m. at Shot Time II in the 32000 block of South Exposition, near 31st Street South and Seneca. Sgt. Ron Hunt said officers were originally called to the report of two walk-in shooting victims at Via Christi-St. Joseph hospital. One man said he accidentally discharged his handgun while at the bar. The bullet went through his right thigh and into the left thigh of the other man seated beside him. Their injuries are not considered life-threatening. Sgt. Hunt said the man who had the gun has a concealed carry handgun (CCH) license and admitted to having several drinks while in possession of the firearm. He also refused to cooperate with law enforcement, Hunt said. He was arrested for aggravated battery.
- WICHITA, KS, 2/15/14: A bullet had pierced through their daughter's play room and lodged itself into the wall at their home in the 3200 block of S. Everett. "That hole in the wall right there," said Mike Santee. "That's usually where my daughter sits and plays." They first noticed a bulge in the hallway wall. At first they thought perhaps their daughter had accidentally hit the wall with something, but then decided that probably wasn't possible. That's when they found the curtains in her playroom had been torn. "Me and my wife have grown up in this neighborhood, we've lived in this neighborhood our whole life, my grandmother actually lived in this house," he said. "This has always been a nice neighborhood and we're hoping this is just an isolated incident." Wichita Police tell Eyewitness News they responded to a call of shots fired around 2 a.m. Saturday morning in the 3300 block of S. Fern. Neighbors in that area heard gunshots and called police. They also told police they heard a car race off shortly after. Police believe the bullet that hit the Santee's home was a stray bullet from that incident. "It very easily could have turned out differently," said Santee. Especially since he, his wife and their 4-year-old daughter were asleep in the room right next door, just feet away from where the bullet struck.
- LAKE WORTH, FL, 2/15/14: A man was taken to Delray Medical Center on Saturday afternoon after sustaining “a shooting injury” at a gun range, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said. Crews arrived just before 6 p.m. at Palm Beach Shooting Center on Industrial Way, west of Interstate 95 and south of Seventh Avenue North. They found the injured man in the parking lot, said Capt. Alberto Borroto, Fire Rescue spokesman. The man was taken by ambulance to the hospital, Borroto said.
- SOUTH DAYTONA, FL, 2/15/14: A teen accidentally shot his friend while showing him his rifle. Authorities with the South Daytona Police Department said the incident happened Saturday night in the 800 block of Lemon Road. Police said it occurred while the parents were at a race track. Investigators said a 13-year-old boy took his .22-caliber rifle, which was loaded and unsecured, from a gun rack. He was going to show the rifle to his 13-year-old friend when it accidentally fired. The friend was struck in arm. Officials said both teens called their parents to report the incident, but they told their parents it was a BB gun. The injured boy's mother took him to a nearby medical facility, where a doctor advised that the bullet was still in the boy's arm, and he would have to go to to the emergency room. Police were notified when the boy came to Halifax Health Medical Center. South Daytona Police Department Lt. Daniel Dietrich said the victim was later taken to Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital for surgery. Dietrich said the case is still being investigated, and the names of the teens involved were not released.
- FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, 2/15/14: An off-duty Miami-Dade corrections officer reaching into his pocket for a valet ticket Saturday evening accidentally triggered his concealed handgun, firing a round that sent ricocheting shrapnel into six or more patrons people, according to police. One of those injured was treated at Broward Health Medical Center and others were treated on the scene, according to Fort Lauderdale Det. DeAnna Greenlaw. The shooting happened about 7:30 p.m. and drew a large emergency response that included at least six police cars, a fire truck and two ambulances. The corrections officer had been dining in the bar area near the waterfront, police said, when his gun went off. He immediately called his supervisor and remained at the restaurant where he was interviewed by Miami-Dade internal affairs officers, according to Capt. Frank Sousa. The officer's name was not released Sunday by authorities. "He did everything he was supposed to do," said Sousa. Police deemed the shooting accidental, Sousa said. UPDATE: Shooters Waterfront restaurant in Fort Lauderdale lived up to its name recently when a corrections officer's handgun accidentally discharged, causing minor injuries to a dozen people.
- MIRAMAR BEACH, FL, 2/16/14: An off-duty U.S. Marshal left his loaded gun in a dressing room at the Silver Sands Outlet Mall on Sunday afternoon. A customer at Kenneth Cole found the gun in the dressing room. She alerted a store clerk who then called the Walton County Sheriff’s Office. By the time deputies arrived, the law officer had realized he had left his gun behind and was walking back in to retrieve it, said Catherine Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Office. “He felt pretty awful about it,” she said. The officer is a U.S. Marshall out of Atlanta who is vacationing in the area, Rodriguez said. After checking that the officer had all the correct permits and licenses, he was sent on his way, she said.
- ORLANDO, FL, 2/16/14: Police in Orlando say a woman will be OK after she was injured in an accidental shooting at a restaurant. The gun went off Sunday night on the patio of the Miller's Ale House on South Semoran Boulevard, near Orlando International Airport. Officers said the gun somehow went off under a table, the bullet hit the floor and then ricocheted, grazing a woman in the leg. Police said a man at the woman's table had a concealed weapon license and won't be charged. The woman was checked out by paramedics.
- ST. JOHNS, FL, 2/16/14: St. Johns deputies arrested three robbery suspects during a wild police chase Sunday in which one of the men was accidentally shot by one of his accomplices, authorities said. The robbery occurred about 8:30 p.m. at the Kangaroo on Wildwood Drive and U.S. 1, police said. Two men entered the store, including one with a handgun. They took cash and cigarettes before fleeing. No one inside the store was injured. Nearby deputies were searching for the suspect vehicle when it was spotted leaving a nearby mobile home park. The vehicle sped off after a deputy tried to stop it on Wildwood Drive. Deputies gave chase and deployed pointed stop sticks in the area of Cheyenne Drive. The vehicle went through the stop sticks, but was run off the road by a patrol car south of Treaty Park. The three men fled on foot into a heavily wooded area and two were captured a short time later. One of those men, identified by police as Tyrus Kornegy, 28, had been accidentally shot in the back by an accomplice during the pursuit, police said. Kornegy was taken by helicopter to UF Jacksonville Health and admitted with life threatening injuries.
- TAMPA, FL, 2/16/14: Practicing turkey calls while walking in a park is supposed to attract birds. But Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officials said it may have had the opposite effect Sunday by attracting hunters instead. Clint Galentine was shot twice while walking with a friend on Lower Hillsborough Wildlife Management Area property just southeast of Morris Bridge Road. His brother-in-law, Owen LaFave, said both thought that they would be safe while on the land. LaFave visited Galentine at Tampa General Hospital and said the bullets came within inches of killing him. "Out of nowhere he was shot in the side first," LaFave said. "Then he was shot a second time in the arm. His friend astutely enough started yelling 'stop shooting!'" Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies were also investigating the incident, which FWC called a hunting accident. FWC officials said Monday that the shooter, Michael Trott, entered the hunting area legally with proper documentation and no charges have been filed. The incident remains under investigation. [Ed. note: From the comments on the item, "I'm surprised it wasn't mentioned that there was a trail run getting ready to start around the time of the gun shots. There were over 200 runners preparing to run the 5k and 10 mile Flatwoods Ramble put on every year by Jim Hartnett of Tampa Races. We all froze at the sound thinking surely that wasn't a gunshot." So in Florida, they don't close to hunters even when there's a 5K race there. Great.]
- OWENSBORO, KY, 2/16/14: An Owensboro woman was taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries Sunday after her husband accidentally shot her while cleaning a .40 caliber pistol, according to the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities said Joshua Blanford called 911 when the gun he was cleaning discharged and struck his wife, Terra, in the leg. Following interviews with the couple, authorities said the incident was determined to be an accident. The incident occurred in the 7000 block of Ky. Hwy. 815.
- WILMINGTON, DE, 2/16/14: A Wilmington man accidentally shoots himself in the leg. Police say Jeffrey Lewandowski, 44, and two unidentified women were in a room at the Fairview Inn on South Market Street when the accident occurred. Lewandowski was allegedly spinning a .22 caliber revolver around his hand when it suddenly went off, shooting one round into his leg. He was transported to Christiana Hospital with minor injuries. Further police investigations reveal that Lewandowski is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm.
- CHICAGO, IL, 2/16/14: A man accidentally shot himself in the foot while trying to defend himself during a robbery in the East Garfield Park neighborhood, authorities said. The man was in the 500 block of North Monticello when a robber or robbers approached him around 11:45 p.m. Sunday, an official said. The man pulled a gun out to defend himself, but accidentally fired it and hit himself. The man shot himself in the foot and was taken to Norwegian-American Hospital in good condition, said Police News Affairs Officer Michael Sullivan.
- CHICAGO, IL, 2/17/14: A police officer accidentally fired a gun in a South Loop police station Monday night, hitting a water pipe and causing damage to office equipment. The incident occurred about 9:50 p.m. in the Central District station at 1718 S. State St., police said. Nobody was hurt when the officer discharged the gun, although a water pipe was hit, resulting in a leak that caused damage to an office, police said. The officer in question is likely to face disciplinary action, police said. Several prisoners in the station’s holding area were transferred to another station after the building was left without water overnight, police said.
- CORPUS CHRISTI, TX, 2/17/14: One man is recovering after investigators believe he shot himself in the leg at a local night club. Officers arrived at El Rincon on Ayers near Blevin around 12:30 to find the man wounded from what appears to be an accidental shooting. Investigators believe a gang-related fight broke out inside the bar and ended up in the parking lot. The victim told officers someone else shot him. Officers say the man went to his car to retrieve the gun, but it went off, hitting his leg. He was taken to an area hospital where he is expected to recover. Detectives say the gun was stolen. Charges are pending.
- VALLEY, AL, 2/17/14: Officers with the Valley Police Department are investigating an apparent accidental shooting that left a Cusseta teenager hospitalized over the weekend. Maj. Mike Reynolds of the VPD said Michael James Moore, 19, is currently at Columbus Regional Hospital for an injury he sustained from a gunshot wound, where he was last listed in unstable condition Monday afternoon. Reynolds said that at 4:30 p.m., Moore and other individuals were shooting guns at a target in the 1200 block of Hopewell Road in Valley. It was reported one individual set down a .45-caliber 1911-style semi-automatic handgun on the tool box of a truck when the firearm discharged and struck Moore. “It went inside the lip, grazed the jawline and became lodged in his neck somewhere,” Reynolds said. Moore was subsequently airlifted to Columbus Regional to undergo surgery. No one from the hospital or family could be reached for comment. Reynolds said the incident is under investigation. “We’re going to do some follow-up, just checking on the functionality of the pistol, but at this point, everything points to an accidental shooting,” Reynolds said. “There’s no foul play, premeditation or intent.”
- COLUSA, CA, 2/17/14: A Colusa man was rushed to the hospital on Monday after reportedly shooting himself in the abdomen. Colusa police responded to a call from the family of the 24-year-old man in the 200 block of Oak Street in Colusa at 3:33 p.m. according to Sgt. Josh Fitch. The caller told officers that "he accidentally shot himself and his mom's taking him to the hospital," Fitch said. The man was taken to Colusa Regional Medical Center and then flown to Enloe Medical Center in Chico. Fitch did not release the man's name because, he said, the man is a victim and it is not a crime to accidentally shoot yourself. According to Fitch, family members told officers the man went to the alley behind the house to let their dog out and found a small gun by a garbage can. "He's messing around with it, and pop, it goes off," Fitch said, repeating what he was told. "He said, 'I don't know what happened.'" After being outside for about five minutes, the man returned inside holding his hands on his upper abdomen, family members told officers. "Some of it doesn't make sense," Fitch said. But "if he's covering for someone, he's doing a good job." Officers believe the weapon might have been a .22 automatic.
- CLARKSVILLE, TN, 2/17/14: A Woodlawn man was in critical condition at a Nashville hospital Tuesday after apparently shooting himself in the back Monday night. Rueben Tripp, 39, told Montgomery County deputies that he had been drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana before playing with a handgun at his Indian Mound Road home. According to a police report, Tripp said “he was playing with the weapon and pulled the hammer back on the pistol. Reuben then laid the pistol on the couch and sat on the floor, bumping the pistol.” Tripp said the pistol discharged. When deputies arrived at the home, they found his wife, Dinah Tripp, holding a wash cloth to Reuben Tripp’s back. The first thing Reuben Tripp told officers is that his wife did not shoot him and that it was an accident. Dinah Tripp, 49, told deputies she was in another room cleaning when the incident happened. Reuben Tripp was flown by Life Flight to Vanderbilt Medical Center, where he was in critical but stable condition Tuesday afternoon, a spokeswoman said. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s office is investigating.
- INDIANAPOLIS, IN, 2/18/14: A man and a woman were hurt earlier this evening after their downstairs neighbor who was cleaning his gun dropped it and caused the weapon to fire rounds through his ceiling. The incident happened at about 6:30 p.m. at an apartment complex in the 5700 block of Wiebeck Court on the Northeastside. Sgt. Kendale Adams, spokesman for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, said the gun owner went upstairs to check on his neighbors. The man sustained a gunshot wound to the leg and his girlfriend had a graze wound to her right foot, Adams said. They were in good condition when they were taken to the hospital, police said. Adams said the shooting was accidental.
- BIRMINGHAM, AL, 2/18/14: A 3-year-old boy is expected to survive after he accidentally shot himself with a gun he found in the couch cushions at his home. The child's mother says her son made it through surgery and has no internal injuries. She says he is in stable condition and hospital staff plan to remove his breathing tube sometime on Wednesday. Doctors believe he will survive. The incident happened at a home in the 600 block of Brussell Circle in east Birmingham on Tuesday night. The boy's mother and her boyfriend were at home at the time of the shooting. The boyfriend's cousin came over to visit and it was his gun that somehow ended up in the toddler's hands. The little boy found the gun in the couch cushions and began playing with it. Police say the child shot himself in the stomach and the bullet also damaged his wrist. Officers say the cousin dropped off the injured child at Trinity Hospital, then left. Police are now hoping to speak with him in connection to the case. UPDATE: Police say a 3-year-old boy wounded by gunfire last week didn't shoot himself as initially believed. Instead, a 24-year-old Birmingham is charged in connection with shooting, police announced this morning. Byron Dobbins is charged with first-degree assault, said police spokesman Lt. Sean Edwards.
- BIRMINGHAM, AL, 2/18/14: Birmingham police say a 6-year-old boy is recovering from a gunshot wound after accidentally shooting himself in the foot with his uncle's gun. Police say the boy is doing fine after surgery. The boy's mother had asked the uncle to help her watch her son on Tuesday. Police said the uncle took him to a dentist appointment, then they went to a library. While in the library, the 6-year-old boy somehow got away from uncle and went back to the uncle's car, where he found the gun in the glove box. Once the uncle realized the boy had left the library, he found him in the car and startled the child. The boy tossed the gun in the back seat, but the uncle didn't see it and didn't know his nephew had found the gun. The child asked if he could get into the back seat, and the uncle allowed him to. While they were driving to get something to eat, the boy accidentally shot himself in the foot. Charges are not expected to be filed in the case, BPD Lt. Sean Edwards said.
- ARIZONA CITY, AZ, 2/18/14: A man was cleaning his gun Tuesday in Arizona City when it went off and shot him in the leg.
- YUMA, AZ, 2/18/14: A woman was shot during a camping trip in the Mittry Lake Wildlife Area early Tuesday morning. Investigators currently believe the shooting was accidental. According to the Yuma County Sheriff's Office, the woman, whose identity has not been released to the public, had gone to sleep in her vehicle while two friends accompanying her on the trip slept elsewhere. Sometime before 5:22 a.m., the woman decided to exit her vehicle and lie down on the ground next to the fire set up at the campsite. Shortly before 5:22 a.m., a man accompanying the woman, whose identity has also not been released to the public, was awoken by the sound of coyotes to the north of the campsite. He got his .22 caliber rifle and reportedly fired one shot toward where he heard the coyotes, not realizing the woman had moved from her vehicle to the area where he discharged his weapon. The woman was struck on the left side of her cheek, and the bullet came out and then struck her in her left shoulder, traveling several inches down her back.
- DURHAM, NC, 2/19/14: Police have charged a man with firing a gun that wounded a 5-month-old girl on the porch of a home just north of downtown Wednesday morning. Police say it appears that Arin Tavon Futrell of Durham shot the gun accidentally, firing one bullet that hit the girl in a hand and a leg. She was taken to a hospital with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening, said police spokeswoman Kammie Michael. Futrell, 21, was charged with felony negligent child abuse resulting in bodily injury. He was also arrested on outstanding warrants alleging attempted breaking and entering and conspiracy to commit breaking and entering. The shooting happened about 7:30 a.m. at a home in the 400 block of Macon Street, off Washington Street, Michael said. Police initially thought the shooting took place “during an apparent domestic situation,” she said, but later said that was not the case. Police say the recovered the handgun from Futrell.
- OMAHA, NE, 2/19/14: A man shot himself in the leg at the Veterans Affairs Medical center parking lot. It happened shortly before 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. The VA is still investigating if the self-inflicted shooting was accidental or intentional. They're currently calling it "an incident involving a weapon discharge." A spokesperson tells WOWT 6 News the man was immediately taken to a local hospital. There has been no word yet on the man's condition or his identity.
- MARION, IL, 2/19/14: A Marion woman is out of the hospital after being accidentally shot Wednesday afternoon. Authorities think the victim was hit by a bullet fired at Tombstone gun range off Skyline Drive; she was half a mile away at the time. Signs line the property of Tombstone Gun Range warning about the dangers of entering the shooting area, but investigators believe a bullet strayed off the Marion property and hit someone down the road. “I can't say for sure the round came from here, but people were shooting here and the round ended up over there,” explained Sheriff Bennie Vick. Vick said three people were using the area designated for rifles, just before 1:45 p.m. He said those guns are capable of firing the bullet that ended up at a nearby union training facility. “223's a high-velocity round, lightweight. And when they bounce they can travel half a mile pretty easily,” he added. A female apprentice was hit in the face and taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The incident has the victim and her coworkers questioning safety.
- GREENFIELD, CA, 2/19/14: A Greenfield man accidentally shot himself in his arm Wednesday night, according to the Greenfield Police Department. Officers responded to the 500 block of Walnut Avenue at approximately 5:25 p.m. and found the victim. He immediately told police he was in his bedroom when he accidentally shot himself with a handgun. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Investigating officers learned he had in fact shot himself accidentally and the handgun was recovered in his bedroom.
- WALDORF, MD, 2/19/14: Charles County Sheriff officers responded to the 5100 block of Stonecat Court in Waldorf on February 19 after a man called 911 and reported he had been shot by an unknown male while stopped in traffic near his neighborhood. When officers arrived, they observed the man had a gunshot wound to his leg; they also noted inconsistencies with his story. The man was transported to a hospital where detectives responded. Investigators soon learned the man accidently shot himself while attempting to unload his black powder gun at home. Det. J. Austin of the Criminal Investigations Division is investigating.
- KETTERING, OH, 2/19/14: A 30-year-old man is facing a weapons charge following the investigation of the Feb. 19 shooting on Burchdale Street. Cory Wedebrook-Hanning, 30, of Kettering was charged Thursday for having weapons under a disability. Wedebrook-Hanning had been convicted of a violent crime when he was a juvenile. Kettering police on Wednesday said Wedebrook-Hanning called 911 to report his girlfriend shot herself. She remains hospitalized and police say the incident remains under investigation. Wedebrook-Hanning is being held at the Montgomery County Jail and being held on a $50,000.00 bond.
- BRYSON CITY, NC, 2/19/14: The Swain County Sheriff's Office as of Wednesday had not filed charges or identified the person who shot and killed a Bryson City woman on Feb. 19. "We're not going to release that now," said sheriff Curtis Cochran. Summer Johnson, 20, at 6:20 a.m. was pronounced dead at the 41 Gibby Road home she shared with her 22-year-old boyfriend, Alex Crisp, Cochran said. That's also where the shooting occurred. Johnson leaves behind an infant daughter, Raelynn Crisp. Employed by Mountain View Manor nursing home, she went to Swain High School and Southwestern Community College. Cochran did not want to say whether or not the death appears accidental or suspicious, or what kind of gun was used. The sheriff's office is awaiting autopsy results, and the state Bureau of Investigation is gathering evidence, Cochran said. He met with the district attorney on Friday, but no decisions were made concerning possible charges. Neighbor Steve Butman said he did not hear the shooting, but assumes it was because of the thunderstorm. "From what I understand, they were arguing over who was going to feed the baby, and he was waving a gun and it accidentally went off," Butman said. "It's a sad situation."
- INDIANAPOLIS, IN, 2/20/14: Police said Thursday morning a man was shot when he slipped on a driveway holding a loaded gun on the northeast side of Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) said just after 7 a.m., there were reports of shots fired and a person shot in the 2700 block of Hyche Avenue. Officers said the victim slipped on the ice on his driveway, causing him to shoot himself in the finger with a gun.
- PITTSBURGH, PA, 2/20/14: A 12-year-old girl is in the hospital after she was accidentally shot in the leg in Pittsburgh’s Morningside neighborhood Thursday night. The incident happened in a home in the 1000-block of Jancey Street just after 8 p.m. According to police, a 22-year-old man brought his high-powered rifle to the home to have it cleaned by the girl’s uncle. Somehow, the weapon went off and the bullet hit the little girl’s leg. Police say the 22-year-old initially left the house after the shot was fired. “He was visibly upset,” said Lt. Jason Lando, of Pittsburgh Police. “He’s friends with the family and he was very upset that he hurt the young girl and he wanted to go home and get his mother. He came back with his mother and he turned himself in. He was taken into custody without incident.”
- ST. CLAIR TOWNSHIP, OH, 2/20/14: Officers responded to a Sprucevale Road home for a report of an accidental shooting. No other details were reported.
- AMARILLO, TX, 2/21/14: Police said two people were taken by ambulance to a local hospital Friday night after an accidental shooting in far west Amarillo. A male was transported in stable condition from the scene near the intersection of Cloud Crest Drive and Canyon Crest Drive — less than a mile north of Quail Creek Surgical Hospital. Another male was transported with a minor injury, Sgt. Jeff Hooten said. The males, whose ages were unknown late Friday, were cleaning the gun, Hooten said. One suffered a gunshot wound, Hooten said, while another was possibly grazed by a bullet. Hooten said he did not know who owns the gun.
- SAN ANTONIO, TX, 2/21/14: A fight in the parking lot of west side apartment ended in in gunfire late Friday. The fight broke out in the 2400 block of Calaveras street. Police said there were about 6 people involved in the scuffle when one of them pulled out a gun and fired two shots. Witnesses said the man with the gun ended up shooting his friend by accident. He grabbed his friend and they sped away in an unknown vehicle. No word on the man's injuries.
- SACRAMENTO, CA, 2/21/14: Sacramento Police say a fleeing suspect accidentally shot himself in the leg after an officer approached a group of men. One of the seven suspects had dropped a gun on the ground, and another took off. An officer pursued 18-year-old Josiah Jones, but lost track of him briefly. That officer heard a single gunshot come from the area Jones had run toward. The officer would eventually find a gun they believed Jones had, as well as Jones hiding not too far away. While Jones was being questioned, officers noticed he was feeling discomfort in his leg. He tried telling officers it was an old injury he reaggravated while running from cops. But officers didn’t buy it and inspected the inside of his pant pocket, which revealed Jones had somehow shot himself in the leg.
- ATLANTIC CITY, NJ, 2/21/14: An Atlantic City man who underwent surgery after a shooting this morning shot himself, police said. Police were called to the 1200 block of Michigan Avenue at about 9:45 a.m., for a report of a person wounded, Sgt. Monica McMenamin said. Mohammad Khalid, 23, had a gunshot wound to his leg that required immediate surgery, McMenamin said. A woman who identified herself as the victim's girlfriend, drove him to the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center's City Campus. An investigation found that Khalid accidentally shot himself inside the vehicle, McMenamin said. The gun was recovered from Khalid's residence and he is charged with unlawful possession of a weapon.
- COLUMBIA, SC, 2/21/14: A private security guard lost his service weapon early Friday morning while breaking up a fight outside a fast food restaurant in Five Points. The officer, who worked for Black Ops Protection, did not know the gun had been taken out of his holster until after the fight had ended, according to a Columbia Police Department incident report. Now, Columbia police are searching for the stolen weapon as they prepare to step up enforcement in Five Points and the Vista over the weekend. A shot was fired during the fight, which happened on Senate Street behind the Cook Out restaurant, which is on Harden Street. It is possible the shot was fired from the missing gun as the suspects fled, said interim police chief Ruben Santiago. No one was injured, and police did not find any property that had been damaged by the shot, he said. Police were called to the Cook Out at 2:30 a.m. to break up the fight, but suspects already had left. At least two officers from Black Ops Protection, a private security firm, were on duty to provide late-night security at the restaurant. The officer who lost his gun told police he had used pepper spray and physical force to break up the fight, according to the incident report. No one reported injuries from the pepper spray, the report said. The security guards at first did not tell police officers about the missing weapon. But police had noticed at least one officer searching for something and when they asked if he was looking for anything in particular he told them “no,” the report said. About 20 minutes later, the security guard “approached officers and asked what he needed to do if he ‘lost’ his firearm,” the report said.
- KANSAS CITY, MO, 2/21/14: A traffic stop that appeared to be routine ended in a foot chase and accidental discharge of an officer’s gun on Friday. Nobody was injured, but police took two suspects into custody at 55th and Virginia. A Kansas City police spokesman said that the driver was pulled over near 47th Street and 71 Highway to gather more information from a previous pursuit. There was an earlier chase with someone police thought may be a possible homicide suspect. While the driver initially stopped the vehicle, he quickly drove away prompting another police chase. Both people in the car bailed out at 56th and Tracy where they continued to flee on foot. During the foot pursuit, an officer’s gun was accidentally discharged but there have not been reported injuries.
- VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, 2/21/14: A Virginia Beach neighborhood is shaken up after stray bullets fly through a family's bedroom .The shooting happened off Crashaw Street in Chimney Hill. The Jones family was scared to death when they realized a bullet flew through their bedroom off Crashaw street in Virginia Beach. Richelle Jones said she and her husband were in the living room when they heard gunfire. “All of a sudden we heard six gunshots and then a window shatter ,” said Jones. The Jones’ went to check on their kid’s and their neighbors while calling police. The morning the Jones’ realized a bullet shot through their wall, across her bedroom and shattered this window. “If you were standing up in our bedroom, it came across the direct center of our bedroom. If we were standing up it would have been a headshot,” said Jones. Suzanne Fraser lives down the street from the Jones’ and said she remembers a stray bullet coming through her neighbor’s child’s bedroom not too long ago. She and others are worried that no one knows where the shots came from or if there was an intended target. “That’s really kind of scary just makes you wonder about who has a gun and what they are doing. Are they going out there trying to terrorize people or is it just a kind of accident or the wrong person with a gun,” said Fraser.
- ANTIOCH, CA, 2/21/14: A man accidentally shot himself in the leg outside Walmart last week, police announced Tuesday. On Friday around 10:10 p.m., officers responded to Walmart, located at 4893 Lone Tree Way, for a man who had been shot, said Antioch Sgt. Tom Fuhrmann. The 27-year-old man told police he was walking with a relative when he heard a shot and felt pain in his leg. The man, who has not been identified, said at that time he had no idea who shot him. The man was treated at an area hospital and he was later released. Investigators found that evidence at the scene did not support the victim's statement to officers, Fuhrmann said; he did not elaborate. In a follow-up interview, the man revealed he had a gun when it accidentally went off and he shot himself in the leg. The case is being sent to the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office for review.
- SONORA, CA, 2/22/14: 3:30 p.m., Sonora area—A man accidentally shot his index finger while target shooting on Jamestown Road.
- SAN JOSE, CA, 2/21/14: A man who was shot and killed after reportedly charging at a San Jose State police officer while wielding a drywall saw has been identified as 38-year-old Antonio Lopez Guzman, according to the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office. According to the San Jose Police Department, which is investigating the case because it occurred just off campus, Lopez Guzman was involved in a confrontation with SJSU officers Friday morning during which they unsuccessfully tried subdue him with a Taser him before resorting to deadly force. The officer who fired the fatal shots has been identified as Sgt. Mike Santos, a 15-year university police veteran. Officers reportedly called out to him and ordered him to drop the 12-inch saw blade he was holding. When Lopez Guzman did not comply, Santos' partner fired his Taser, but it had no effect; it was unclear whether the weapon missed or lacked the power to subdue him. Police say Lopez Guzman then charged toward the officer with the blade raised, prompting Santos to open fire, hitting Lopez Guzman. He was taken to Valley Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. The officers were not injured. The shooting made for a frightening and confusing scene, especially because it was next to the campus's southern border. A bullet went through the occupied second-floor bedroom of a nearby sorority house.
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