Gun Fail 62

Wed Apr 30, 2014 at 08:13 PM PDT

Whaddya mean it's too dangerous for me to drive? I'll show you dangerous! BLAM! GunFAIL LXVII

by David Waldman

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Six of 42 guns (each one a GunFAIL by itself) discovered by TSA agents at airports around the country last week.

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The good news is that relatively less people accidentally shot themselves last week. Just ten! The bad news is that the week took a heavy toll on the young kids, with nine injured and five killed. The victims were ages 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 7, 7, 7, 7, 10, 14, 15, 16 and 17. Five of the child victims were accidentally shot by their siblings. 

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Speaking of keeping the family safe with firearms, among last week's victims of the accidental shootings listed here are one husband, one mother, one son, two girlfriends and a niece. So that's a total of nine family members, if you don't count the girlfriends. You can lump them in with the two other friends accidentally shot, though.
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It was also a hot time for the revival of the old "left my gun in the bathroom" trend that we forgot about for a little while. I turned up three such events recently, two at restaurants and one at a gas station. Three more neighborhood patriots shared bullets with their neighbors in home invasion shootings, injuring two and killing one.
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Among the more remarkable stories this time around are the 19-year-old Texan man who accidentally shot his mother while trying to kill a rattlesnake, the Mississippi man who accidentally shot himself at a safety checkpoint, and the cop with the best excuse for his DWI: he had to get his partner to the hospital after he'd accidentally shot him while drinking.
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All that, plus the Bridezilla story that gives us our title this week, below the fold.

1. PORTLAND, MI, exact date unknown, reported 3/31/14: A state Department of Natural Resources conservation officer left his handgun behind at a Portland gas station last week, an agency spokesperson said. The officer was working on a special assignment and not wearing a uniform the day he forgot the gun in the gas station restroom, DNR spokesperson Ed Golder said in a statement. He called gas station staff when he noticed the gun was missing and asked them to secure the weapon. He then notified his supervisor, Golder said. Gas station employees had already found the gun and locked it in a safe. An internal investigation is ongoing.
2. BRONSON, MI, 4/11/14: State Police at the Coldwater Post have a stolen gun complaint that might be cleared up with some assistance from the public. Troopers say a Battle Creek man left his personal firearm in the bathroom stall at Bill’s Steak House in Bronson. They say it was around 7 pm Friday that the owner of the weapon accidently left his Sig Sauer .380 pistol in the bathroom and when he returned back to the restaurant to retrieve the gun it was missing. Employees from Bill’s also checked the stall as soon as the owner called the restaurant after he realized what had happened. Troopers say if the public noticed anyone suspicious at Bill’s Steak House or found a gun on the property to contact the Michigan State Police Coldwater Post.
3. NEWPORT NEWS, VA, 4/15/14: A woman was taken to a hospital this morning when a bullet went through the wall of her apartment and hit her in the face. Police were called shortly after 1 a.m. to the apartments in the 600 block of Aqua Vista Drive on a report of a shooting, police wrote in a news release. When they arrived, they found the woman, whose injury was not believed to be life-threatening. The woman later was transferred to a Richmond hospital. Police believe a bullet was fired from an apartment next door. Investigators were interviewing several people.
4. CAMDEN, SC, 4/16/14: Police say a 45-year-old Camden woman has been arrested after she left her loaded gun in the stall of a bathroom at a Chick-fil-A restaurant. Investigators said Robin Albert does not have a concealed weapons permit and was charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon. Authorities say a girl found the gun in the bathroom on April 16 and told her father, who took the weapon to the store manager. Investigators say the manager put the gun in a safe, and called police when Albert came back to the restaurant trying to find it. Chick-fil-A has signs in the restaurant banning concealed weapons.
5. PONTOTOC, MS, 4/19/14: The Mississippi Highway Patrol says a man accidentally shot himself at a traffic safety checkpoint in Pontotoc County over the weekend. Authorities say troopers had set up a roadblock on Highway 342 at the Valley Road intersection around 6:30 p.m Saturday night. They say the man had a firearm stuck down next to the seat of the car and attempted to push it farther down when it discharged. The bullet went through the man's arm, hit the side of his face and exited through his ear. No charges have been filed in connection with the incident, which remains under investigation.
6. DURANGO, CO, 4/19/14: On Monday, an affidavit of probable cause was filed for Jeremy Dupree, 39, with the 6th Judicial Court regarding a shooting shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday. The affidavit said the Durango police had probable cause to arrest Dupree on attempted-murder and domestic-violence charges. The shooting took place at Homewood Suites in Bodo Industrial Park, where officers found Robin Armstrong shot in the abdomen. In the affidavit, Officer Bradley Roach said police and deputies from the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office learned that the room was rented to Dupree, who was seen leaving the hotel as the 911 call was being placed. The victim told officers at the scene that she was shot by a handgun after the gun accidentally went off when Dupree slammed it onto the desk, according to the affidavit. A witness told officers the couple, who have been involved for about two years and live together, had been arguing before the gun went off, Roach said. Dupree was picked up later in a parking lot in Bodo Park where he had parked his truck. He is being held without bond at the La Plata County jail. On Monday afternoon, Armstrong continued to be in fair condition at Mercy Regional Medical Center, where she was taken after the shooting.
7. COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, 4/20/14: A man was accidentally shot in the jaw Sunday evening, according to Colorado Springs police. Neither the man’s identity nor age has been released. Officers responded on Sunday evening at about 7:20 to a report of a man lying in the yard in the 100 block of North 7th Street. That’s near Interstate 25 and Colorado Avenue on the west side of Colorado Springs. The report indicated the man had been possibly shot in the neck. When officers got to the scene, they found a man who was shot in the jaw. Police said the wound appeared to be from an ‘accidental discharge.’ The man was taken to the hospital. His condition was not released. The incident remains under investigation.
8. ST. LOUIS CO., MO, 4/20/14: St. Louis County Police are investigating a shooting that happened today about 12:30 p.m. in the 9700 block of Lorna Lane in unincorporated St. Louis County. Police said a 4-year-old boy accidentally shot his 3-year-old brother in the arm. The boy was taken to an area hospital, where he was being treated for a minor injury, according to police. Police did not say how or where the boy obtained the gun. The boy's father, 27, was taken into custody and may face charges on Monday. Police retrieved the gun from the home. The mother was also in the home at the time of the shooting. Police did not release any other details as they investigate the incident.
9. ORMOND BEACH, FL, 4/20/14: The man shot dead early Sunday morning near Ormond Beach was identified as 55-year-old Sanford Olson, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office. A neighbor called 911 at 2:52 a.m. Sunday saying her neighbor was beating on her door, asking her to call 911 because she had shot her husband. Deputies who arrived at the home, located at 7 Seabreeze Dr., found Olson on a bed, with a gun beside him. Olson's 57-year-old wife, Doris Barrells, told her neighbor that the shooting was an accident. Investigators said Barrells was fully cooperative when interviewed by detectives. Investigators are doing additional interviews, and are examining evidence. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday. Volusia sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said authorities will not decide over the weekend whether Barrells will be charged. Barrells and her husband operate an online outdoor equipment business called Great Outdoors Equipment. Both of them are listed as managers of the company.
10. HOLLYWOOD, FL, 4/20/14: A Hollywood man who was cleaning his .38 caliber handgun accidentally shot himself in his buttocks, police in that city said Monday. “An adult male in his 20s was cleaning his firearm when it fell to the floor and discharged, [the bullet] hitting him in the buttocks,” Hollywood Police Lt. Derik Alexander said Monday. The incident happened at 4 p.m. Sunday in the 3300 block of Forrest Drive, Alexander said. “He banged on a neighbor’s door, and the gentleman called us,” Alexander said. The incident report for the gunfire was not completed Monday and the police spokesman didn’t yet have the wounded man’s name.
11. PORT ST. LUCIE, FL, 4/20/14: A man was arrested Sunday after allegedly leading police on a wild-goose chase after his friend was shot in the leg. Rashad Johnson, 23, of Port St. Lucie, accidentally shot the man while showing him a handgun, but repeatedly told police a stranger was responsible for the shooting, according to an arrest affidavit. Martin Medical Center officials called police when the gunshot victim arrived at the emergency room. The victim told police he had been shot by a man who tried to rob him on a roadside, according to the affidavit. But, after police learned that the shooting had occurred at Johnson’s home in the 200 block of Southwest Fairchild Avenue, the victim told them the shooting was accidental, and that Johnson was showing him the gun when it accidentally discharged, the affidavit said. Johnson, however, continued to tell police conflicting stories about the shooting and the location of the gun, it said. He eventually said he had thrown the gun in a wooded area across the street from his home, it said. Johnson was charged with tampering with evidence and obstruction. He remained held at the St. Lucie County Jail in lieu of $4,500 bond, records show.
12. BRADENTON, FL, 4/20/14: A man and a woman have been charged with getting drunk and shooting at a tree at G.T. Bray Park in Bradenton, according to police. About 11:10 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to reports of gunfire at the park, 5502 33rd Ave. Drive W. As they arrived, officers stopped a car as it was leaving the park. Inside, they found that the driver, identified as Ian Tucker, 29, was drunk and openly carrying a gun, according to a report. "He explained that he and his female passenger had been shooting at a tree within the park," the report states. Tucker and the woman, Rachelle Lacasse, 29, were each charged with openly carrying a weapon, discharging a firearm in public or on residential property and improper exhibition of a weapon. They were released from the Manatee County jail after posting bonds totaling $1,120 each.
13. FREEPORT, TX, 4/20/14: Police are investigating what appears to be an accidental shooting early Sunday when one man was shot in the foot and another man arrested on drug charges, authorities said. Police said a Freeport man, 24, was firing a .22 caliber rifle about 12:30 a.m. outside a house in the 2000 block Avenue H when Mark Zurita, 30, of Valverde, claims he attempted to take the gun away, Lt. Raymond Garivey said.
14. BRACHFIELD, TX, 4/21/14: A woman was airlifted to an East Texas hospital on Monday after she was accidentally shot in the face. According to the Rusk County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a reported shooting at approximately 10:43 a.m. in the Brachfield area off of Farm to Market 1798 and Farm to Market 840. Upon arrival, authorities found that a female had suffered a gunshot wound to her face. After initial investigation, it appears that the shooting was accidental. The woman was airlifted to a Tyler hospital. Her identity has not been released at this time. UPDATE: A Henderson woman died on Monday after a gun accidentally went off at a home in the Brachfield area near Farm to Market Road 1798 and FM 840. Rusk County Sheriff's Office Sergeant David Roberts said Melinda Orr, 44, dropped a handgun on Monday morning. The gun accidentally discharged, striking Orr in the face. Orr was airlifted to a Tyler hospital, where she later died. Orr's funeral will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday at the Bar None Cowboy Church.
15. ODESSA, TX, 4/21/14: We are learning more about a Monday shooting and last night's aggravated robbery arrest of Emily Mata. CBS7 obtained the arrest affidavit this afternoon stating that Mata, 22, and Alex Reyna, 18, were both sitting in Reyna's truck when Mata produced a firearm, pointed it at Reyna and shot him. Reyna tried to block the shot with his hand, resulting in gunshot wounds to that hand and his chest. After the shot was fired, Reyna went into his residence while Mata left in his truck with an unknown amount of money. Last night, Mata voluntarily went to the Odessa Police Department to speak with investigators. She was arrested for aggravated robbery, a Felony 1 charge. In her conversation with investigators, Mata said she "accidentally" shot Reyna while showing him the firearm. She also said she and Reyna were intoxicated on Xanex and after the shooting she panicked and drove away in Reyna's truck. Mata's story does coincide with what family members have shared with CBS7. We have spoken to a few members of her family who all agree the shooting was an accident, and that Mata and Reyna are in fact friends. They said the robbery charge came about when Mata took Reyna's truck without permission. One family member continued by saying both Reyna and Mata are deep into drugs and were high and playing with the gun at the time of the shooting. At this time the location of the gun is still unknown. Mata said she can't recall what she did with the weapon. Reyna is still in the hospital and is in serious condition.
16. CHICAGO, IL, 4/21/14: A man suffered a gunshot wound to the groin Monday morning in the West Side Austin neighborhood, and police believe he may have accidentally shot himself. The 21-year-old was shot at 10:50 a.m. in the 1000 block of North Monitor Avenue, according to police. He was taken in “stable” condition to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, police said. The man told officers he was taking garbage out to the alley when two males in a black car opened fire before driving out of the alley. However, police believe the gunshot wound may have been accidentally self-inflicted. Area North detectives are investigating.
17. MERIDIAN, ID, 4/21/14: Emergency personnel were dispatched at 10:44 a.m. Monday to a report of an accidental shooting in the 1400 block of East Commercial Street in Meridian. A 25-year-old man at that location was going to show a coworker his 9mm gun when the accident happened. He removed the magazine from the gun but didn't clear the chamber, Meridian Police Deputy Chief Tracy Basterrechea said. The man fired one round through his left hand. He was transported to the hospital for treatment. The incident is under investigation. He could be cited for unlawful discharge of a firearm in city limits.
18. DES MOINES, IA, 4/21/14: A 4-year-old girl was shot and killed Monday in what Des Moines police said was an accidental shooting in her family's home.  Police say it appears the girl somehow got ahold of a loaded weapon and shot herself. The shooting happened just after 7 p.m. at an apartment at 2746 Fleur Dr. The girl's mother, father and two younger children were home at the time of the shooting, police said. The girl died at Blank Children's Hospital. Des Moines police Sergeant Jason Halifax said, "Initial appearances are that the safe weapons handling practices were not followed.  Right now that's just kind of the outward appearance. We'll know more as the case goes through the investigation process." Police said there were several guns inside the apartment at the time of the shooting. The girl's parents were taken to the police station for questioning. Police have not filed charges. Police have not yet released the identity of the girl.
19. BRISTOL TOWNSHIP, PA, 4/21/14: A Bristol Township man is accused of illegally possessing a handgun after "accidentally" shooting his girlfriend, who is scheduled to testify against him in a different case next week. The woman told police Monday night that the gun went off when she reached for the .38 caliber revolver while Brian McDuffie, 30, was showing it to her in the bathroom of their Royal Park apartment on Haines Road, according to a probable cause affidavit. The 28-year-old woman was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound to the right thigh, police added. She remained there Tuesday in stable condition, Lt. Terry Hughes said. McDuffie told detectives, who responded to the "accidental shooting" report before 8 p.m. Monday, that he hid the gun after the shooting, and police retrieved it from a trash can in the 40 block of South Kenwood Drive, the affidavit shows. McDuffie is a convicted felon so is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Court documents noted that the shooting occurred fewer than two hours after the girlfriend was served a subpoena to testify against McDuffie at his trial on an assault charge next week in Bucks County Court. McDuffie was charged in December with simple assault against his girlfriend, police said. As part of his bail condition, he was ordered to have no contact with her and he admitted to police that he knew he shouldn’t have been living with the woman, the affidavit said.
20. MEMPHIS, TN, 4/21/14: A juvenile court judge ordered a 13-year-old boy accused of shooting his 10-year-old sister to be held in juvenile court custody until his next hearing on May 6. Attorneys for the 13-year-old raised concerns about whether he fully understands his rights. During the boy's court appearance, his father tearfully stood by his side. Investigators say the boy and his sister were alone Monday afternoon at the family's Whitehaven home on Orleans Road when the little girl was shot in the face. She remains in extremely critical condition at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. Multiple sources tell WMC Action News 5 that her prognosis is grave. The girl's 13-year-old brother is charged with felony reckless endangerment and unlawful possession of a weapon. Police say he admitted to accidentally shooting his little sister.
21. BURNT CHIMNEY, VA, 4/21/14: The 7-year-old Franklin County boy killed Monday morning was unsafely handling guns with his older brother when the 12-year-old fired a shot, investigators say. Franklin County Sheriff’s Office officials said Tuesday that the death of the 7-year-old boy in Burnt Chimney is being treated as an accidental shooting. The investigation, according to Capt. Mark Torbert, is focused on determining how the boys got their hands on the weapons. “The situation here in Franklin County yesterday — it was a tragedy,” Torbert said. “Hindsight is always 20/20, but you have to wonder if this was avoidable.” It was spring break in Franklin County on Monday. The boys were home from school, in a small neighborhood called Twin Oaks that consists of about a dozen houses and mobile homes on big, grassy plots — all along a gravel road, Double Oaks Lane. Torbert said the brothers had gone to visit a neighbor. As the investigation stands, it appears the boys obtained guns, and both were handling them inside the neighbor’s home when the 12-year-old fired a .45-caliber handgun. The bullet struck the 7-year-old, and the neighbor, the only adult in the house, called 911. Deputies arrived at 11:47 a.m., the sheriff’s office has said, and found the boy dead. Lt. Phillip Young said the boy was killed instantly.
22. BEL AIR, MD, 4/22/14: An Aberdeen man was in critical condition Monday after he accidentally shot himself with a friend's weapon off Brierhill Drive, according to the Harford County Sheriff's Office. At approximately 11:55 p.m. on Sunday, the 24-year-old was visiting friends in the 900 block of Redfield Road when he asked to see his friend's handgun, Eddie Hopkins of the sheriff's office said. As the man, who lives in the 400 block of Pollack Drive in Aberdeen, was looking at the gun and handing it back to his friend, he fired and shot himself in the abdomen, Hopkins said. The man's friends drove him to Upper Chesapeake, where he was stabilized and transferred to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, according to Hopkins, who said he was in critical condition. Staff at Upper Chesapeake notified the sheriff's office, which is investigating the incident. "Preliminarily, this appears to be accidental," Hopkins reported. He noted that the shooting is still under investigation.
23. BALL PLAY, AL, 4/22/14: Etowah County authorities are investigating a hunting accident that happened Tuesday morning in the Ball Play community. A 26-year-old man was turkey hunting with friends when there was a shooting accident at a property on Centre Road, the Etowah County Sheriff's Office said. He was taken to a hospital and his injuries are reportedly not life-threatening. Deputies got a call about the accident around 8:30 a.m. The sheriff's office and Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources are investigating.
24. KENSINGTON, NH, 4/22/14: A young girl suffered minor injuries from broken glass after a window was shattered by a bullet at a home Tuesday night. Police responded to 4 Stumpfield Road just before 7 p.m. to investigate a report of a bullet that was fired into the residence. Police Sgt. Scott Sanders said a girl, believed to be about 4 years old, was injured by glass when the bullet came through a back window. No one inside the home was injured by the bullet, he said. The child suffered only minor injuries and was not transported to the hospital, he said. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Officers found two people target shooting in a wooded area on their own property near the residence that was hit, Sanders said. "We're still piecing together what happened, but we don't think it was intentional," he said. He said the shooting incident could have had a "catastrophic" outcome. "We don't want to prevent anybody from lawfully shooting on their property. We certainly encourage people to make sure they practice good firing," Sanders said. No charges have been filed.
25. ALTOONA, PA, 4/22/14:  There are more details on what the Police are calling an accidental shooting in Blair County on Tuesday night. The Altoona Police say a man was driving along Sixth Avenue near the Knickerbacker Bar when he accidentally shot himself in the thigh. The passenger in the car called 911 and the Police say administered first aid until Paramedics got there. The Police say the car was in motion and the man was playing with the gun when it went off.
26. VICTORIA, TX, 4/22/14: A 19-year-old Victoria man shot and injured his mother Tuesday while attempting to kill a rattlesnake living under their home. The shooting was ruled an accident and charges will not be pursued, Victoria County Sheriff T. Michael O'Connor said. An emergency call came in about noon Tuesday. The caller told operators that he was taking his mother to Citizens Medical Center and she'd been shot, O'Connor said. She had been shot with a lightweight shotgun. Tonya Milner, 44, of Victoria, was treated for the gunshot wound on the left side of her body and released.
27. KNAPPA, OR, 4/23/14: An accidental shooting Wednesday morning sent one Knappa-area man to the hospital, with what the Sheriff calls non-life-threatening injuries. Robert Daniel Palek, 41, was injured in the arm, leg and abdomen when a shotgun went off from inside of a boat Palek was helping to bring in. Sheriff Tom Bergin said Palek was outside of the boat bringing it in, when his friend jumped back inside the boat to kill the battery switches. That’s when a shotgun fell over and went off, going through the side of the boat and into Palek. “It was a total accident,” Bergin said. Palek was transported to Columbia Memorial Hospital and then transferred to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center. As of press time, Palek is in the emergency department, according to a hospital spokesperson, and a condition is not yet known.
28. VASS, NC, 4/23/14: Moore County Sheriff's deputies are still investigating a incident involving four people and a gun, in which three people suffered minor injuries when the weapon discharged, said Capt. Bill Mackey. The incident happened just after 9 last night at a home in the 1300 block of N.C. 690 in Vass. Mackey said three people suffered non life-threatening injuries. No charges have been filed. Two males and two females got into a dispute involving a handgun, which discharged into the concrete causing injuries to two females, Mackey said. Investigators determined the gun was fired accidentally, according to a release from the Sheriff's Office. Two individuals were treated and released at Moore Regional hospital. A third person received treatment at the scene.
29. LANSING, MI, 4/23/14: A preliminary police investigation indicates that a man accidentally shot his two-year-old son in Lansing on Wednesday evening. The toddler is hospitalized Thursday morning, and his condition has been upgraded to critical, but stable. He has a gunshot wound to his midsection. The child's 29-year-old father has a gunshot wound to the hand, and he is in stable condition. Police say they continue to investigate what led to the discharge of the handgun. Once their investigation is completed a report will be sent to the prosecutor's office for review of any possible criminal charges. Police were called to the apartments in the 900 block of Long Boulevard at about 7 o'clock Wednesday.
30. ST. LOUIS, MO, 4/23/14: A 17-year-old St. Louis man has been charged in his younger brother's accidental shooting after initially telling police the victim was wounded in a drive-by. Police say William Malik Pearson Jr. was playing with a handgun when he shot his brother in the leg Wednesday. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (bit.ly/1mLAr2R ) reports that Pearson has been charged with third-degree assault, endangering the welfare of a child and making a false report. The shooting happened as Pearson was loading a bullet into the gun's chamber. UPDATE: The younger boy, 14, is going to be OK. He was treated for his leg injury. His older brother, meanwhile, faces three misdemeanor charges. Bail is set at $5,000.
31. QUEENS, NY, 4/24/14: An on duty NYPD detective accidentally shot his partner in the wrist in Queens overnight, and was charged with driving while intoxicated, police sources say. Detective Jay Poggi shot his partner, both assigned to the 75th Precinct in Brooklyn, in the wrist at about 1:50 a.m. Thursday morning. Police say Poggi and his partner were driving to a Queens location as part of an investigation when he accidentally fired his .38 caliber revolver. According to court documents, Poggi was showing his partner the barrel of his gun, and the weapon went off. The partner, a 12 year veteran, was shot in the wrist. Detective Poggi rushed his partner to Jamaica Hospital where he required surgery, and is listed in stable condition. Poggi's lawyer says the officer was just trying to save his partner's life. "He drove his partner to the hospital," said attorney James Moschella. "And part of the allegation of driving while intoxicated is driving his partner to get life-saving treatment at the hospital, which you certainly can't fault him for."
32. JOLIET, IL, 4/24/14: A Joliet teen pointed and pulled the trigger of a gun he mistakenly believed was unloaded at his sister, police said, hitting her in the neck and sending her to the hospital. The 15-year-old boy was charged with aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated discharge of a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon. The Kendall County State's Attorney's Office approved the charges. Police were sent to the family's Sugar Maple Drive home about 3 p.m. Thursday after the young man called 911. When the police arrived, they found a 15-year-old girl holding a towel to her bleeding neck. The home is located near Ridge Road and Theodore Street. The teenage boy reportedly told police he accidentally shot his sister. While both the boy and girl are 15, police said the young man is two months older and identified them as siblings. Police said the young man got ahold of his father's .40-caliber Glock. The gun was kept in an upstairs room. After the teen got the gun, he started dancing while holding it. His sister—who would later be shot—believed her brother had been "possibly smoking weed," police said. Both the young man and young woman believed the gun was unloaded when he pointed it at her and pulled the trigger, police said.
33. RAPID CITY, SD, 4/24/14: A father took his son to the hospital Thursday night after the 16-year-old shot himself in the leg. Police report that a group of juveniles were at a residence at 1013 North LaCrosse. One juvenile male had a handgun, and gave it to his friend to hold. That's when the friend accidentally shot himself in the leg. Police are looking into the incident but it doesn't appear that a crime was committed.
34. MIDLAND CO., TX, 4/24/14: Midland County Sheriff’s Office tells CBS7 that one person was shot at a county gun range. Sheriff Painter tells CBS 7 that one person was "accidentally" shot in the lower back by a "stray bullet." The person was taken to the hospital in a private car.
35. NEW BRIGHTON, PA, 4/24/14: The lawyer for a Pennsylvania bride accused of killing her niece after the wedding says the fatal shooting was an accident. The attorney told the Beaver County Times on Saturday that 30-year-old newlywed Christina George-Harvan is "obviously completely distraught." Police say George-Harvan, of Conway, shot 21-year-old Katelyn Francis on Thursday as they left a bar in New Brighton, about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh. The wedding was held earlier that day. Police say they were arguing about who would be the designated driver when the bride grabbed her husband's new handgun from his truck and shot Francis, of Fairmont, W.Va. around 10 p.m. Lawyer J. Lauson Cashdollar says George-Harvan simply tried to move the gun when it went off. She's charged with homicide. She is being held in the county jail without bail.
36. FAYETTEVILLE, NC, 4/25/14: A 7-year-old boy injured in a shooting at an apartment complex this afternoon has died, police said tonight. After an initial investigation of the shooting today, investigators believe the shooting was accidental, according to a news release from the Fayetteville Police Department. The incident happened on the 2100 block of Hyde Place about 4:20 p.m., said Lt. Todd Joyce, a police spokesman. The residence is in the New Colony Place apartment complex off Owen Drive. The 7-year-old, whose name has not been released, was in a bedroom with other young boys, police said. At the time of the incident, a grandparent was in the home with the child, a news release said. The adult heard a noise before the other boys alerted him that the 7-year-old was injured, Joyce said. The boy was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. Detectives with the Fayetteville Police Department's homicide unit are still investigating the death.
37. FAYETTEVILLE, NC, 4/25/14: A 3-year-old was seriously wounded early Friday when shots were fired into a Fayetteville home, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office. Someone fired shots on Peele Street shortly before 3:30 a.m., and one of them went into a mobile home and struck Ahmad Daniels, authorities said. Ahmad's uncle, Detwan Harkins, said the boy was sleeping on a mattress in the home, which belongs Ahmed's grandmother, when a stray bullet struck him in the chest. UPDATE: A 3-year-old boy who was hit by a stray bullet as he slept in his room has died. Ahmad Daniels was pronounced dead Saturday morning at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office.
38. COLUMBUS, OH, 4/25/14: A 4-year-old accidentally shot a 7-year-old in the arm while playing with a gun Friday night. A man at the scene applied pressure to the child's wound until medics were able to get to the house at 324 E. Morrill Ave. Medics took the 7-year-old to Children's Hospital in stable condition. Detectives with Columbus Police are investigating this incident.
39. WAYNE CO., IL, 4/25/14: A Fairfield, Ill., man faces several charges after he shot himself in the groin while fishing Friday, according to deputies. William O. Shelton, 28, faces charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, unlawful use of weapons and possession of a weapon without a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card. Wayne County sheriff’s deputies responded to a location along the Little Wabash River south of Golden Gate to investigate a report of a man who had been shot. Two witnesses, Kelli Carpenter and Donald H. Currier told police that Shelton had been shot by an unknown assailant. A deputy told both individuals they could face obstruction of justice charges if the information they gave was false.The two then told police they made up the story because they knew Shelton was not allowed to possess a firearm. Police later found Shelton lying in the yard of a nearby home. Shelton was taken to Fairfield Memorial Hospital where doctors told police he sustained a gunshot wound to the lower abdomen which then passed through his scrotum before exiting and lodging in his upper thigh. Shelton told police the gun accidentally discharged as he pulled it from his waistband. He said he had no idea who the .22 caliber pistol belonged to, claiming he had found it along the riverbank. Because of his injuries, Shelton has not been jailed. He remains free on his own recognizance pending the filing of formal charges and setting of bond.
40. SCOTT CITY, MO, 4/25/14: A 17-year-old girl was accidentally shot in the face early Friday morning in Scott City, according to the Scott City Police Department. The shooting has been ruled accidental pending further investigation, Scott City Police Chief Lt. James Dodd said in a phone interview Tuesday. The newspaper had been trying to contact Dodd since the incident occurred. Dodd said a 21-year-old man was the accidental shooter. He was taken into custody and later released. The Scott City Fire Department was called to the 1300 block of West Mar Elm Street at 12:35 a.m. Friday for an emergency medical service, according to police and fire logs submitted to the Scott County Signal. The police department also was called to a second degree domestic assault at the 1300 block of West Mar Elm Street on Friday. Dodd says the shooting is still under investigation, as he is tracking down some potential witnesses. Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter said a deputy from his department was on the scene to help, but said the Scott City Police Department would handle the investigation on its own. Dodd said the victim was in stable condition.

Originally posted to David Waldman on Wed Apr 30, 2014 at 08:13 PM PDT.