GunFail - this whole"guns for everyone" isn't working out so well.

SAT SEP 26, 2015 AT 04:01 PM PDT

Shoot myself once, shame on you. Shoot myself twice, shame on me. GunFAIL CXXXIX

byDavid WaldmanFollow

 
 
• 39 Comments / 39 New

Seventeen of 67 guns discovered by TSA agents at airports across the country, during the week of 9/11-9/17/15.

Once again, about half of our GunFAIL list is made up of accidents in which people with guns either shot themselves or members of their family. About 10 percent of the list involves military, civilian security and/or law enforcement officer GunFAIL. And with the season for hunting bigger game approaching, we note four hunting accidents, two gun cleaning/repair accidents, three target/range shooting accidents, and three "home invasion" shootings, meaning three incidents in which gun owners accidentally fire into their neighbors' homes or properties. The week was mercifully quiet on the child GunFAIL front, with just five accidents involving minor victims.

There are a number of incidents from this compilation that merit some additional note. A police chief who accidentally killed himself cleaning a still-loaded gun. Another family-on-family "I thought he was an intruder" shooting. A veteran soldier who accidentally shot himself in the head when the .50 caliber pistol he was firing recoiled back toward him. And a recreational shooter who nearly severed a leg when he was hit by shrapnel, produced by firing at a 55-gallon metal drum filled with Tannerite explosive.

But the title story this time is the Tulsa, Oklahoma 16 year old who apparently accidentally shot himself for the second time in three months. That's it, really. There's not that much more to say about it, beyond that. I know that's not all that exciting or sensational, by itself. But it's definitely pretty dumb. And at bottom, that's what GunFAIL is all about.

You'll see. Just read what's below the fold.

1. BESSEMER, PA, 9/13/15: State Police say a Lawrence County police chief was killed Sunday. They say he accidentally shot himself while cleaning a .40 caliber pistol at his home. Police say he was home alone at the time, but was discovered a short while later by his girlfriend. The chief, 56-year-old Thomas Edward Macri, was a retired New Castle City Policeman but was serving as the current Police Chief in Bessemer Borough. Macri was taken to Jameson Hospital after 2:15 PM where he was pronounced dead. No foul play is suspected.
2. MESA CO., CO, 9/13/15: One person is dead after a reported hunting accident occurred Sunday morning on the Grand Mesa. The Mesa County Sheriff's office said they received a call through dispatch around 8 AM about a hunter being shot near the Big Creek Campground on the Grand Mesa. Deputies and the Collbran Marshall responded to the scene. The Mesa County coroner is working with investigators to determine the cause and manner of death. The identity of the deceased person has not been released. The investigation is currently on-going.
3. RICHMOND, IN, 9/13/15: An 18-year-old Richmond resident was arrested late Sunday night after he admitted to accidentally shooting a 16-year-old in the neck in the 300 block of South Seventh Street in Richmond. Taij A. Brown, 18, of the 800 block of South 11th Street was being arrested by Richmond Police Department investigators on a charge of felony criminal recklessness, said Sgt. Mike Britt. He was booked into the jail at about 11:20 PM on a Level 6 felony charge carrying a bond of $15,000, with 10 percent cash. Investigators were waiting to receive an update on the 16-year-old's condition, Britt said, to determine if a different charge is warranted. "The charge could change dependent on the condition of the victim," he said. Brown told investigators he did not realize he was handling a real firearm, thinking it was a BB gun, Britt said, and he was surprised when it fired. The firearm has not been recovered. The male victim was flown by LifeLine medical helicopter to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, after the incident, which took place at about 7:45 PM. He apparently was shot inside a home and was found in a yard across the alley that runs between South Seventh and South Eighth streets. Investigators were given consent to collect evidence inside the home. The victim, apparently a guest at the residence, was transported to Richmond Municipal Airport to meet the medical helicopter. Witnesses to the shooting were taken to Richmond Police Department headquarters to be interviewed. The intersection of South Seventh and South C streets was blocked by police and the 700 block of South C was blocked by crime tape until shortly after 10:30 PM.
4. COON VALLEY, WI, 9/13/15: A Holmen man was injured after being accidentally shot Sunday morning in a hunting mishap near Coon Valley. The Vernon County Sheriff's Department was notified of the shooting at about 10:15 AM Sunday. The accident happened about a mile east of Coon Valley, in a wooded area on public hunting land. Alcedin Vang, age 44, of Eau Claire, was squirrel hunting with a group when he fired at a squirrel, accidentally shooting another hunter, according to the sheriff's department. The victim, Lee Vang, age 43, of Holmen, was shot in the shoulder area. Lee Vang was treated at the scene and transported by Tri-State Ambulance to Gundersen Medical Center in La Crosse. Also assisting at the scene was Coon Creek Fire & Rescue. The shooting remains under investigation.
5. GRANT TOWNSHIP, MI, 9/13/15: One person was seriously hurt over the weekend when a group of people were shooting a metal barrel containing explosives. The incident happened in Mason County Sunday afternoon at about 2:30 PM. According to the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, the 49-year-old man was with a group of men shooting at a 55-gallon drum that contained two pounds of Tannerite, which is an explosive used in making exploding targets for firearm practice.  The drum splintered into several jagged pieces and one of the pieces nearly severed the leg of the man about 150 feet away.  The man was sitting behind a tree, but had his leg exposed. The incident is still being investigated.
6. BRUCE TOWNSHIP, MI, 9/14/15: The Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office is using Monday’s accidental shooting in Bruce Township as an opportunity to remind all local residents to be careful as they prepare for the upcoming hunting seasons. Chippewa County Undersheriff Mike Bitnar explained that a long-gun, described as a .22 rifle, had broken and was undergoing repairs when it accidentally discharged — propelling the bullet into the arm of a teen-aged boy. The boy was conveyed to War Memorial Hospital where he underwent treatment for injuries that were not considered life-threatening. His name is not being officially released. Deputies questioned all of the involved parties and witnesses related to this incident and determined the gunshot wound was accidentally inflicted. While it was described as preventable, it does not appear as though any criminal charges will be forthcoming related to this incident. Deputies also observed that alcohol does not appear to be a factor. “We’re just reminding everyone of the safety rules for firearms,” said Bitnar saying it was a two-part report on the Monday accident. “It was approximately one year ago, another child from our county became a victim of unsafe firearm practices with a much more tragic result,” according to a Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office press release referencing the death of a Sault Area Middle School student when a gun discharged in a vehicle. “When tragedy strikes, it involves many more people than the victims and their families. EMS, fire, police, teachers, classmates of these children all suffer. Please be responsible and safe.”
7. TULSA, OK, 9/14/15: A 16-year-old boy is in serious condition after accidentally shooting himself in the leg for the second time in a three-month period, according to police. Officers responded to a residence in the 7300 block of East Jasper Street around 3:25 AM and found the teen suffering from a single gunshot wound to his left leg. The victim was conscious, police said, but he was incoherent, and there was a large amount of blood on his bed sheet. Police feared the victim had severed an artery, and an officer applied a tourniquet to the teen's leg to stem the bleeding. The teenager was taken to St. John Medical Center in serious condition. In a news release, police said the "quick action" of the officer who applied the tourniquet prevented the boy from bleeding to death. This was the second time the teen had accidentally shot himself with a handgun, police said. Officers responded to his residence three months ago and found him with another gunshot wound to the leg. His injuries were not life-threatening. A police spokesman did not know where the victim received the guns but said the gun during the first accident had been confiscated and remained at the police station.
8. SEVERN, MD, 9/14/15: One person was injured after a shooting at gun range in Anne Arundel County. The shooting happened at the On Target Maryland indoor shooting range on the 2600 block of Annapolis Road in Severn on Monday afternoon. One person was injured in what appears to be an accidental shooting, SkyTeam 11 Capt. Roy Taylor said. The person was taken to Shock Trauma in critical condition, police said. Police are investigating.
9. AYER, MA, 9/14/15: A Massachusetts State Trooper is expected to survive after accidentally shooting himself in the leg, State Police said. It happened Tuesday morning at the department’s Emergency Vehicle Operations Center in Ayer, according to spokesman Dave Procopio. The sergeant was carrying a department-issued shotgun from his old cruiser to a new cruiser “when the weapon accidentally discharged, striking him in the leg,” officials said. No one else was involved in the accident, according to State Police. The veteran sergeant, who has not been identified, was rushed to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester on a medical helicopter. He’s being treated for non-life-threatening gunshot injuries to one leg. No other information is available at this point in the investigation.
10. DAYTON, OH, 9/14/15: A couple sleeping with their five-year-old son were unharmed after a bullet came through their wall, just feet above where they were sleeping. At about 5 AM Monday, police responded to the 5000 block of Northcrest Drive for a report of shots fired. A 33-year-old woman and her 54-year-old boyfriend told police they were asleep with their five-year-old son when they were awakened by a gun shot. The man said he felt debris falling on him that was later determined to be drywall. Police tried to make contact at the residence next door, the only place the bullet could have come from, but were unsuccessful in reaching anyone.
11. WACO, TX, 9/15/15: A Waco man was arrested early Tuesday morning after police were sent to a report of gunshots inside a North Waco home but no one was hit by the gunfire. Officers were sent at about 1:45 AM to a residence in the 2500 block of Ethel Avenue after a caller reported hearing gunshots coming from inside the house. A man and his roommates were inside the home when at least two gunshots were fired in the suspects bedroom, police at the scene said. By the time police got to the scene the roommates were outside on the porch. The suspect, Steven Matthew Rodriguez, 29, was arrested for deadly conduct and taken to county jail. Officers at the scene called the incident an accidental discharge of a firearm and not an assault.
12. BUENA VISTA, CO, 9/15/15: An accidental shooting occurred at the Meadows Apartments, 502 S. San Juan Ave, around 2:30 PM Sept. 15, Buena Vista Police Chief Jimmy Tidwell said. The victim was the wife of the alleged shooter, though information on the victim has not been released yet. She was taken to Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center following the incident, Tidwell said. Tidwell said the male suspect, approximately 21 years old, called 911 around 2:30 PM, said he had accidentally shot his wife and requested emergency services. Buena Vista Police Department, Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office, Buena Vista Fire Department and Chaffee County Emergency Medical Services responded to the call. Buena Vista police are investigating the incident.
13. PRESTON, CT, 9/15/15: A woman is recovering after being accidentally shot while two men were shooting at targets nearby. State Police said they were called to Backus Hospital for a woman with a gunshot wound to her torso Tuesday afternoon. The woman told police she had been shot by someone target shooting on a Prodell Road property. Police said Daniel Tate, 27, and Todd Gardner, 31, were both target shooting. After Tate learned that the woman had been struck, he took her to the hospital and stayed there until the police arrived. Police said Tate and Gardner are cooperating with the investigation. The victim was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. This case remains under investigation.
14. HYRUM, UT, 9/16/15: A 58-year-old Hyrum woman was hospitalized Wednesday night after her husband accidentally shot her with a handgun. Cache County Sheriff’s Lt. Mike Peterson said Annette Randall was shot in the upper thigh from a .45 caliber pistol, being handled by her husband, 61-year-old Bryant Randall. According to investigators, Annette was sitting on a couch while Bryant was preparing for a hunting trip. Bryant was handling the .45 caliber handgun when it discharged, striking Annette. The bullet fragmented and exited the back of Annette's leg. Deputies and paramedics were called to the couple’s home at 164 South 1100 East in Hyrum around 8:30 PM. Annette was treated on scene by EMT's from the Hyrum City Fire Department and paramedics from the Logan City Fire Department. She was transported by ambulance to Logan Regional Hospital where she received initial treatment. She was later flown by medical helicopter to McKay Dee Hospital in Ogden. Investigators believe the shooting was accidental but are still investigating.
15. PORT HURON, MI, 9/16/15: A 39-year-old Port Huron man is in critical condition after an accidental shooting Wednesday. Port Huron Police Lt. Scott Pike said police were called to Lake Huron Medical Center about 3:30 PM Wednesday for a man with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Police spoke with a witness at the hospital who said the 39-year-old man was handling a handgun at a home in the 1500 block of Reid Avenue when it discharged and struck him in the abdomen. Officers and detectives investigated the scene, which seemed to corroborate the witness statement, Pike said. The man was transferred to Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Pike said the man was listed in critical condition Thursday morning, but expected to recover.
16. FORT MYERS, FL, 9/16/15: A driver who brandished his gun at a woman during a road rage incident in south Fort Myers shot himself instead. The incident began near Constitution Boulevard as the two vehicles traveled southbound on U.S. 41 and ended almost five miles later on Corkscrew Road in Estero, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. “At some point in time the subject did pull a gun at the female victim,” said Lt. Scott Lineberger, spokesman for the sheriff’s office. In addition to the gun, near the Publix at U.S. 41 and Corkscrew Road, the man brandished what appeared to be a rifle at the victim, Lineberger said. “Somewhere in that exchange, the suspect sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Lineberger said. The suspect tried to run the woman off the road, according to Lineberger. The woman, who had three teenagers in her vehicle, was not hurt, Lineberger said. The call came in as a shots fired call, but deputies were still working to determine where along the 5-mile trip the suspect shot himself. The suspect’s car crashed into a guardrail in the westbound lanes of Corkscrew Road near the intersection of Sandy Lane. The lanes were closed for a short period of time. According to Lineberger, the suspect was taken to a local hospital. A deputy recovered what he said was a large black rifle and a handgun from the car and saw a large amount of blood around the diver’s area. Witnesses at the scene said they heard the driver of the silver Mercedes say he shot himself. Lineberger called the incident bizarre and said the victim did the right thing by calling 911. “After you encounter a road rage incident it’s better to let them drive off, call the sheriff’s office, give the details,” Lineberger said. The suspect’s name and age have not been released. Thursday, a spokesman for the sheriff said the suspect had not yet been arrested and booked and was still being treated at a local hospital. No arrests have been made, but the investigation is still open.
17. KIDRON, OH, 9/17/15: A 17-year-old Amish boy was shot in the head while plowing a field Thursday morning in Kidron. The Wayne County Sheriff's Department reports John Hershberger was struck with a .22 caliber bullet just after 9 AM. Investigators said it's possible the stray bullet was fired by someone hunting squirrels and it just happened to come down on top of John's head. "The odds of this happening are one in a million," said Captain Doug Hunter. John was using a horse-drawn plow when he felt something strike him in the head. He noticed he was bleeding and walked to his home to tell his father about the injury. The Amish family does not have a phone so they went next door where a neighbor dialed 911. John was taken to Aultman Hospital in Canton and X-Rays showed the bullet lodged in his head, Hunter said. The bullet was removed Thursday afternoon and the boy was released from the hospital. Investigators have not been able to determine who fired the gun and have not found any witnesses who heard a gunshot. If located, the person could face charges related to illegally discharging a firearm.
18. EVANSVILLE, IN, 9/17/15: Police arrested an Evansville man Thursday night after a neighbor told officers she saw him fire a shotgun outside his home on Harlan Avenue. Police said the weapon 25-year-old Richard E. Murphy is accused of firing was reported stolen in Vanderburgh County last week. Murphy also has felony convictions on his record that prohibit him from legally possessing a firearm, police wrote in the probable cause affidavit. Police were called to the area of Harlan Avenue and Indiana Street about 9:30 PM. During a search of Murphy’s home, police found a 12-gauge shotgun despite being told by Murphy and his mother that there were no weapons in the home, according to the police affidavit. During an interview with police, Murphy said he had bought the weapon from a man earlier this week for $40. That transaction, Murphy reportedly told investigators, was conducted at a fast-food restaurant on Tuesday. Murphy said he was showing the gun off to a friend on Thursday. He said he was unaware that the gun was loaded when the weapon fired and said that the slug appeared to hit a dirt bank near the new pedestrian bridge across the Lloyd Expressway, according to the affidavit. There were no reported injuries. Murphy faces preliminary charges of criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon and theft. He is initially being held without bond at the Vanderburgh County jail, according to online jail records.
19. MUNCIE, IN, 9/18/15: Central Indiana police say a 3-year-old Muncie girl was shot and critically injured, allegedly by a teenage boy who had found a handgun. Police said that after the girl was shot Friday at a public housing complex, her father apparently carried the wounded child to Muncie's downtown fire station. The Star Press reports (http://tspne.ws/... ) the girl was listed in critical but stable condition at a Muncie hospital before she was airlifted to an Indianapolis hospital. Police were told at the shooting scene that a 13-year-old boy had accidentally fired a handgun, wounding the girl. Muncie Police Chief Steve Stewart says a boy in his early teens was arrested on a preliminary charge of criminal recklessness. He was being held in Delaware County's juvenile center.
20. BIRMINGHAM, AL, 9/18/15: Birmingham police are on the scene of an accidental shooting in the northern part of the city. Officers were called to the 1400 block of 29th Street North around 8:15 AM Friday. Police said a 53-year-old man somehow shot himself in the chest. According to investigators, the man was home alone at the time. He is being treated for life-threatening injuries.
21. HOLLY HILL, FL, 9/18/15: Police say a woman accidentally shot herself in the chest Friday morning on Wildrose Lane. The Volusia County Sheriff's Office were investigating and the woman was transported to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach.
22. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, 9/17/15: A woman accidentally shot her boyfriend overnight in Oklahoma City, mistaking him for an intruder. Police said the boyfriend came home around midnight to the couple's home near NW 11th and Villa. The girlfriend was startled and shot the man in the head. Police said the man would be OK. No charges are expected to be filed because of the accidental shooting.
23. CHICAGO, IL, 9/18/15: Friday morning about 7:30 AM, a 76-year-old man showed up at Advocate Trinity Hospital with a self-inflicted, apparently accidental gunshot wound to the groin area, police said. He told authorities it happened in the 7700 block of South Essex Avenue, police said.
24. AURORA, IL, 9/19/15: A 25-year-old Aurora man was shot to death Saturday in the Kane County city in  what the police said appeared to be an accidental shooting. Angel G. Reyna was pronouncd dead just before 8 AM after being found with “a single gunshot wound” inside a home in the 1300 block of Monomoy Street, according to the Aurora police. They said Reyna was inside the home with someone else and that it appeared the gun was accidently discharged.
25. SEABROOK, SC, 9/19/15: Police are not actively searching for suspects in a non-fatal shooting in Seabrook Saturday night because investigators believe the victim accidentally shot himself. The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of a man shot in a car at the intersection of Young Circle and Fred Lane around 10 PM Saturday. The 38-year-old victim, whose identity has not been released by police, was found in the driver's seat of his car with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. A gun was sitting on the passenger seat of the car. "It looks like (the shooting was a result of) an accidental mishandling of a firearm. All of the evidence appears consistent with that determination," Sheriff's Office spokesman Capt. Bob Bromage said Sunday. The victim was taken Saturday to Beaufort Memorial Hospital for treatment and later transferred to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, Bromage said. The victim's current condition is unknown. Calls to MUSC Sunday were not returned.
26. BATESBURG, SC, 9/19/15: A soldier’s death while target shooting with friends last weekend was accidental, Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said Wednesday. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Heintz died when a .50-caliber pistol he was using recoiled and fired into him, Fisher said. There were no signs alcoholic beverages or narcotics were involved, she said. The incident happened about 1:30 PM Saturday at a home in the 1500 block of Willis Street about four miles south of Batesburg-Leesville, according to an incident report from deputies. Heintz, 44, was there with his brother, Russell, and other friends, according to a website created in his memory. He was a 23-year military veteran whose parents lived in Rock Hill, the website said.
27. CARMICHAEL, CA, 9/19/15: Officials said a 22-year-old man they arrested accidentally discharged and fatally shot an 18-year-old woman inside a Carmichael apartment complex on Saturday. The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department said the suspect, Kenyatta Brown, is being charged with involuntary manslaughter. Detectives said Brown was negligently handling a gun when he accidentally shot Joslynn Sovenski in the chest at around 2:45 AM Saturday. Investigators believed Brown and Sovenski had no pre-existing relationship but ended up together at the apartment as a result of mutual acquaintances who were also there. Sheriff's deputies responded to the shooting in the 5900 block of Sutter Avenue.
28. DE BEQUE, CO, exact date unknown: A 51-year-old man was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital last week after he allegedly accidentally shot himself in the leg at 15655 
45 1/2 Road, according to the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office. The man told a deputy he was standing outside his truck after work, talking to another man while loading his handgun, when the hammer slipped, discharging a round into his left thigh, according to the incident report. The 23-year-old man the victim was talking to corroborated the story. When the deputy arrived, people were applying pressure to the victim’s leg. The deputy then made a tourniquet from the victim’s pants and put combat gauze in the wound until emergency responders from the Plateau Valley Fire Department arrived.
29. IOWA FALLS, IA, 9/19/15: An Iowa Falls woman was injured on Saturday when a gun accidentally discharged. According to Iowa Falls Police Chief Ron Kuhfus, the department was called at 10:33 AM Saturday to the 2000 block of River Road. He said when officers arrived, they found the resident, Linda Krukow, with a gunshot wound to her leg. She had dropped a .22 caliber pistol and it had discharged.
30. FORT HALL, ID, 9/19/15: Fort Hall Tribal member Cash Blair was left fighting for his life last Saturday after a hunting accident left him critically wounded miles from help. KPVI News 6 worked closely with Portneuf Medical Center to bring KPVI this story. KPVI visited with Cash Blair on Thursday morning. He tells KPVI that he might not be talking to KPVI without the quick work of everyone involved in saving his life. “I was just thinking about my kids. Thinking about their faces. I thought I was going to die,” says Cash Blair, who was in the hunting accident on Saturday. Cash Blair sits in a hospital bed at Portneuf Medical Center. A large bandage covers his neck where the bullet exited his body. He tells KPVI he’s come a long way since Saturday evening. “I thought it was going to be the spot where the good Lord took me and was just thankful that we got out to 911 and that they responded as fast as they did,” says Blair. Blair, a tribal member was hunting with a friend on Mount Putnam when they thought they spotted a moose.  He ran ahead and his friend thought he was taking a shot at the moose, but instead hit Blair.  The bullet struck an inch from his spine, broke two ribs and collapsed his right lung. “I felt it as soon as it hit me. It paralyzed me. I went face down into the sage brush and instantly started bleeding out my neck profusely,” says Blair. Blair was rushed off the mountain to a waiting ambulance, but with the life threating injuries, Portneuf Air Rescue was called into pick him up in Fort Hall. Cash’s family and doctors say that if it weren’t for Portneuf Air Rescue and the trauma team at Portneuf Medical Center, Cash’s outcome may have not have gone as well. “It was a team effort. Everybody involved from the minute that they got the 911 for the EMT’s that met them coming out of the mountain to the Air Rescue that picked him up to the emergency room people to the surgeons, even all the nurses in the ICU. Tara Nelson, Blair’s mom watched over him in the hospital as he made his recovery and prepared to bring her son home. Blair says he is not done hunting, but has a message for anyone heading out in the upcoming general hunting season. “Identify your target and make sure whatever you are shooting at is what you are after, and if you don’t know, don’t shoot,” warns Blair. KPVI spoke to Cash Blair’s mom Tara and she tells KPVI that he was released from the hospital and his family has started a GoFundMe account. www.gofundme.com/jt4xxq7c

ORIGINALLY POSTED TO DAVID WALDMAN ON SAT SEP 26, 2015 AT 04:01 PM PDT.