Acerbic Politics: Gun Fail 77

Sun Aug 17, 2014 at 08:31 AM PDT

100 GunFAILs: GunFAIL LXXVII

Over 250 presumably responsible gun owners have claimed to have completely forgotten they were carrying guns at airport security checkpoints since our last GunFAIL publication.

It's been a while since I published the last GunFAIL compilation. Lots of travel and other summer activity made it difficult to put the lists together on time, but I never stopped collecting the stories. Once things settled down, I realized that the sheer volume was going to make publishing the stories in the ordinary format rather awkward, too. So here's what I've decided to do: instead of publishing a week's worth of GunFAIL stories at a time, I've just picked up where I left off, and listed the next 100 incidents as they happened. I've counted up our usual categories of GunFAILs, as well. But of course, the numbers are usually for one week, and here they'll span a period of a little more than three weeks, give or take one or two leftover stories that didn't make the news or that were otherwise missed when they happened earlier.

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These 100 GunFAILs include: 10 "home invasion shootings" in which our fellow patriots' freedom projectiles were shared with neighbors; 37 people who accidentally shot themselves; 9 people who shot themselves but tried to lie to the cops about someone else shooting them; 20 kid victims; 6 accidental shootings by kids; 15 fatalities; 8 stray bullet incidents*; two accidents while cleaning loaded guns; 8 very expensive medical evacuations by air; 2 guns that went off in pockets; 3 target shooting accidents; 9 cops involved in various FAILs; 9 FAILs by carriers out shopping, dining or otherwise engaging in everyday commerce among the public; 2 bathroom GunFAILs; 1 firearms instructor who shot himself, and 1 person who thought it'd be a fun idea to have someone shoot him while he was wearing a "bullet-proof" vest.
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[* Here I have included stray bullets not fired by accident, but which missed their intended targets and hit bystanders, nearby homes, etc. "Home invasion shootings," in my categorization, typically involve unintended discharges.]
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Outstanding stories worthy of your notice: #16, from Erie Township, OH, involves a man who accidentally shot himself at an NRA-sponsored shooting competition; #17, from Lakewood, CO, in which a man shot a neighbor's dog, but also accidentally shot himself, not particularly noteworthy in itself, but in light of recent events it's worth noting that the local SWAT team was dispatched; #35, from Durango, CO, in which a police officer responding to a man barricaded in a home with a weapon fired a shot that missed and entered a nearby home; #50, from Freemont Township, MI, was an incident which gained some online infamy, involving a woman who shot herself in the face when she slammed a rifle butt into the ground during an argument "to make a point"; #66, from Prince George, VA, involving a man who accidentally shot himself in the shoulder with the .45 he kept under his pillow; #89, from Washington, DC, involving a pork industry representative from South Carolina visiting Capitol Hill while carrying a loaded pistol; #91, from Daytona Beach, FL, in which a guest at the Windham Ocean Walk Hotel accidentally fired his pistol through the wall, hitting a 12-year-old boy in the next room, and #99, involving the tragic death of a five-months pregnant woman accidentally shot by a friend showing off his gun collection.
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But let's just roll this thing out, and start getting back on track. There are another 100 GunFAILs to go before we're up to date. So without further ado, 100 GunFAILs, below the fold.
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NASHUA, NH, 5/25/14: Nashua police arrested a city man in connection with an accidental discharge of a firearm, in which a bullet was shot into a neighbor's apartment on May 25. Police said Nicholas Kolhonen, 22, of 6 Silver Drive, Apartment 20, Nashua, was charged with reckless conduct on July 5. Officers responded to the local apartment complex for the report of shots fired as a woman reported a bullet was shot into her apartment. Investigators later issued a warrant for Kolhonen's arrest. He was released on $15,000 personal recognizance bail pending arraignment in Nashua on Aug. 6.
NORTHLAKE, IL, 7/04/14: A 16-year-old gang member was charged with making a false police report and reckless discharge of a firearm after he accidentally shot himself in the foot. Police got a call from Gottlieb hospital about 9 PM on July 4 about a gunshot victim. The Northlake boy, a member of the Latin Kings gang, said he was riding his bicycle near LeMoyne and 46th when he felt a pain in his foot and realized he’d been shot. “Eventually it was disproven,” said Cmdr. Jay Militello. “He confessed to making a false police report and to accidentally discharging the gun while he was cocking it.”
ARVADA, CO, 7/04/14: Neighbor's car accidentally shot. While attempting to clear a jammed 9mm handgun that belonged to his mother, a man in the 8700 block of Chase Drive, Arvada, accidentally discharged the firearm on July 4. The bullet traveled through the floor into a carport and struck a neighbor's vehicle.
PATERSON, NJ, 7/05/14: Authorities on Wednesday announced an arrest in the deadly shooting of a 12-year-old girl who was hit by a stray bullet while riding a scooter in a northern New Jersey neighborhood increasingly frustrated by gun violence. Jhymiere Moore, 19, of Paterson, was charged with first-degree murder and weapons charges in the death of Genesis Rincon, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said at a news conference, as the girl's parents looked on. It was not known if Moore has an attorney. Moore was held on $2 million bail after he turned himself in late Tuesday as Rincon's parents and hundreds of others rallied the community for justice and to end the violence. The prosecutor credited the suspect's surrender to pressure from the community and an intensive police investigation. Her parents did not speak during the news conference. Police believe the suspect was aiming a handgun at someone else when the girl was struck in the head at about 8:40 PM Saturday as she rode home to a family gathering, acting Police Chief William Fraher said. Two other children who were with her were not injured.
DENISON, TX, 7/06/14: Authorities say a Denison man accidentally shot himself Sunday afternoon. It happened near Oak Ridge Rd. around 3:00 PM. The Grayson County Sheriff's Office says a 56-year-old man was sleeping at his home when a noise woke him up. Investigators say he picked up his weapon to check the residence and accidentally shot the gun, injuring his wrist. He received medical attention at Texoma Medical Center and is reportedly in good condition.
PHARR, TX, 7/06/14: Authorities are investigating a shooting that ended with a stray bullet hitting a woman in the face at a popular place for mud racing and off-road vehicle. Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office deputies reported that the shooting happened in the "Mud Pits" off Whale and South Jackson Roads south of Pharr around 5:30 PM Sunday. The area is private property but is often bused by off-road vehicle enthusiasts because of the terrain. Investigators told Action 4 News that a deputy was patrolling the area when he was flagged down by two women leaving in a car. One of the two women had a gunshot wound to her face. The woman was able to speak and told the deputy that she heard several shots before she was hit in the face by a stray bullet. Paramedics rushed the woman to a local hospital where she was listed in stable condition with non-life threatening injuries. Law enforcement officials surrounded the area and detained several people for questioning. No arrests have been made and no criminal charges have been filed at this time but the investigation continues.
CHATTANOOGA, TN, 7/06/14: Friends of an 18-year-old high school student who died from a gunshot wound on Sunday called him an athlete and a fun person. Melvin Crayton, whom friends called HK, died at a hospital after suffering a gunshot wound to his leg, according to Chattanooga police. The circumstances surrounding the shooting are under investigation, according to police. If police determine that his death was a homicide, it will be the 14th of the year, equal to the total number of fatal shootings in the city last year. But people sitting on the porch just a few doors down from 2525 Sixth Avenue Court where he was hit, said Crayton accidentally shot himself in the leg.
ELKHART, IN, 7/06/14: A man accidentally shot a woman while cleaning a firearm Sunday evening, July 6, according to Capt. Jim Bradberry of the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department. Phillip Vincze shot himself through his hand while he was cleaning his gun, which he believed to be cleared of all bullets, and one round hit Jennette Collins in both legs, according to a press release. Medics were called to the 22000 block of C.R. 10 between C.R. 15 and C.R. 17 at about 5:48 PM, and the man and woman were taken to Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries according to Elkhart County Dispatch. This incident is under investigation by the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department.
SOUTH BEND, IN, 7/06/14: Formal charges have been filed against Michael Taylor for his alleged role in the shooting death of Michael Gillam over the weekend in South Bend. Taylor, 55, has been charged with Murder and Unlawful Possession of Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon with an additional sentencing enhancement for being a habitual offender. Court documents cite two previous felony convictions on Taylor's record. Gillam was found shot to death shortly after midnight Sunday morning inside a building at 229 N. Olive St. On Monday morning, crews responded to a fire set at the same location. In court documents, police report that Taylor told them that Gillam, 55, was a friend of his and that his gun accidentally discharged during a fight with another person at the scene. Police say Taylor told them he went to the location at 229 N. Olive St. because it was a known gambling establishment, and he expected to confront a man he suspected of robbing him at another location where he had been gambling. When Taylor found the man he was looking for, he told police a fight began.
PHILADELPHIA, PA, 7/06/14: Friends and family are mourning the death of a Wilmington woman who was struck and killed by a stray bullet during a street brawl. A vigil was held for 44-year-old Crystal Brown Monday night. Brown’s mother sobbed uncontrollably as loved ones tried to console her. “They killed my baby,” she said. “I don’t know what to say.” Brown, who lived alone in Wilmington and worked at a collection agency, was leaving Adams Market on North Adams Street around 9:45 PM on Sunday when she encountered several people fighting in the street. As the crowd formed, at least one person took out a gun and fired several shots. Brown, who was not involved in the fight, was struck in the chest by a stray bullet. Bernard Reyes says he heard the gunshots, saw people running and then saw Brown lying in the middle of the street. “It happened so fast you didn’t see nothing,” Reyes said. Brown was taken to Christiana Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN, 7/07/14: A 4-year-old child is recovering at Community Hospital North after being shot by another child Monday. Police said the child was brought to the hospital around 3 PM with a gunshot wound to the arm. FOX59 was told the child is in stable condition. Investigators said it appears one child accidentally shot another. Officials with the Department of Child Services is conducting interviews to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
BAXTER CO., AR, 7/07/14: A man who lives in northeastern Baxter County is recovering from a gunshot wound to his upper left chest on Monday afternoon. Jeffrey Lanham, 42, told sheriff's deputies that a .22-caliber revolver accidentally fired. Someone called 9-1-1 about the shooting around 4:05. Deputies and emergency medical personnel went to the home at 841 Fout Road, southeast of Gamaliel, and found Lanham lying in bed with his wound. An air ambulance flew him to the hospital in Mountain Home. Sheriff John Montgomery says an investigation continues.
WILKES-BARRE, PA, 7/07/14: A woman reportedly suffered an accidental gunshot wound tonight at an apartment house on South Franklin Street. Luzerne County 911 received a report at 8:23 PM. relating that a woman was accidentally shot in Apartment 3 at 412 S. Franklin St., a 911 supervisor said. Police on-scene said the victim was transported to an area hospital for a non-life-threatening wound. Wilkes-Barre police Lt. Steve Olshefski said that based on initial reports, the woman suffered a “very minor” injury to her foot after someone dropped a gun on the floor, it discharged and a bullet struck the woman in her foot. Police continue to investigate, but it does not appear that any charges would be filed, barring any incidence of unlawful gun possession, Olshefski said.
MANSFIELD, OH, 7/07/14: A man in custody after the gun death of Deborah Hovestadt has a history of criminal offenses and abusive behavior, according to documents from the Mansfield Municipal Clerk of Court. Darryl Jerome Taylor, who was arrested Tuesday on a weapons under disability charge and later a receiving stolen property charge, was Hovestadt’s boyfriend, authorities say. The couple was living together at 1273 Kings Corners Road East when Hovestadt reportedly was shot in the head Monday. Taylor was the first to call 911 after the gun went off around 10:13 AM Monday. In the call recording, he can be heard telling dispatch, “I need the police now,” before handing the phone over to Hovestadt’s daughter, Bonnie Tittle. When police arrived, Taylor was “sobbing in the street yelling, ‘the gun accidentally went off,’” the statement of facts report said. Hovestadt was found in a back bedroom of the home with a gunshot wound to her face. A silver .44-caliber pistol was lying in her right hand, the report said. The Richland County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene to investigate a possible suicide. In Tittle’s 911 call, she told dispatch Taylor thought Hovestadt shot herself, but said she couldn’t think of a reason why her mother would harm herself. “According to several witnesses, Hovestadt was scared of guns and afraid to touch them,” the report said. Hovestadt still was responsive when emergency crews arrived, Sheriff’s Maj. Joe Masi previously said. She was officially pronounced dead at 10:37
WINSLOW TOWNSHIP, NJ, 7/07/14: Bullets entered two bedrooms during an apparent gunfight early Monday morning, injuring two residents, authorities said. A 13-year-old girl was sleeping in her room in the unit block of Hathaway Drive around 12:45 AM when a bullet came through the wall and hit her in the lower back, according to a statement by the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office. Channel 6 Action News identified the girl as Tiya Hudson. The teen was taken to Cooper University Hospital in Camden and was in stable condition Monday. The second victim, a 56-year-old woman living in the same block, was cut by broken glass sprayed when bullets entered her room, investigators said. The woman was treated on scene by EMS workers and declined further treatment. The prosecutor’s office said the errant rounds were fired in what appeared to be a gunfight outside on Haywood Drive, near its T intersection with Hathaway.AM.
ERIE TOWNSHIP, OH, 7/08/14: Ottawa County Sheriff Stephen Levorchick said a man shot himself in the hand at the National Matches at Camp Perry in Erie Township Tuesday morning. The man was cleaning a handgun when he accidentally discharged the weapon, Levorchick said. The man sustained injuries to his hand and nothing else and the injuries are not life-threatening, he said. Someone called for an ambulance but the man did not want to wait so he tried driving himself. But he passed the ambulance on his route to the hospital and was transported by Mid County EMS, Levorchick said.
LAKEWOOD, CO, 7/08/14: A Lakewood man shot his neighbor's dog during an afternoon dispute and then accidentally shot himself. When the Lakewood Police Department was called to a shooting at 2:23 PM Tuesday in the 1600 block of Eaton Street, officers began looking for a shooter and a victim, said Steve Davis, a department spokesman. The department's SWAT unit was called for back up as officers began searching for a shooter in an apartment building, Davis said. In the end, "The shooter and the victim were the same guy," he said. "The guy who shot the dog must have accidentally shot himself, too." That didn't stop police from citing the man for shooting the dog, Davis said. Davis did not know the shooter's name or the specific charges. The dog was injured but was expected to survive his wound, Davis said. The man was able to walk to an ambulance to receive treatment for his leg. Davis did not know the cause of the dispute, including whether the dog was the focus. The two men involved in the fight are neighbors in an apartment building, Davis said.
MERCER CO., KY, 7/08/14: A 15-year-old girl was accidentally shot in the thigh Tuesday night at her home in Mercer County, officials said. The teen was flown to the University of Kentucky Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. She is being treated and recovering well, according to her mother. Officials say the victim and her mother's fiance, age 24, were playing video games and when the fiance got up to leave, he picked up what he thought was an unloaded gun striking the teen. The mother said all handguns have been removed from the house since the incident. Officials say the investigation is ongoing and child services have also been notified.
ST. CLOUD, MN, 7/08/14: St. Cloud Police believe a shooting victim in North St. Cloud on Tuesday was accidentally shot with a gun that was in his pants pocket. The incident happened at about 5:15 PM in the 1300 block of 12th Avenue North. Dimitri Accardo, the 21-year-old victim in the incident, originally told police he was shot during a drive by shooting. After gathering evidence, investigators believe Accardo was accidentally shot in his left leg after a gun in his pants pocket went off. Evidence includes a bullet trajectory going through the upper thigh and damage to his inner pants pocket. Accardo was re-interviewed by police with the evidence and is still saying that he was shot during a drive by. Accardo has been previously arrested and was charged with a felony level terroristic threat back in 2012. His criminal history shows that he pled guilty to that offense and was convicted of a gross misdemeanor. By state law, this guilty plea means Accardo couldn’t have a gun in his possession. Investigators plan to send the case to the Stearns County Attorney Office to have him charged with illegally possessing a firearm.
MIRAMAR, FL, 7/09/14: A 3-year-old girl was taken to the hospital after being shot in Miramar, police said. The shooting happened around 9:15 PM Wednesday at 4396 Southwest 132nd Way. Miramar police said the girl was taken to Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital after being shot once. The girl's mother called 911. The two were the only ones at home, according to the preliminary investigation. A man claiming to be the child's godfather told Local 10 News the shooting was accidental. He said the girl was going to be OK. The mother spoke with detectives Wednesday night at police investigated at the scene. MORE: Miramar police have confirmed that a 3-year-old girl hospitalized after being shot on Wednesday night, accidentally shot herself with the unsecured gun that was in the home. The grandparents of the child identified her as Sini Dupont. Deirdre Ashe told CBS4 News the child had surgery and doctors were able to remove a bullet from her abdomen. She is currently listed in stable condition at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood.
DOLAN SPRINGS, AZ, 7/09/14: A woman is in critical condition after a rifle in the back seat of her station wagon, allegedly stolen by her husband during a home burglary, accidentally fired and hit her in the stomach while she was unloading groceries, according to the Mohave County Sheriff's Office. Mohave deputies responded to a trespassing call from a homeowner at roughly 7 AM on July 9th. The caller said two men broke into his house by breaking a bedroom window and that he was barricaded in his garage with a pellet gun. By the time officers arrived, the suspects were gone and the victim said they had stolen a laptop, $18 and a .22-caliber rifle. The victim was able to identify one suspect as Justin Wayne Thompson and described the other one as having tattoos on his arms, chest and back. A witness said the two suspects left in a red car. A few hours later, at about 10 AM, deputies responded to an accidental shooting with a .22-caliber rifle. The victim was being taken to be airlifted to a Las Vegas hospital while police were en route.. When the police arrived, they saw two men and a woman standing near a red station wagon. The officers were able to identify one of the men as Thompson, and they took him into custody. The woman at the scene said she and her daughter were unloading groceries when a rifle in the backseat fired and hit her daughter, who was also Thompson's wife. The rifle was broken into two pieces, but police were able to identify that it was the one stolen in the burglary earlier that morning. Investigations so far have shown that no one else was in the car when the rifle fired. Deputies found a man matching the other suspect's description in a trailer on the property and took him into custody. The second suspect was identify as Michael Blaine Turner. Turner was on parole after being released from prison for armed robbery. Officers also found the stolen laptop in a trailer. Turner and Thompson are both facing felony charges of burglary and possession of a weapon by prohibited persons. Thompson's wife, the accidental shooting victim, is currently listed in critical condition after being airlifted to Sunrise Medical Center in Las Vegas.
NEW WAVERLY, TX, 7/09/14: A New Waverly man escaped a life-threatening injury after he was accidentally shot by a neighbor while walking through the woods Wednesday afternoon. The 45-year-old man was struck in the arm by a gunshot on his property off FM 1375 East near New Waverly in what the Walker County Sheriff’s Office said was a target shooting accident. According to Detective Tom Bean, a 14-year-old boy was sighting in his rifle at his family’s residence on an adjacent property. One of the bullets either passed through the target or ricocheted and traveled through the woods before striking the victim. The sheriff’s office did not want to release the name of the victim or the boy since a minor was involved in the accident. “The victim is expected to make a full recovery and he has been released from the hospital,” Bean said. “This was a straight accident. The minor did not know that his neighbor was walking in the woods when he was trying to sight in his rifle.”
PULASKI, VA, 7/09/14: A Pulaski Man suffered an accidental gunshot wound to the neck at his home on Pike Place Wednesday, July 9, according to Major Alderman of the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office. James D. Gwynn, age 54, reported the incident to Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office himself and was transported to LewisGale Hospital-Pulaski. From there, he was airlifted to Roanoke Memorial Hospital by a medic chopper. As of yesterday, Gwynn was in stable condition and Alderman said they would be checking on him again later today.
SHARON, WI, 7/09/14: The uncle of the 11-year-old boy who was fatally shot Wednesday in the town of Sharon is calling for more awareness and accountability on the part of gun owners. “I do believe you should be responsible if you are going to have guns and keep them under lock and key, and definitely not let a child have any way … of getting hold of them,” said Donny Orick. Orick's nephew, Eric Gutierrez, was shot in the head in what Orick called “an accident that could have been prevented.” Eric was declared brain dead early Thursday morning at Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center, Janesville. Eric suffered a gunshot wound to the forehead, according to a post on Galarza's Facebook page. She, too, called it an accident, Orick said. The shooting was reported at 12:33 PM Wednesday. Walworth County sheriff's deputies and Sharon police responded to a 911 call of a person shot in the head in a wooded area behind a home at N1602 County K. A 13-year-old was reportedly with Eric and witnessed the incident. According to Orick: Eric went over to the 13-year-old's home to hang out Wednesday. They found a gun in the house and traveled on a four-wheeler out to a wooded area. It was there the boys set up targets and the 13-year-old shot the gun and Eric “ran through the line of fire” and was hit.
DOUGLAS, GA, 7/09/14: A Florida man who shot a Douglas Police Department officer on Wednesday night, July 9, following an armed robbery was taken into custody on Thursday evening, July 10, at a residence in the Bethel community. During the apprehension of the teenage suspect, a deputy with the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office accidentally shot a 10-year old boy in the leg. According to multiple local law enforcement officers, 19-year old Christopher Barnett of Florida was tracked to a residence in the Bethel community located on Burton Road on Thursday, and officers with the GBI and CCSO were the first to arrive at the scene. Barnett was wanted for shooting a Douglas police officer the night before following an armed robbery. The officers drew their service weapons in an attempt to apprehend the suspect, but Sheriff Doyle Wooten said a bulldog then “charged” CCSO Deputy Michael Vickers, who fired a single round at the dog but missed. The stray bullet struck a 10-year old boy who lives at the residence in the leg. The Enterprise has learned the 10-year old boy is Dakota Corbitt. Sheriff Wooten said the bullet “hit the boy’s leg somewhere between the thigh and the knee,” and he was transported to Coffee Regional Medical Center before being taken to a hospital in Savannah. Law officers still managed to detain Barnett and he was arrested.
ANNISTON, AL, 7/09/14: An 11-year-old returned to Chicago Wednesday from a visit to Anniston, but only after receiving treatment for a gunshot wound caused by an accidental shooting, police say. On July 9 the boy, visiting family in Golden Springs for the summer, found a handgun that an older teen relative had hidden in bushes at the home on the 3900 block of Greenbrier Dear Road, according to a press release from Anniston police. “When the relative saw the victim with the firearm, he attempted to snatch it away from the victim, causing the victim to pull it away from the relative and the firearm to fire,” wrote Anniston police Capt. Allen George. Police recovered a .25 caliber handgun at the scene. The bullet struck the boy in the right side, exiting in the left lower chest. He was treated locally before being flown to UAB Hospital for further treatment, the release states, and he is expected to make a full recovery.
YONKERS, NY, 7/10/14: A 70-year-man was shot in his apartment Thursday afternoon and detectives later arrested a man they say accidentally discharged an illegal firearm upstairs. Eston R. Kershaw, 21, 119 Glenwood Ave., Yonkers, was arrested about 11 PM Thursday after being interviewed by detectives, said Detective Lt. Patrick McCormack, police spokesman. "He admitted to accidentally firing a handgun into the floor of a third-floor apartment," McCormack said. "That round subsequently struck the victim." The victim was a man just going about his life in his apartment at 7 Jones Place at 2:57 PM. He was struck in the stomach and taken to a hospital. McCormack said the man was in stable condition and might be released from the hospital Friday afternoon. Kershaw was charged with second-degree assault and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, felonies, and second-degree reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor. He did not have a permit for the gun, police said. He was to be arraigned Friday in Yonkers City Court. The weapon was a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, McCormack said.
HUNTSVILLE, AL, 7/10/14: A Huntsville woman is recovering from injuries sustained after an accidental shooting Thursday evening. It happened on the 2700 block of Atlantic Street just after 7:30 PM. A man told officers he was showing the victim a handgun when it accidentally went off, striking the woman in the leg. The woman was taken to Huntsville Hospital for treatment of a non-life-threatening injury. She was in stable condition during her transport to the hospital.
FRANKLIN, IN, 7/10/14: A man was injured when he accidentally shot himself in the leg in a Franklin parking lot. Franklin police have investigated the shooting that happened Thursday and ruled it accidental, according to a news release from Franklin Police.
WEST COVINA, CA, 7/11/14: A West Covina man accidentally shot his son-in-law while showing him a handgun Friday afternoon, police said. The incident, which was being investigated as an accidental shooting, was reported about 4:40 PM at a home in the 900 block of South Russelee Drive, West Covina police Lt. Dennis Patton said. A 9mm bullet penetrated a 28-year-old man’s wrist after the handgun, which his father-in-law was holding, discharged, the lieutenant said. “He was reportedly showing a weapon to a relative when the weapon inadvertently went off,” Patton said. Paramedics took the injured man to a hospital with an injury not considered to be life-threatening. The men’s account of the shooting was corroborated by other witnesses at the scene, Patton added. Police seized the involved gun, Patton said. Though it appeared the shooting was an accident, “We will do a comprehensive investigation.”
CHICO, CA, 7/11/14: According to Chico police Thomas Cadotte, 31, shot himself in the hand Friday but tried to claim a black man shot him. Police responded to reports of a shooting in the 1200 block of North Cedar Street around 11:00 AM. Upon their arrival they found Cadotte suffering a gun-shot wound to the hand. According to police, Cadotte said he was involved in a verbal altercation with a black man who pulled out a gun and shot him in the hand. Cadotte was then transferred to a local hospital while officers continued their investigation. Police said the evidence found during the investigation contradicted the information they were given by Cadotte. According to police the evidence showed that the shooting actually occurred inside Cadotte's home. Officers said Cadotte accidentally shot himself in the hand and then fabricated the story of being assaulted. The Chico Police Department intends to request charges of felon in possession of a firearm and false reporting of a crime. Both are felony charges. Officers are still looking for the firearm used and they believe Cadotte may have given it to a friend.
WILKESBORO, NC, 7/11/14: A gunshot that injured a man and locked down some stores Friday was likely accidentally discharged, Wilkesboro police said. The incident happened around 7:20 PM near PetSmart on Winkler Road Extension. A man was treated at Wilkes Regional Medical Center for a minor gunshot wound and released. A man and his wife were going into the PetSmart when someone's .22-caliber gun discharged somewhere near the building, police said. The shot hit the building and then hit the man's shoulder, police said. Several nearby stores were locked down just in case the incident was serious. However, police don't believe there is any threat to the public. The investigation continues.
RIDGECREST, LA, 7/11/14: The story of a startled man accidentally shooting a Ferriday boy to death changed Monday to a tale of horseplay gone wrong. Henry Plain Jr., 21 353 Bayou Drive, Ferriday, was booked at the Concordia Parish Sheriff's Office Saturday on charges of manslaughter after he turned himself in for the fatal Friday shooting of Lakitress Williams, 15. At the time, Plain and other witnesses told CPSO investigators Plain was sitting in the house at 406 Vidalia Drive with a 9-mm pistol in his lap when Williams entered at 11:30 p.m. and startled him, leading to the shooting. Williams was pronounced dead on the scene, with the bullet having entered his chest and exited through his lower back. Monday, however, Plain reportedly changed his story, CPSO Investigator Phillip Webber said. Investigators interviewed Plain a second time after his testimony and the testimony of witnesses did not match up with physical evidence, Webber said. "The victim and (Plain) were kidding around, the boy was sucking his thumb and (Plain) was making fun of that, and he pointed the gun and pulled the trigger to scare him," Webber said. Plain was initially sitting during the incident, but had stood and walked over to Williams and pointed the gun at the victim from a downward angle. "He pulled the slide back on the gun so it would make the clicking noise when he pulled the trigger, but he didn't realize the clip was still in the gun and he chambered the bullet," Webber said. "The intent to kill was not there, but it is still considered manslaughter." The gun used in the killing was Plain's, Webber said, and the gathering at the house the night of the killing was of family members. At Plain's initial court appearance Monday, Judge Leo Boothe set the defendant's bail at $250,000. While Plain is charged with manslaughter, a grand jury can upgrade the charge to murder or downgrade it to negligent homicide, Webber said. The investigator said the matter is still under investigation and further charges are pending. In Louisiana, a manslaughter conviction carries a penalty of no more than 40 years in prison.
LOUISVILLE, KY, 7/11/14: Louisville Metro Police say a man who wasn't suppose to have a gun in the first place ended up in a hospital after shooting himself. Police were called to University of Louisville Hospital on July 11 after Patrick Daugherty arrived there with a gunshot wound. Daugherty, a convicted felon, told police he had accidentally shot himself. Daugherty was arrested July 18 for possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.
DURANGO, CO, 7/11/14: A man in Edgemont Ranch is upset it took the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office two hours to check on his welfare after firing a gunshot into his house in the early-morning hours of July 11. Bud Andersen and his 6-year-old daughter, Shelby, were at home asleep when the stray bullet pierced a wall, flew through his closet and hit a refrigerator in the kitchen. Sheriff Duke Schirard said his team got busy dealing with the fallout from the shooting and was unable to make contact with Andersen until later that morning. The shot, fired by a deputy, went through the wall of Andersen’s house and through a closet before ricocheting off the refrigerator and landing on the kitchen floor, Andersen said. The shot was fired about 2 AM, Schirard said. Andersen said deputies came to check on him and his daughter about 4 AM, but he was not notified a bullet had whizzed through his house until about 6:30 AM, when deputies were looking for the bullet. “I can understand his frustration and being upset, but we were trying to accomplish so many things at once that perhaps we overlooked giving him any explanation,” Schirard said. The incident began about 12:50 AM July 11 when Andersen’s neighbor, Andrew Gregory Baros, reportedly became suicidal and barricaded himself inside his home at 281 Silver Queen Road in the Edgemont subdivision, about five miles northeast of Durango on Florida Road (County Road 240). Deputies cautiously approached Baros’ apartment on foot. After 20 minutes, Baros came out of his condo armed with his shotgun. Deputies ordered Baros to drop the weapon, but he refused. He then shouted that his gun was in a “low ready” position and warned deputies not to shoot, according to the police report. In an interview Thursday morning, Schirard said Baros raised his weapon and aimed it toward Deputy Zach Farnam. In an effort to avoid a possible shooting, the deputy fired a shot while the suspect was moving, Schirard said. The shot missed Baros, who, at the time, was standing in front of Andersen’s condo, which is connected to Baros’ condo. “That was the only shot fired, and it went into the building,” Schirard said. After the shot was fired, Baros ran back inside his condo and subsequently surrendered, Schirard said.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI, 7/12/14: A 14-year-old is in custody after he shot his younger brother in a Grand Rapids home, then called police to say the injury was from a drive-by shooting. Police also determined the weapon was a stolen handgun. Grand Rapids police responded about 1:10 AM Saturday, July 12 to a home in the 1000 block of Houseman Ave. NE on a report of a drive-by shooting of a 12-year-old. Police then determined the story was false, fabricated by the 14-year-old. Officers said the two boys were handling a handgun in the basement of the home while their parents were away. The 14-year-old discharged the gun and a bullet fragment struck the 12-year-old's jaw. Police said it was then that the older brother decided to call 911 with the drive-by story. The 12-year-old's injury is not life-threatening, but he was taken to the hospital for treatment. The older brother was taken to the Kent County juvenile detention center on charges of discharging a firearm in an occupied dwelling, false report of a felony and receiving and concealing a stolen firearm. The weapon, police say, had been stolen out of Wyoming in 2010.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, 7/12/14: On Saturday, a man was arrested after shooting himself in the genitals with a gun he planned to sell. Police met 36-year-old Tavares Donnell Colbert at the Southwest Medical Center in Oklahoma City after he went to the emergency room. Colbert claimed that the weapon went off while he was checking to make sure it worked. Colbert reportedly bought the gun on a Kansas street and planned to sell it near a convenience store on Southeast 44th Street and Shields Boulevard. When Colbert pulled over to check the weapon, he accidentally shot himself in the groin. According to NewsOK, police arrested Colbert on one count of possession of a firearm at the hospital after he was declared fit by medical staff. It is illegal for Colbert to possess a gun because of his prior felony convictions.
MINEOLA, TX, 7/12/14: The Mineola Police Department is investigating an accidental shooting that occurred Saturday morning at the Best Western Inn on Debby Lane. According to Police, a gunshot was reported at the motel around 2 AM Saturday. When Police arrived they discovered that 27-year-old Amanda Soape of Mineola, had been shot one time. Soape was transported to East Texas Medical Center in Tyler. After further investigation it was found that Soape and another female had rented the room. Police say two men stopped by the room to visit the women. One of the men had a small caliber handgun. Police say initial reports show that one of the men was showing the gun to the women when it was accidentally discharged causing it to strike Soape. Soape's injury was listed as non-life threatening. No charges have been filed. The investigation is ongoing.
YORK, SC, 7/12/14: A loaded gun was found sitting atop a toilet paper dispenser in a bathroom at the York Walmart as customers shopped Saturday afternoon, police say. Officers were called to Walmart on East Liberty Street at about 3 PM when an assistant manager reported that a customer told him a gun was in the men’s restroom near the back of the store, according to a York Police report. The manager locked the bathroom door and called police. Police went inside the bathroom and walked to the last stall, where they found a gray Smith & Wesson revolver on the toilet paper dispenser, the report states. An officer found five live .38 caliber rounds inside the gun. Officers checked the gun’s serial numbers and realized it was not stolen. Some time later, a man called police about the gun, the report states. He described the gun to officers and explained he left it in the bathroom. Police instructed him to report to the police department on Monday to pick up his firearm. It’s unclear if the gun’s owner had a concealed weapons permit. Walmart stores follow all state and local laws about customers carrying firearms.
ALTON, IL, 7/12/14: An 18-year-old died in the early morning hours of Saturday after accidentally shooting himself with a handgun, according to Madison County Coroner Stephen Nonn. Austin J. Wilcox, of Alton, was found dead seated in a living room chair at his apartment at 746 Washington Ave. at 1:34 AM July 12. Witnesses watching television in the apartment said Wilcox had been "playing" with a recently obtained semi-automatic handgun when they heard a gunshot. The witnesses turned to see Wilcox had shot himself in the head with the handgun.
YORKVILLE, IL, 7/12/14: No one was injured Saturday when a southwest suburban man accidentally fired a handgun through the floor of his apartment and into the unit below. Timothy Cavanagh, 30, of the 100 block of Marketplace Drive in Yorkville, called police around 3:20 PM Saturday to report that he’d been cleaning his handgun when it accidentally fired. Police said the bullet went through the floor and was found in the apartment below. No one was in the lower apartment when the shot was fired, police said. Cavanagh was charged with disorderly conduct. Police said damage is estimated at $5,000.
ALLENTOWN, PA, 7/13/14: A 53-year-old man accidentally fired a gun during a family dispute Sunday on Cumberland Street, the bullet striking him and his girlfriend, Allentown police said. Rolando Reyes, of Allentown, allegedly pulled a gun during the dispute that involved him, his girlfriend, his girlfriend's daughter and his girlfriend's daughter's boyfriend at 4 PM in the 600 block of Cumberland Street, according to police Capt. Bill Reinik. Reyes was allegedly upset with the daughter's boyfriend and pulled a gun on him, Reinik said. His girlfriend's daughter intervened and Reyes struck her in the head with a gun, he said. Reyes' girlfriend then got involved and all three began to wrestle around, Reinik said. Reyes accidentally fired the gun with the bullet hitting Reyes in the hand, then going through and striking his girlfriend in the arm, Reinik said. The daughter's boyfriend took both his girlfriend and his girlfriend's mother to the hospital, he said.
PORTERVILLE, CA, 7/13/14: Rodrigo Gallo, 32 of Porterville, was taken to community Regional Medical Center in Fresno early Sunday after he accidentally shot himself in the head, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department reported. It was determined that the victim was traveling in a vehicle with friends and playing/ mishandling a handgun. While the victim was handling the firearm, the firearm discharged striking the victim in the head. The driver of the vehicle drove directly to the hospital to obtain treatment for the victim. The case is currently under investigation by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes Unit and no other information is being released at this time. The shooting occurred just after midnight Saturday in the area of Westwood Street and W. North Grand Avenue.
HARRIS CO., TX, 7/13/14: A home invasion suspect accidentally shot another suspects during a scuffle with a Harris County homeowner, deputy constables said Monday. Pct. 4 Captain Stewart said it happened at a home in the 2400 block of Green Knoll. Three men broke into the home, and the homeowner grabbed his shotgun to defend himself. Authorities said the homeowner got into a scuffle with one of the suspects, and the suspect’s gun went off. The bullet struck one of the two other suspects who broke in. He was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, but the other two got away, deputies said. The homeowner was not hurt.
OXFORD, GA, 7/13/14: A man who allegedly had been waving around a gun throughout the day Sunday was arrested that evening after he apparently shot a female friend in the leg. Deputies were called to a home on Edge Drive in Oxford around 7:45 PM Sunday where witnesses said a man later identified as Timothy Tyler, 47, had been standing outside his ex-wife’s home, shooting off rounds from a revolver and yelling obscenities at neighbors. Before deputies could arrive, Tyler had left in a black car driven by an unknown female. Tyler’s ex-wife also told deputies that Tyler had allegedly shown her daughter’s boyfriend a gun he had while they were at Stonecrest Mall in Lithonia earlier in the day, said Newton County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Cortney Morrison. Deputies then drove to Tyler’s home to arrest him, but just before arriving at the Duncan Road residence in Oxford, they saw a black vehicle similar to the one witnesses said Tyler was riding in, pull out of the driveway. Deputies pulled over the vehicle and one of the deputies spoke with the female driver. “The deputy observed the driver siting on a burgundy towel with right leg and hand on top, and her hand and leg were shaking,” Morrison said. “The deputy advised the driver to get out and when he opened door, the female lifted the towel to reveal a gunshot wound to her right thigh.” The victim told deputies she and Tyler began arguing in the car while they were still parked in the driveway. “She stated she began assaulting him in the face because he wouldn’t get out of the vehicle, and when he eventually did, he came around to her side of the car and that’s when he accidentally shot her in the leg,” Morrison said. Tyler was arrested and charged with simple assault, criminal trespass, two counts of reckless conduct, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and discharge of a firearm while under the influence.
FEDERAL WAY, WA, 7/13/14: Man accidentally fires gun: At 5:48 PM July 13 in the 900 block of SW Campus Drive, a man accidentally fired his gun while unloading it in his apartment. No one was injured.
SEATTLE, WA, 7/14/14: 5:56 PM: The big emergency response – police and fire – is for a shooting at 16th and Henderson. 16th is being closed to traffic for now, between Barton and Henderson, because police are looking for shell casings in the street. One person is reported to have been shot in the foot, per scanner discussion, in which the suspect was described as a medium-complexion black man in his 20s, 150 pounds, 5-8, not a stranger to the victim, (added: dressed in black plus a white shirt/T-shirt), last seen walking northbound. 6:04 PM UPDATE: The victim is described as a 25-year-old man, shot in the right foot. 6:30 PM UPDATE: Per scanner – again, with the caveat that it’s still early in the investigation – the victim is reported to have confirmed what police say a witness told them, that this was self-inflicted/accidental.
HOUSTON, TX, 7/14/14: Constable deputies are searching for two robbery suspects accused of breaking into a home and accidentally shooting a third suspect during a confrontation with the homeowner. Authorities say the three suspects broke into a home on Green Knoll Street near TC Jester around 6:30 AM Monday. According to investigators, the homeowner confronted the suspects with a shotgun and in the confusion, the suspects shot their accomplice and fled. The wounded suspect was taken into custody and is expected to survive. The two other suspects, described as in their teens or early 20s, remain at large.
KANSAS CITY, MO, 7/14/14: Jackson County prosecutors on Tuesday charged a 22-year-old Kansas City man with assault in connection with the accidental shooting of a 4-year-old boy on Monday in the 6000 block of Blue Hills Road. According to court records: Before the shooting, a woman allegedly took the gun away from her boyfriend because she feared he was going to “do something stupid.” She allegedly handed the gun to Delaney R. Singleton, who was visiting the apartment. Later, as he handled the gun, it fired. A bullet crashed through a bathroom door into a bedroom and struck a 4-year-old boy in the lower back near his spine. The boy began yelling and crying. Asked what happen, Singleton allegedly told witnesses, “I don’t know. It fell on the floor and went off.” Later, when talking to detectives, Singleton said that he had been trying to “clear the gun” when it went off. Prosecutors charged Singleton with second-degree assault.
FREMONT TOWNSHIP, MI, 7/14/14: A 51-year-old woman accidentally shot herself in the face after she slammed the butt end of a shotgun on the floor, causing it to discharge, the Tuscola County Sheriff's Department reports. Deputies were called about 10 AM Monday, July 14, to a house on Waterman in Fremont Township for a report of a gunshot victim. Upon arrival, deputies found that a family dispute had taken place and the victim, a 51-year-old woman, told officers that she had taken a shotgun out to "make a point." She told police she slammed the butt end on the floor, the gun discharged, and she was shot in the face. FlightCare transported the victim to St. Mary's of Michigan in Saginaw, and she is expected to recover, police said. The complaint remains under investigation. The Mayville Police Department, the Mayville Fire Department and a Mobile Medical Response ambulance crew and Mayville ambulance crew assisted the sheriff's department.
LAFAYETTE, GA, 7/14/14: A Catoosa County man was shot in LaFayette early this morning, but how it happened remains a mystery. At 12:45 AM Christopher Blake Bice, 28, of a Catoosa County address, called 911 reporting that he had been shot in the knee. According to Walker County sheriff Steve Wilson: Deputies responded to Cooper Road and Ga. 95, finding Bice near his vehicle, which had been traveling westbound and parked in the eastbound lane. Bice initially told authorities that he was at a convenient store, less than a mile away, and had called a friend for help. He stated that when the friend arrived, and exited a vehicle, he had a gun that discharged striking Bice in the leg. Deputies sought the name of the friend and Bice became evasive, changing his story and stating that he accidentally shot himself. Authorities searched the parking lot at the convenient store, but did not find the weapon, shell casing or any blood to indicate the incident occurred either way that Bice described. A few hours after receiving treatment, Bice checked himself out of a local hospital. Bice is currently on parole, released Jan. 24, 2014 on a 17-month sentence at Wheeler Correctional Facility for violations of the Controlled Substances Act in 2010. He also has a 2005 arrest for possession of marijuana. There are currently no charges in this shooting, but officials are seeking Bice for further questioning.
MOBILE, AL, 7/14/14: Another young mother is dead. It’s is the third time this month that a young woman has been killed, allegedly by her boyfriend. But this case as you said is different. Investigators don’t believe it was an intentional shooting, and neither do some friends of both the victim and the suspect. There a white tarp, and a piece of police tape in the yard on Cloverleaf Circle Tuesday where police were called to a shooting Monday night. Neighbor Evelyn Williams was in bed when she heard a loud noise. “I heard something shooting. That’s all I heard. I thought it was a firecracker. I went on back to sleep I said somebody shooting firecrackers this late,” Williams said. Police found 19-year-old Selena Edwards with a single gunshot wound. A few hours later they arrested Edwards boyfriend, 24 year old Raphiel Quinnie. He’s charged with manslaughter. “The victim was shot while the victim and the defendant were playing with and loading and unloading the weapon,” District Attorney Ashley Rich said. Rich said investigators found no evidence of an intentional shooting. “I knew her she was a good girl , they never had not conflicts or arguments on nothing,” a neighbor said. A neighbor who said his name is Charles told Fox Ten News he knows both the victim and the suspect. ”He took the clip out was going to show her, and handed it to her and it went off. Things happen, things happen, and I know he wouldn’t hurt her for nothing in the world,” he said. Neighbors tell Fox Ten News the couple had an infant daughter. Quinnie is also charged with receiving stolen property. So far, we have been unable to determine if that charge involves the weapon in this case.
GLASGOW, KY, 7/14/14: Glasgow Police are releasing little information about an officer accidentally firing a gun. Police say they are investigating an incident where an unnamed officer discharged a weapon on July 14. While they haven't given any details about the accident, police say no one was hurt when the gun went off. Police plan to release more information when the investigation is complete. In a similar situation earlier this year, Glasgow Police Officer Darrell Smith shot himself in the hand while looking at a gun at Barren Outdoors. No one else was hurt in that accident.
CINCINNATI, OH, 7/15/14: A 17-year-old girl is expected to recover after she was accidentally shot in the arm on a West Price Hill street Tuesday night, Cincinnati police said. The teen was outside with friends in the 1300 block of Manss Avenue when a juvenile fired on the group about 8:30 PM, said Lt. John Rees, the night chief. The teen was an innocent bystander and was not the intended target, he said. She was struck nonetheless, and was taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The teen gunman fled the area and remains at large. Two teens who were with the girl fled the scene as officers arrived to investigate, but they were tracked down, questioned and released, Rees added.
SPRINGFIELD, MA, 7/15/14: Authorities responded to a Tuesday morning report of an "accidental gunshot victim," but Springfield police officials declined to provide further details. Police received a report of a "self-inflicted, accidental gunshot victim," who apparently was transported from Mercy Medical Center to Baystate Medical Center for treatment shortly before 2 AM. A patrol unit, a detective and a ranking officer went to the hospital to investigate. Officials reached by MassLive / The Republican were unable to provide information. A detective said he couldn't comment about the call, while a shift commander said he didn't respond and had no documentation related to the matter.
TUSCALOOSA, AL, 7/15/14: Tuscaloosa investigators say a 16-year-old's gunshot wound appears to be from an accidental shooting involving his older brother. A 21-year-old man brought his 16-year-old brother to the ER at DCH around 1 PM on Tuesday. Homicide investigators responded to the hospital and interviewed the older brother about the incident. The brother told investigators they were at home on Hillcrest School Road when he asked his younger brother to go get his pistol from the car, Sgt. Dale Phillips said. The older brother said he heard a single shot and then saw his younger brother on the sidewalk. But after interviewing family members and examining the scene, investigators determined that the 21-year-old actually fired the shot the hit the 16-year-old victim. "This incident, at this time, appears to have been an accident. No determination has been made, as to what, if any, charges will be filed," Sgt. Phillips said. The victim was treated at DCH for his gunshot wound and transported to a Birmingham hospital for further treatment. Sgt. Phillips says the case is still under investigation.
GRAFTON, ND, 7/15/14: A Grafton woman is recovering, after shooting herself in the leg with a pistol, while scaring away a burglar from her home. Kenny Moberg says his wife, Kristina Moberg is in good condition at Altru Hospital with a gunshot wound to her leg. Police are still looking for the suspect in the case, who ran away, uninjured on foot. It happened at 441 Western Avenue in Grafton at 11 o’clock Tuesday morning. Police say a man was trying to pry open this screen door at Kristina Moberg’s home. Her husband was at work. Reporter: “The guy was trying to break into her house and she takes a shot at him?” Anthony Dumas, Grafton Police: “Correct, and was startled when the round went off and accidentally discharged a second round, which pierced her lower leg.” Police say they have not recovered the bullet from the woman’s first shot at the suspect, which flew back in those woods. However, police say they have recovered the second bullet, when the woman accidentally shot herself in the leg. Kenny Moberg, Victim’s Husband: “All of a sudden she sees him outside.” Reporter: “She took a shot?” Moberg: “Yep. Not ver good aim, but ha, she’s in good condition, so.” Reporter: “She admitted that she accidentally shot herself?” Moberg: “They think it ricochet.” Some, folks who live around here, now have a different opinion about their neighborhood. Jodi Johnson, Neighbor: “Yeah, I wasn’t expecting that. It definitely makes me think we’re going to start locking our doors, because we usually don’t.”
HEWITT, TX, 7/15/14: The firearms instructor for the Hewitt Police Department is recovering from surgery after accidentally shooting himself in the left hand while teaching family members to shoot. Sgt. Heath Vanek will miss at least two months of work while rehabilitating from surgery to repair a wound from his personal 9mm pistol, Hewitt Police Chief Jim Devlin said. The incident occurred July 15 on Vanek’s family property near the McLennan and Falls county lines and did not involve any Hewitt-issued guns or equipment. Devlin said Vanek, 35, declined comment Friday about his accidental injury. Devlin said there will be an internal police investigation into the incident that will comply with Civil Service procedures. Because of that process, he has limited information about the incident because the chief said he must allow the system to work before he gets involved. But, in speaking briefly with Vanek, an 11-year Hewitt department veteran, Devlin said Vanek was teaching his family to shoot a pistol and was teaching them how to clear a semi-automatic pistol’s chamber in case the gun jams. He was shot in the hand during the demonstration, Devlin said. “He said, ‘I made a classic mistake,’ ” Devlin said. “We are human, too. We are not infallible. We make mistakes, and when we mess up, we mess up and do our best to correct it and get back to giving the public the best service we can.” Vanek has been the Hewitt Police Department’s firearms instructor for at least the past five years, the chief said.
MADISONVILLE, TX, 7/16/14: A Central Texas trooper has undergone surgery after being shot in the stomach when his personal firearm accidentally fell from his truck and discharged. Department of Public Safety Trooper Felipe Garcia was transported to St. Joseph Regional Health Center in Bryan and was in stable condition Thursday. DPS officials say the shooting happened Wednesday afternoon in Madisonville when Garcia was off-duty and finished a workout at a gym. Trooper Jimmy Morgan says Garcia opened the door of his truck and his personal .22 caliber pistol fell out, hit the pavement and discharged. Nobody else was hurt. Garcia has been a Texas trooper based in Madisonville, about 90 miles northwest of Houston, for six years.
LOVELAND, OH, 7/16/14: An 11-year-old girl was taken to the hospital after she was shot in the arm while cleaning a gun with a family member in Loveland, police said. Police responded to a report of a shooting at 8:30 PM in the 1500 block of West Main Street but found what appears to be an accident, a Loveland police dispatcher said. The girl's injuries are non-life threatening, the dispatcher said. About seven guns were removed from the home "for safekeeping" while police continue to investigate, the dispatcher said. Officials could not yet say whether the girl or her family member was cleaning the gun when the incident happened.
SELIGMAN, AZ, 7/16/14: A Seligman man made it to Kingman Regional Medical Center after accidentally shooting himself in the lower leg Wednesday night. From there, Gary Nielsen, 59, was airlifted to University Medical Center in Las Vegas. Nielsen told Mohave County Sheriff's deputies who responded to the hospital at about 9 PM that he accidentally shot himself. Deputies did not explain what Nielsen was doing when the accidental discharge occurred. Nielsen is listed in fair condition at UMC.
BALTIMORE, MD, 7/16/14: A 30-year-old man has been arrested in the fatal shooting of a victim who was wearing a bulletproof vest and bragging he was about to take a "deuce deuce in the chest" in video recorded by a third person at the scene, according to court documents. Police said Mark-Anthony Sandang Ramiro was arrested and charged in the shooting death of Darnell Mitchell, 28, during an incident in Ramiro's basement at 2208 Cedley Street in south Baltimore on Wednesday. Police said the incident was filmed as Mitchell, who had been wearing a ballistics vest, was shot one time by Ramiro. The victim suffered a gunshot wound above the vest. According to court documents, police were called when Mitchell walked into the Shock Trauma with Ramiro around 4 AM Wednesday. Despite medical efforts, police said Mitchell was pronounced dead at 4:07 PM. After getting a search warrant and processing the scene, police said they discovered a Cannon E07 digital camera with video on it of the shooting. In that video, Mitchell was bragging that he was about to take a “deuce deuce in the chest” -- a shot from a .22-caliber bullet -- before Ramiro, who is seen standing in front of Mitchell, discharged the handgun one time, striking Mitchell just above the vest, according to charging documents. The documents said Mitchell collapsed onto the floor and Ramiro dropped the gun. Ramiro and the person taking the video helped the victim, and then the video ended, according to court documents. Investigators said they determined Ramiro was the suspect responsible for the fatal shooting by his clothing and unique tattoos on his left hand. Police said Ramiro has been charged with first- and second-degree murder and handgun violations and is being held at the Baltimore City Central Booking and Intake Facility. Detectives said they're still trying to identify the third man in the video.
MIDWEST CITY, OK, 7/16/14: Emergency crews responded to a shooting Wednesday afternoon in Midwest City after police say a man accidentally shot his friend. According to Midwest City police, two men were heading to the gun range, and one of the men was demonstrating how to take the gun apart. Police say the man didn't known there was a round in the chamber, and he accidentally shot his friend in the leg. The men's identities have not been released, and officials say the injury is not life-threatening.
STATEN ISLAND, NY, 7/16/14: A 15-year-old boy was caught with four guns inside his Willowbrook home after, police say, he fired a bullet through a wall he shares with a neighbor. The episode unfolded inside an attached, two-family home on Bellhaven Place, just before 1:30 AM Wednesday, according to police. The residents of one half of the two-family house returned home to find a spent round on a bed, and a bullet hole in a shared wall, an NYPD spokeswoman said. That led police to conduct a "wellness check" at the other half of the house, where officers found the teen with four guns and a 9mm casing, the NYPD spokeswoman said. How the teen got the guns remains under investigation, the NYPD spokeswoman said. A law enforcement source said the teen's father is a retired NYPD detective. The teen, whose name has not been made public because of his age, was arrested and charged with reckless endangerment and weapon possession, the NYPD spokeswoman said. The status of his case remains unclear, as it has not yet been referred to Family Court, according to a spokesman for the city Law Department.
ONAMIA, MN, 7/16/14: Joseph Eric Beaulieu of Gabeshi Lane in Onamia was charged with two felonies when on July 16 he discharged a gun inside a residence and then fled on foot. Mille Lacs Tribal Police Officer Adam Cook responded to the disturbance and observed a firearm laying on the kitchen table, with one spent 12-guage shell in the right chamber of the double-barrel shotgun. Due to prior domestic assault convictions, Beaulieu is ineligible to possess firearms under the Federal Firearms Act. At the time of the discharge of the weapon, several individuals were inside the residence, according to the statement of probable cause. The first count against Beaulieu, possessing a pistol or assault weapon, carries a 15-year prison sentence and a $30,000 fine. The second count, intentional discharge of a firearm that endangers safety, has a two-year sentence and a $5,000 fine.
PRINCE GEORGE, VA, 7/17/14: A man accidentally who shot himself Thursday evening was transported by Med-Flight to VCU Medical Center in Richmond. Lt. Paul Burroughs of the Prince George Police Department said that Timothy Craig, 44, was at home in his bed on the 5800 block of Hardwood Lane. Burroughs stated that Craig had a .45-caliber pistol under his pillow. The gun accidentally went off and struck Craig in the shoulder. Burroughs said Craig's status is unknown.
ROME, GA, 7/17/14: A Floyd County mother is furious after a deputy's gun accidentally went off as she was standing in the doorway of her home with her three small children nearby. The sheriff's department has opened an internal investigation into the incident. In a written statement, the department stressed that nobody was injured in the incident. Tiffany McClure said that a deputy arrived at her home to serve a warrant for a former roommate, a friend who moved out three months ago. The two stood in the doorway, McClure's 4-year-old son Qordarius was beside her. Her other two children were watching from the window. "I heard a loud boom," McClure said. "I thought one of my kids threw something, and then the officer said, 'Oh no!' He was grabbing his leg and had a big old hole in his pants." McClure said another officer quickly came around from the back while the first removed his gun belt. "He took off the thing off and the other partner looked at the equipment and that's when he took the clip out and said the cartridge wasn't in right," McClure said. According to a sheriff's office statement, a supervisor was already on scene, another came later and everyone was checked for injuries. McClure snapped a few cell phone pictures of what she believes to be gunpowder burns on her son's leg and foot. She said she's both relieved and frightened because, she says, with her three little ones nearby, it could have been much worse. "I don't even play with guns," she said. "We don't hold guns. We don't possess guns. That is so scary." McClure said they found the bullet lodged in officer's wallet. Floyd County has an internal investigation underway. The Rome County Police Department is also investigating. MORE: At about 1:15 PM, deputies from the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office were attempting to serve a warrant at an address on Fortune Street in Rome, GA.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ, 7/17/14: Two brothers have been arrested and accused of trying to rob a man of a $13,000 jackpot he recently won in Las Vegas, according to Scottsdale police. Police say Christopher Robert Bendotti, 30, and Joseph Charles Bendotti, 27, lured a man that at least one of them has known since junior high for a night out Thursday in Scottsdale with the intent of robbing him of his winnings. The trio was inside a room that the younger Bendotti rented at Days Hotel, 5101 N. Scottsdale Road, when the attack occurred at about 9 PM. According to police records, Joseph Bendotti put the alleged victim in a "headlock" that restricted his breathing. The pair fell to the ground and, while still confined by Joseph, the alleged victim said Christopher Bendotti pistol whipped him, records show. As that occurred, the gun went off and Christopher yelled that he had shot himself in the hand and ran out of the room, records show.
LOS ANGELES, CA, 7/18/14: A man killed his accomplice in an apparent accidental shooting during a botched robbery in El Sereno this morning, police said. The shooter was arrested and his accomplice was dead at the scene when cops arrived to a market at Alhambra and Hollister avenues shortly after 11:15, Los Angeles police Officer Nuria Venegas told us. The alleged robbers scuffled with an owner or employee at the market, and one who had a rifle fell, possibly causing the weapon to go off, she indicated: "During an altercation with the store owner the suspect with the rifle fell to the ground and shot suspect number two," Venegas said. The dead man had been armed with a machete, she alleged. The suspected shooter was arrested at the scene, but it wasn't immediately clear what police would book him for, Venegas said. In some previous cases where conspirators die in botched robberies, their accomplices have been accused of murder.
CARTHAGE, TX, 7/18/14: An Orange, Texas, man was taken to the Carthage hospital Friday afternoon after accidentally shooting himself while at the Gateway Travel Plaza, 1086 Highway 59 South. Around 4:18 PM, July 18, Chief Jim Vanover said the man, Jason Paul Bryant, 37, a concealed handgun licensee, entered the convenience store, pulled his shorts up, and accidentally shot himself in the leg. “He walked maybe six feet in the door when he pulled his shorts up, something caught the trigger and the gun discharged into his leg,” Vanover said. “People immediately rushed over to help.” By the time Officer Shelbye Alemeida arrived at the scene a women in the store had secured a tourniquet made of a belt around the shot leg and was applying pressure to the wound. Chief Vanover said the accident could have most likely been prevented if proper gun safety had been observed. “If you’re going to carry a gun it needs to be in a safe holster,” Vanover said. “It’s dangerous to stick a gun in your pants. No one was hurt besides him.”
CHARLOTTE, NC, 7/18/14: A man is recovering after he accidentally shot himself in the foot but told police someone else shot him. According to police in Charlotte, officers were called out to the 3100 block of Baroda Lane around 11:28 AM Friday morning. He was taken to the hospital to be treated for his injury. Officers say he initially said he'd been shot near an intersection but later changed his story and admitted that he accidentally shot himself. At this time no charges have been filed in this case.
TAMPA, FL, 7/18/14: A deputy's gun fired accidentally in a restroom at Tampa Bay Downs Friday, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said. The deputy was working an off-duty job at Tampa Bay Downs Friday around 3:30 PM. Authorities said he went into the restroom and his gun went off after he removed his gun belt to set it down. No one else was in the restroom at the time, and no one was injured, officials said. The agency's shooting review team was reviewing the incident, the Sheriff's Office said.
SHREVEPORT, LA, 7/19/14: Two local teens face criminal charges following an accidental shooting at a west Shreveport residence Saturday afternoon. A 14-year-old was booked into the Caddo Juvenile Detention Center Saturday night, and a 15-year old will be booked into CJDC after his release from University Health where he is being treated for a non-life threatening gunshot wound. Just before 5 PM Saturday (July 19, 2014), Shreveport Police patrol officers were called to home located in the 3600 block of Valley Ridge Road relative to a shooting there. Upon the arrival of officers, a 15 year old male was discovered suffering a single gunshot wound to the right hand. The victim was transported by the Shreveport Fire Department to University Health Medical Center. Shreveport Police Violent Crimes detectives were notified of the shooting and responded to the scene of the crime and intiated an investigation into the matter. Investigators gathered information and evidence revealing the victim, along with a 14-year-old-acquaintance, were inside the home handling a semi-automatic handgun when the weapon discharged striking the older teen in the hand. Additional information was obtained indicating the 15-year-old was carrying the weapon on his person prior to the shooting and decided to show the weapon to the 14-year-old and other juveniles gathered at the home when the shooting occurred. No other injuries were reported. The weapon used in the shooting was seized by officers at the scene and submitted as evidence. Both involved juveniles were arrested and charged for their alleged roles in the shooting. The 14-year old was charged with a single count of Illegal Use of a Weapon and booked into the Caddo Juvenile Detention Center, while the 15-year-old was charged with Illegal Carrying of a Weapon.
BATON ROUGE, LA, 7/19/14: Baton Rouge Police say they've identified a shooting death victim on Scotland Avenue, and another man has been arrested. The shooting took place early Saturday morning in the 8300 block of Scotland Avenue just before 3:00 AM. When they arrived on the scene they found a man lying in the median of the roadway suffering from a single gunshot wound. The shooting victim is 27-year-old Carl Joseph James of Marigouin, La. According to BRPD Cpl. L’Jean McKneeley, James was accidentally shot by 21-year-old Tyrell King. McKneeley says that King was trying to unload a hand gun when a shot fired and struck James in the back. EMS was called and James was taken to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries. King was arrested and booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on charges of negligent homicide and illegal use of a weapon.
NORTHPORT, AL, 7/19/14: Northport Police say a man apparently shot himself in the leg with his father's gun on Saturday night. Officers responded to a shooting call at the McDonald's on Highway 43 Around 10 PM Saturday. When police arrived on the scene they found a 23-year-old male suffering from a gunshot wound to his right leg. The victim told investigators he accidently shot himself with his father's pistol while showing it to a friend. The victim found the pistol inside his father's truck. He was transported to DCH Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
GREENWOOD, IN, 7/19/14: A Greenwood man accidentally shot his mother in the leg while they were checking guns in the basement of her home. The man, 23, told police he and his mother were taking inventory of the guns to decide which ones to sell. The incident happened about 3 PM Saturday in the woman’s home on Lake Drive. The son was unloading a Glock handgun when it fired, striking his mother in the shin.
CHICAGO, IL, 7/19/14: An 11-year-old girl killed by a stray bullet is among the two dead and nearly two dozen other people wounded by yet another brutal night of gun violence in Chicago. Shamiya Adams was making s’mores inside a South Side home for a sleepover Friday night when a bullet went into the house and struck her in the head. A 30-year-old man was also shot dead, police said. An additional 20 people were injured across the city. As usual, the bulk of the violence occurred on the South and West Sides – a refrain that is now playing out on a nightly basis. ‘They were just running around through the house, dancing. That’s all they do is dance all the time. And dancing, dancing, dancing,’ homeowner Rosemarie Jones told WLS. Until a bullet came through the wall and struck Adams in the head, according to police, she was rushed to a nearby hospital and died Saturday morning. ‘The familiarity of laughter has been replaced by the familiarity of gunfire,’ Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a Saturday morning press briefing. The innocent girl was making s’mores with her friends when the bullet struck her, according to the Chicago Tribune. Her young friends saw the bullet strike her head.
WOODBURN, OR, 7/20/14: One person was flown to a Portland area hospital after an “accidental” shooting in a Safeway parking lot on Sunday. Police said preliminary information indicated that someone in an SUV in the grocery store’s parking lot was showing the others in the vehicle a handgun when it went off, shooting a man in the back seat. LifeFlight transported the man to a Portland trauma hospital. Authorities said the other people in the SUV were cooperating, and the suspected shooter was very remorseful about what happened. Police said if a person is going to show off a gun, it should be done responsibly. “You should do it in a safe environment, not a moving vehicle. That’s the first thing I would say out of this case,” said Woodburn Police Department Sgt. Jason Millican. At this point, the man who fired the gun has not been charged with a crime.
URBANDALE, IA, 7/20/14: Polk County sheriff's officials are determining what actions will be taken regarding the unintentional firing of a gun by a reserve deputy after a weekend chase, a department spokeswoman said. Troy Cline, the reserve deputy, accidentally fired one round into the passenger-side door of a vehicle involved in a car chase that began in Grimes and ended in Urbandale about 6 PM Sunday, said Lt. Jana Abens, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's department. The shot damaged the vehicle but did not injure anyone, Abens said. She said this was the first time she could remember that a reserve deputy had unintentionally fired a gun while on a call. Sheriff's officials are investigating the firearm discharge. "It's undetermined right now" what the agency will do regarding the reserve deputy's actions, Abens said. Typically, a sheriff's deputy is placed on leave until after an investigation is completed, Abens said. She was unsure whether that would occur in Cline's case, "but that's just how things have been done before," she said.
RICHMOND, CA, 7/20/14: A Richmond family was luckily uninjured when a neighbor who was “playing around” with his loaded shotgun unintentionally fired a round into their apartment early Sunday, police said. The incident was reported about 2:50 AM in the 100 block of 19th St., police spokesperson Sgt. Nicole Abetkov said. A family with children were asleep and initially thought they heard an explosion before a hole was found in their wall, Abetkov said. Responding police learned that the family’s neighbor, a 19-year-old man, had been “inside his apartment playing around with his loaded shotgun” when he accidentally fired a round through a wall shared by the neighboring apartment. “Luckily no one was injured,” Abetkov said. The suspect was booked on a charge of negligent discharge of a firearm, and received an additional charge because the shotgun’s serial number was partly obliterated. The shotgun was seized by police as evidence, Abetkov said.
MEMPHIS, TN, 7/21/14: Memphis police have ruled the North Memphis shooting of two teens accidental, according to police spokeswoman Alyssa Macon-Moore. Officers responded to a shooting call around 2 AM Monday in the 1200 block of Empire, near Chelsea Avenue and Bellevue Boulevard, and found a 13-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl with gunshot wounds. A preliminary investigation report said the boy shot the girl and himself after finding a gun in the house. They were both transported to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, the girl in critical condition and the boy in noncritical condition. No charges have been filed.
BLOOMFIELD, NJ, 7/21/14: A Bloomfield officer is recovering after he shot himself in the hand during an encounter with a pit bull this afternoon, authorities said. Anthony Ambrose, the chief detective for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, said the unidentified officer was visiting a home on Harrison Street on duty when he felt threatened by the dog and reached for his weapon. The officer fired a single shot, striking both the dog and his own hand. Bloomfield police and medical personnel were called to the scene, and he was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated. The dog’s condition was unclear as of Monday evening. Ambrose declined to name the officer because an investigation into the incident was still active, but said he was a 13-year veteran of the Clifton force. He also declined to say what the nature of the officer’s business was in Bloomfield, saying only that it involved an official investigation. A spokesman for the Clifton police declined comment, citing the ongoing probe.
JACKSON, MS, 7/21/14: A Jackson woman said she was cutting the grass in her front yard when she was struck by a bullet. Debra Lewis said she was accidentally shot Monday by a neighbor down the street. She said she heard two men arguing about a woman before the shooting. "If my hand wasn't there, I would probably be hurt today or dead, I don't know. But thank the Lord I'm not dead," Lewis said. The bullet hit her finger before hitting her stomach, Lewis said. Jackson police officials said the case remains under investigation.
PIERRE, SD, 7/22/14: A woman is being treated for gunshot wounds following a shooting that occured early this morning north of Pierre. Hughes County Sheriff Mike Leidholt says the Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about 4:50 AM this morning on Linnell Street in the Spring Creek area where it was reported a person had sustained a gunshot wound. Leidholt says on arrival, responders found that a 47-year-old woman had sustained wounds from a gun. The incident occured at the home of the woman’s friend-a 48-year-old male. Leidholt says an initial investigation appears to show that the shooting was accidental in nature. The woman was transported to Avera St. Mary’s Hospital by American Medical Response ambulance and she is being treated for wounds to her hand and shoulder. Names of those involved in this morning’s incident are not being released at this time. Leidholt says besides the Hughes County Sheriff’s Office and AMR, other agencies that helped at the scene were the Pierre Police Department, Sully County Sheriff’s Office, and South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation.
HUNGRY HORSE, MT, 7/22/14: A Hungry Horse man showed up at a clinic in Whitefish with a gunshot wound to his hand that was the result of an accidental discharge of a firearm.
MORGANTON, NC, 7/22/14: Officers said a man who shot himself in the leg first told them he was the victim of a drive-by shooting. Around 9:30 AM Tuesday morning, the Burke County Sheriff's Office responded to a shooting. William Harry Plemmons said he was walking on Summers Road when he was shot by an occupant of a silver Honda. Plemmons was unable to give officers a description of the suspect or suspects. He was taken to the hospital with a gun wound to his left leg. By noon, investigators said the incident the man described never occurred. "The investigation has revealed the apparent small caliber shot was self-inflicted," Sheriff Steve Whisenant said in an email. An investigation will determine whether Plemmons faces charges, the Whisenant said.
YORK, PA, 7/22/14: A York City man seen limping toward his home after suffering a gunshot wound to the thigh might have accidentally shot himself, according to police. Trae Hernandez Gonzalez, 22, of the 200 block of Jefferson Avenue, was shot in the upper right thigh about 8:14 PM Tuesday in the 400 block of Juniper Street, according to York City Police Capt. Tim Utley. Gonzalez's condition could not be obtained Wednesday from York Hospital, but Utley said the wound is not life-threatening. City officers were dispatched to Juniper Street for a report of gunfire, but found no victim, Utley said. They did recover a discarded handgun they found there, he said. Witnesses told officers they saw the shooting victim limping toward Jefferson Avenue, the captain said. Gonzalez was later driven to York Hospital in a private vehicle, Utley said. Officers learned Gonzalez was shot near his crotch and that the bullet went straight down and lodged in his knee, according to Utley. "We're investigating this as a probable self-inflicted gunshot wound," he said. Gonzalez accidentally shot himself, he wouldn't be the first York City resident in recent years to do so, according to Utley."It seems to be the popular way for people to carry a gun, tucked into their pants unholstered," he said. "They end up shooting themselves. We've had several of those in recent years." State law forbids Gonzalez to possess firearms because he is a convicted felon. He became a felon in 2011 when he pleaded guilty in York County Court to carrying a firearm without a license, and carrying a firearm with an altered or obliterated serial number, according to court records.
SAN ANTONIO, TX, 7/23/14: A 12-year-old boy suffered a gunshot wounded to his ankle in what San Antonio police said was an accidental shooting at the hands of one of his friends. The boy who did the shooting is also believed to be about 12-years-old, and was not facing any charges as of 7 AM Wednesday, police said. According to officers at the scene in the 800 block of Nevada Street, the boys told them they were walking down the street around 1 AM Wednesday awhen they found the handgun. They told officers they believed the gun was unloaded, and that it was fired accidentally. One boy was hit in the right ankle. He was taken to University Hospital for treatment of a non-life threatening wound, police said. A sergeant later said that the gun involved in the shooting showed up in their database as being stolen. He said investigators do not know how it ended up on the street.
WASHINGTON, DC, 7/23/14: The South Carolina man arrested Wednesday after carrying a firearm into the Cannon House Office building had a loaded Ruger LC9 semi-automatic pistol and a magazine with six rounds of ammunition, court documents state. At the time of the arrest, the weapon appeared to be “fully functional” and “capable of being fired by a single hand,” according to hand-written comments on the charges. D.C. Superior Court Judge Karen Howze ordered Ronald William Prestage, of Camden, S.C., the president-elect of the National Pork Producers Council, released from custody pending a preliminary hearing on Aug. 13. The 59-year-old pork executive is charged with a single count of possessing a gun outside a home or office, a felony that carries up to five years in prison. Prestage was arrested at about 9:40 AM Wednesday, after Capitol Police found the concealed weapon as he went through security screening. The court documents, providing a detailed account of the arrest, say Prestage put a briefcase on the X-ray belt at the Rotunda door of the building. An officer spotted the handgun, inspected the bag and found a black Uncle Mike’s ankle holster containing the weapon, according to the documents filed in D.C. Superior Court. Police said Prestage stated he had a permit to carry a concealed weapon in South Carolina. He does not have a permit to carry in D.C. Inside the handgun was a magazine, containing six rounds of 9 mm ammunition. Further inspection by the crime scene lab uncovered one round in the chamber. Additional handwritten notes on the court document state that the gun had a barrel length of less than 12 inches. Prestage has hired attorney Robert J. Spagnoletti, a former attorney general for the District of Columbia, who did not immediately respond to questions from CQ Roll Call.
JACKSONVILLE, FL, 7/24/14: A man in his late 20s accidentally shot himself in the stomach Thursday morning, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. Police say the incident happened in the 3800 block of Shady Shores Drive. Life Flight rushed the victim to UF Health Jacksonville trauma center with life threatening injuries. JSO say his condition has since improved.
DAYTONA BEACH, FL, 7/24/14: A 12-year-old boy was accidentally shot at the Wyndham Ocean Walk hotel Thursday morning, according to Daytona Beach police. Police say a man from Georgia accidentally fired his 9mm gun inside his hotel room and the bullet hit a 12-year-old boy in the next room. The 12-year-old, his 10 year old younger brother, mother and father from Kentucky are staying on the eighth floor of the family-friendly Wyndham Ocean Walk. The boy was in the kitchen when a bullet hit him in the side. The gun owner said he took his weapon out of a briefcase and dropped the magazine, but failed to clear the chamber before firing it, according to police. “We could have a dead 12-year-old kid here where families are on vacation and somebody wants to be negligent with a firearm,” said Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood. The gun owner was taken to the police station where the state attorney will be consulted about filing negligence charges, according to Chitwood. “It’s really serious having firearms in rooms like that; I don't see (any) reason for it because there (are) nothing but children and families here,” said Randy Callihan, a guest at the hotel. The boy suffered a bruise from the bullet and is expected to be fine, according to police.
POWDERLY, KY, 7/24/14: Police, fire and Muhlenberg EMS units responded to a Hawkins Street residence in Powderly between 9:30 and 10 AM Thursday morning in response to a man being injured by gunshot. Riley Garrett was hanging a gun in his home, when it discharged causing a bullet to strike him in the wrist area, according to a neighbor. Garrett sought help from neighbors as evidenced by the blood on the front doors of two nearby homes. However, he had left the neighbors' homes before they responded to their doors. Trena Law said she was in bed asleep, when she heard shouting at her front door. When she got to the door, Garrett was gone, and all she noticed was the blood on the ramp leading to her home, she said. Ronnie Brooke told much the same story. Brooke said he was in the back of his home, when he heard yelling at the front door. Brooke was not dressed, and by the time he got to the door Garrett had left, he said. Garrett was transported by ambulance to Muhlenberg Community Hospital. When SurfKY News contacted the hospital, a patient condition update was not yet available.
STRUTHERS, OH, 7/24/14: A man who opened fire on his cat shot through the walls of his house and hit a neighboring home. Mark Cook, 57, of Struthers, was arraigned Friday in Struthers Municipal Court on a charge of improperly discharging a firearm into a habitation. According to a police report, officers were called about 3:15 PM. Thursday to a home on Park Avenue after the residents said their house had been shot at several times. Investigators were led to the house next door, where they questioned Cook about the incident. At first, Cook said that he fell and the 9-millimeter gun he was carrying accidentally discharged. Later, he admitted to shooting at a cat that was lying on a bed in a downstairs bedroom, the report states. Cook told officers he was angry at the cat because it was clawing at several items on the bed. The bullets went through Cook’s home and into the neighboring house. A search of Cook’s house, which he shares with his mother, uncovered 31 guns and an “enormous” amount of ammunition, according to the police report.
ADAIR VILLAGE, OR, 7/24/14: ACCIDENTAL SHOT: 9:08 PM, 111 N.E. Columbia Ave., Adair Village. Deputies responded to a man’s report that he had accidentally discharged a firearm within his residence. The 34-year-old man — who shares a residence with a 25-year-old woman and two children, ages 1 and 3 — said he was sitting in his dining room reloading ammunition for his .308-caliber rifle. He began checking the operation of his rifle when the gun went off and a round went through the back door. The deputies, who had canvassed the area and didn’t find anything suspicious, lectured the man about the safe handling of firearms.
WEST PELZER, SC, 7/25/14: A child died Friday night from a self-inflicted gunshot, according to Anderson County Deputy Coroner Don McCown. Jonathan Tyler Paxton, 11, was transported to Greenville Memorial Hospital but was pronounced dead there, said McCown. The shooting happened just after 8 PM at Paxton's home on Hindman Street in West Pelzer, said Anderson County dispatch. McCown said Paxton's parents were in other rooms when they heard a popping sound from their son's room. The parents told investigators that their son had been educated in gun safety, according to McCown. According to Chief Mike Clardy of the West Pelzer Police Department, the child was the only person shot at the home. According to Clardy, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is being called in to investigate.
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, 7/25/14: A Colorado Springs man suffered significant injuries to his foot after police say he accidentally shot himself. Just before 11 AM Friday morning officers responded to the 1900 block of South El Paso Street for reports of an accidental shooting. Investigators say a 53 year-old resident accidentally discharged a handgun in the house and the round struck his foot, causing significant injury. The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment. While the incident appears to be an accident, officers are interested in speaking with a witness regarding her account of the incident. Charges will not be filed until the conclusion of the investigation.
KALAMAZOO, MI, 7/25/14: Earlier in the night at around 8:30 PM, there was a shooting at a convenient store on Burdick and Cork Street. Police told 24 Hour News 8 that a man showed up to a hospital with a gunshot wound to his arm. Through witness statements, police found out the man either shot himself or was accidentally shot by a person who was in the car with him. The victim suffered non-life threatening injuries.
PARIS, TX, 7/25/14: On Friday, July 25th, at approx. 11:15 PM Paris Police responded to a call of a property damage in the 2600 block of Lamar Ave. It was reported that a man inside his apartment picked up his pistol and it accidentally discharged. The bullet traveled through a wall into an adjoining apartment. The resident in the second apartment was not at home at the time of the incident. No injuries were reported and no charges are being sought at this time.
BROOKSVILLE, FL, 7/26/14: Hernando County sheriff's deputies are investigating the shooting of a five-month pregnant woman late Saturday. About 6:45 PM Saturday, the Hernando County Sheriff's Office Emergency Communications Center received a call about a shooting at 20079 Suncrest Drive in Brooksville. Sheriff's deputies and Hernando County Fire Rescue emergency units responded to the scene, where they found Kathleen Hoover with a head injury, a sheriff's office report said. Investigation revealed that Kathleen and Carson Hoover of Citrus County were visiting friends, William DeHayes and family, at the Suncrest Drive location. DeHayes was showing the Hoovers some of his guns, including a .22 caliber revolver. While showing the gun, the .22 caliber revolver discharged, striking Kathleen Hoover in the head. Kathleen Hoover was taken by ambulance to Bayfront Health Brookville then flown to Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point. Her injuries are considered life threatening. No information was available about the pregnancy. At this point, preliminary indications appear that the shooting is accidental, the report said. The investigation continues. UPDATE: A pregnant woman died early Sunday after she was accidentally shot in the head while being shown a gun, authorities said. Her unborn child could not be saved either. Katherine Lynn Hoover 25, of Inverness succumbed to her injuries just after 3 AM, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.
NACOGDOCHES, TX, 7/26/14: Gunshot victim, 8000 block of state Hwy. 259. The victim of an accidental gun shot wound was taken by a family member to a Nacogdoches hospital emergency room. The gunshot wound was in the individual’s right hand.

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Sunday, August 24, 2014

Gun Fail 77

100 GunFAILs: GunFAIL LXXVII

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Originally posted to David Waldman on Sun Aug 17, 2014 at 08:31 AM PDT.

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