Waldman's GunFail

The latest in hipster cuisine: Farm-to-table-to-hospital. GunFAIL CCXXVIII

By David Waldman  

Sunday Jan 22, 2017 · 7:30 PM EST

Twelve of 71 guns discovered by TSA agents at airports around the country, during the week of Jan. 9-15, 2017.

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We’re back again, and just to clear things up for you non-Romans, this is the 228th week that I’ve been collecting GunFAIL stories. Not all of the weekly compilations have been published, mind you. But I’ve never stopped collecting them, and I’ve got the overflowing drafts folder to prove it, in case you’re ever interested.

The second week of 2017 brought us more of the usual: 20 people who accidentally shot themselves, 11 accidental gun fatalities, 7 minors accidentally shot, 5 people accidentally shot by family members or significant others, 3 hunting accidents, 3 people accidentally shot by someone cleaning a still-loaded gun, 2 people who accidentally shot themselves while holstering or unholstering their weapons, etc., etc., etc.

Among the stranger stories from the week, we found yet another legislative GunFAIL, as New Hampshire state rep. Carolyn Halstead became the second New Hampshire legislator to catch our attention by dropping a loaded firearm during a committee hearing. (The first, former-Rep. Kyle Tasker, ended 2016 under indictment for drug possession with intent to distribute, and attempted child sexual exploitation charges. Because he’s a law-abiding citizen and whatnot.) Rep. Halstead was reportedly “mortified” at having knocked her gun out of its holster in a crowded hearing on the merits of full-day kindergarten. Luckily the weapon didn’t fire and no one was hurt. But if the subject of arming school teachers ever comes up for a hearing, I hope she’ll reflect on her own experience.

We also have an entry this week from what turned out to be a gun enthusiast literally in his mom’s basement. Nothing terribly wrong with that, of course, but things went south when he accidentally fired his gun up through the ceiling, and shot his mom while she was sleeping in bed, upstairs.

Lastly, the story that inspired this week’s title, which sounds more than a little sketchy. I’m not sure how many meat-packing plants operate this way, but out at Yoder Meats in Yoder, Kansas, they got hold of a buffalo to be slaughtered, and decided to do it by climbing a ladder and trying to shoot the animal with a rifle, over the side of a trailer. The buffalo, not interested in standing still for it, jostled the ladder and caused the rifleman to shoot another nearby employee, instead. No word on the other employee’s status. He probably survived, but if not, I’m sure he was delicious.

The full week’s collection of stories appears below.

1. CEDAR HILL, TN, 1/08/17: [Photo caption: Teachers describe Brock Blick as a model student.] An 11-year-old boy has been fatally shot during a hunting trip in northern Tennessee. Adams Fire Chief Ray Brown says the boy was shot in the side by a 20-gauge shotgun. Robertson County Emergency Management Services Assistant Director Russell Gupton says the boy was accidentally shot Sunday afternoon at the Three Feathers Hunting Preserve in Cedar Hill. It is unclear how the shooting occurred or who was with the boy at the time. He was not immediately identified, and no charges were immediately filed. Gupton says initial reports indicated he was 12, but records from Robertson EMS say the child was 11 and lived in Clarksville. Three Feathers’ website says the preserve specializes in private hunts for game birds.
2. DENTON, TX, 1/08/17: A 21-year-old man was arrested Sunday afternoon after he accidentally shot himself in the leg with a gun he was allegedly attempting to steal, according to a police report. When police arrived in the 2000 block of Caddo Circle, they found the man lying on the ground with blood-stained pants. According to the report, officers found a revolver near a white truck with its door slightly open. The report said the gun and truck belonged to a 70-year-old man who lived nearby. After he was taken to the hospital, the suspect told officers he was walking down the street looking through the windows of vehicles. The man opened the unlocked door of the white truck and found the gun in a tan holster between the seats, the report said. The man picked up the gun, fumbled with it and dropped it against the side of the vehicle, he told police. The gun fired and a bullet hit him in the leg. The man told police he staggered to a neighboring yard to lie down and called 911 because he wasn’t sure if he had been shot. He was later arrested on a charge of burglary of a vehicle and theft of a firearm, the report said.
3. FLORISSANT, MO, 1/08/17: A Flordell Hills man was charged Monday with assault in what police called an accidental shooting of his 14-year-old nephew at the Sugar Pines apartments in north St. Louis County. Jordon L. Henderson, 20, of the 7000 block of Roslyn Drive, was charged with second-degree assault. His first name is spelled Jordan in some records. He was jailed on a $50,000 cash-only bail. The shooting was about 7:45 PM Sunday in the 3500 block of Sugar Crest Drive. Charges say Henderson "playfully pointed a handgun at victim and pulled the trigger multiple times without the gun going off." At one point while pulling the trigger, however, the gun fired and the boy was hit once in the abdomen. The boy, identified in court documents by initials D.H., was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive. Authorities initially said he was 13 but now say he is 14. Charges say Henderson admitted shooting his nephew.
4. MANHATTAN, KS, 1/08/17: Riley County Police say a woman is accused of criminal discharge of a weapon for an incident that led to evacuation of a Manhattan apartment complex. Authorities say Kelle Kerr, 22, accidentally fired a gun during a reported pipe burst incident early Sunday at the Highland Ridge Apartments. The Manhattan Fire Department was responding to a fire alarm call when police received the gun shot report. Officers then found a suspicious device in an apartment, and evacuated residents until the bomb squad could investigate. Police determined the device was actually a realistic prop and police say the fire alarm was set off by a burst pipe.
5. SPRINGFIELD, OH, 1/08/17: Police in Springfield say an incident in which a woman was sent to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the head was accidental. No one was arrested or is facing charges after the 30-year-old woman suffered the injury at home in the 1400 block of Columbus Avenue around 8:30 PM Sunday, according to the Springfield police report. The victim’s live-in boyfriend told officers he was hanging his coat up on a rack when the gun, a silver Cobra .22-caliber handgun, fell out of a pocket, struck the floor and discharged a round, according to the report. The victim was standing about 5 feet away and the bullet grazed her head, according to police. Police determined it was an accident. The victim was taken to Springfield Regional Medical Center for treatment of the injury.
6. BETHLEHEM, PA, 1/09/17: A Bethlehem woman is facing a host of weapons charges in connection with an accidental shooting that occurred Monday afternoon near Yosko Park in the city. Melanie F. Santos, of the 800 block of Atlantic Street, is facing weapons charges after police found a handful of guns in her vehicle while investigating the shooting. As a convicted felon, the 24-year-old is prohibited from possessing any firearms. She’s currently in Northampton County Prison on a parole violation awaiting her preliminary arraignment Thursday afternoon. Bethlehem police were called to St. Luke’s University Hospital in Fountain Hill shortly after 3 PM Monday to investigate a report of a gunshot victim. The victim told authorities that he was shot in the leg in the area of Atlantic and East Fifth streets by a man he knows only as “T,” according to court records. The man told police he was shot accidentally by a revolver-style handgun and driven to the hospital by his girlfriend’s relative. When police responded to the area of the reported shooting to locate a crime scene, officers spotted a woman later identified as Santos standing at a car parked in the 800 block of Laufer Street, according to records. Santos ran from the scene and was eventually caught after a foot chase through backyards in the neighborhood, according to records. A resident in the 800 block of East Fifth Street reported finding a revolver in his backyard, one of the yards through which police chased Santos. Authorities discovered a fully loaded Ruger .357 stainless steel revolver along with a baseball cap Santos dropped during the chase, police said. Inside Santos’s car police found a Marlin 30-30 rifle with a scope, a Marlin .308 rifle with a scope, a Ruger Single Six .22 caliber revolver, a Remington 7mm hunting handgun, ammunition and several rifle scopes. Investigators said the Ruger discovered inside the car matched the gun description provided by the gunshot victim. Police also found paperwork in the car from the Northampton County adult probation department belonging to Santos. A records check revealed she was convicted of a felony count of criminal trespass and a misdemeanor count of false imprisonment. Police also learned that the silver Hyundai belonged to Santos’s sister and that Santos put her own license plate on the vehicle and routinely had been driving it. Santos faces five counts each of prohibited possession of a firearm and carrying a firearm without a license, all felonies. Court records make no mention of the man who allegedly fired the shot.
7. ROSS TOWNSHIP, MONROE CO., PA, 1/09/17: A Saylorsburg man accidentally shot himself in the leg, while he was cleaning his gun, according to Pennsylvania State Police. Troopers responded to the 100 block of Tittle Road in Ross Township, Monroe County on Monday. The man was cleaning his Kel Tec .22 Magnum pistol when it discharged into his leg, according to police. He was taken to the hospital. Police are still investigating the incident.
8. BOSTON, MA, 1/09/17: A Boston Police officer’s gun accidentally went off while he was chasing three suspects wanted in the armed robbery of a convenience store Monday night, Boston Police said. Police say three men held up the Alfa Express Gas Station on Washington Street just before 8:30 PM Monday. They said one of them was armed with a gun, and presented it during the robbery. An officer was nearby at the time and quickly responded. While he was running after the suspects, his gun discharged, firing one shot. Boston Police Chief William Gross said the discharge was accidental in nature. Nobody was hurt during the incident. The officer whose gun went off was taken to the hospital as a precaution. “The officer did a great job,” Chief Gross told reporters at the scene later Monday night. “He’s by himself, he’s facing three suspects, armed, and he still pursued them.” The suspects got away, running down Washington Street. No arrests have been made. Police said there were customers in the store at the time of the robbery.
9. ALEXANDER CITY, AL, 1/09/17: Alexander City School and law enforcement officials are investigating a Monday incident where a student brought a gun to the middle school and it accidentally discharged while another student was looking at it. Alexander City Schools Superintendent Dr. Darrell Cooper said that no one was injured and it doesn’t appear that the student meant any harm. “We are very fortunate that the result wasn’t much worse,” Cooper said. “We are still investigating, but in talking with the students involved it doesn’t appear that he had any intentions of doing any harm. “At this time, indications are that a student brought a small-caliber handgun to Alexander City Middle School. In showing the gun to another student, as that other student was reaching into the backpack to pick it up and look at it, the gun discharged. No one was hit, injured or harmed.” Cooper said that the Alexander City Police Department was called to the scene and responded immediately. Both of the students who were involved were removed from area and detained. Police department officials indicated that the school resource officer was on scene during the occurrence of the discharging of the firearm and took possession of the firearm and placed two juveniles into custody. The incident happened just before 1 PM, officials said and at 2:10 parents began received calls from the system’s phone alert system to inform them of the incident. Many came to the school to check on their children. The schools system and the police department posted alerts on its social media platforms quickly. “We wanted to get the information to parents as quickly as possible to dispel any internet or social media rumors that may be circulating,” Cooper said. “We will take immediate disciplinary action and the police will handle the investigation as far as charges. This is something that we take very seriously and while it doesn’t appear that there was any intent to do harm, the safety of our students is our main concern. “We have zero tolerance for weapons on schools grounds and appropriate action will be taken to minimize the chances of anything like this happening ever again.” Due to the age of the students, no names were released.
10. BAKER, LA, 1/10/17: A juvenile has been arrested on a count of negligent injuring after an 11-year-old walking to his friend's house in the 1100 block of Shilo Street in Baker was shot in the right hand Tuesday, police said. The perpetrator was pulling the weapon out of his pocket when it went off, accidentally injuring the victim around 3:20 PM, said Baker Police Chief Carl Dunn. The victim was transported to a hospital for the non-life threatening injury, Dunn said. Dunn said both juveniles, the victim and the perpetrator, were familiar with the weapon. The victim had photo of the gun on his phone, Dunn said. "They really shouldn't have had access to a pistol anyway," Dunn said, adding that he did not know the age of the juvenile who was arrested. Police have not yet recovered the weapon and do not know who it belonged to, Dunn said. Dunn said late Tuesday night that officers took a number of people into custody for interviewing around 8 PM to determine who was at fault. Police continue to search for the weapon, Dunn said.
11. LA PINE, OR, 1/10/17: A 66-year-old La Pine man died early Tuesday of an apparently accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said. Deputies and La Pine Fire medics were dispatched at 3:47 AM to a home in the 15000 block of Greenwood Drive on a reported gunshot wound, deputies said. They located James Glenn Overby on arrival with the apparently accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound. Life-saving efforts were attempted by medics, but were unsuccessful, and Overby died at the scene, deputies said. Sheriff’s detectives arrived later to help in the investigation, which also involved the district attorney’s and medical examiner’s offices.
12. CORONA, CA, 1/10/17: A Corona Police Department officer accidentally fired a pistol at a security guard's car early Tuesday, Jan. 10 authorities say. The security guard was not struck by the single round, according to a news release issued Tuesday evening by the department. Police spokesman Sgt. Paul Mercado said the officer has been placed on paid administrative leave. The officer, along with other officers, responded to a construction site in the 2700 block of Palisades Drive after receiving reports of a suspicious vehicle, the news release said. Not realizing that the car was occupied by an on-duty private security guard, the officers approached the car. That's when one of them unintentionally shot one round at the car. The round went through the front passenger-side door and stopped inside the car's "front passenger area," the news release said. The security guard was in the driver's seat. No arrests were made or citations issued, the news release said. The security guard was interviewed and released. The Police Department's Detective Bureau is investigating the shooting with the assistance of the Riverside County District Attorney's Office.
13. CHOWCHILLA, CA, 1/11/17: A child is dead after his sister accidentally shot him with a parent’s gun. Police say the shooting happened around 5 PM Pacific time Wesnesday at a home in Chowchilla, California. They say the young girl, who was under the age of 6, somehow got hold of the gun and shot her 1-year-old brother in the head. Officers told KSFN that the mother was home at the time. She is a 16-year veteran of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Police Lt. Jeff Palmber says this tragedy was preventable. “Well obviously, the young child was able to have some sort of access to a firearm. That’s still part of the investigation. We’re not sure exactly how everything transpired,” he said. “Most kids are very curious, and if things like that being left around are obviously a huge danger.” It’s unknown how the child got the gun. So far, no charges have been filed.
14. FOXHOME, MN, 1/11/17: A woman in Foxhome, Minnesota suffered an accidental gunshot wound to her stomach Wednesday morning and had to be flown by air ambulance to Sanford Hospital in Fargo for treatment. The Wilkin County Sheriff’s Office received an emergency call at approximately 9:19 AM Jan. 11 about the accident. The victim, Samantha Pazdernik, was at a residence at 3562 320th Ave. in Foxhome. She appeared to be attempting to put the handgun into a holster when it fired, a release from the sheriff’s office states. Pazdernik is currently in Sanford Hospital in stable condition. In addition to the Wilkin County Sheriff’s Office, rescue responders included Foxhome Rescue, Breckenridge Ambulance Service and Sanford Air Medical.
15. RALEIGH, NC, 1/11/17: The Raleigh Police Department says a 44-year-old man has died after accidentally shooting himself while getting out of a car in the 6500 block of Creedmoor Road Wednesday morning. It happened around 8 AM. Investigators have not identified the man, but coworkers identified him as Andy Moore - the CEO of networking company Iasis and a father of two. Police say there are no signs of foul play.
16. COVINGTON, OH, 1/11/17: An adult male has died after accidentally shooting himself, according to Covington Police Chief Lee Harmon. Harmon said the man was planning to go target shooting with his brother when the incident happened inside a Regency Courts apartment. The man, whose identity has not been released, died after being transported to the hospital. Chief Harmon said there were five people in the house when it happened, three adults and two children. The incident remains under investigation. UPDATE: The Miami County coroner’s office identified the man who accidentally shot himself on Wednesday as David Gargrave. He was 33 years old.
17. PATERSON, NJ, 1/11/17: A 22-year-old city man who was wounded in the 4th Ward on Wednesday night got some bad news while he was being cared for at a hospital. The man, Keith DeVita, ended up being arrested and charged with illegal weapons possession and violating a law that bans convicted felons from having guns, police said. It turns out DeVita’s wound was self-inflicted; he accidentally shot himself in the leg, according to the city's police director, Jerry Speziale. The incident happened at an apartment building on Governor Street at about 9:55 pm, police said. DeVita was taken to Saint Joseph’s Regional Medical Center for treatment, and is currently in stable condition, Speziale said. He is also in police custody, according to the director. "The men and women of the special investigations unit are extremely well-versed in their abilities to see situations for what they are, and anyone that believes they can fool them is fooling themselves,” Speziale said. Police did not disclosed details of DeVita’s previous conviction.
18. LINCOLN CO., MS, 1/11/17: A McComb man is being transferred to University of Mississippi Medical Center after being shot in the arm in a hunting accident this morning, according to a Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department spokesman. Jerry Blackshear, 65, was struck in the left forearm by a bullet from a .308-caliber rifle around 6 AM. Chief deputy Johnny Hall said Blackshear was at a hunting camp on Reeves Road in southern Lincoln County. “He had his rifle on his rack on his four-wheeler. He grabbed the gun off the hunting rack, and it wasn’t on safety,” Hall said. “It went off and hit the lower part of his arm, his elbow.” Blackshear apparently grabbed the gun by the barrel. He used his phone to call for help and was taken by ambulance to Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center. Lane Ball of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks said the incident is a reminder to hunters to be safe. “When you’re on a four-wheeler, there’s no reason to have your gun loaded,” Ball said.
19. DELTA, MO, 1/11/17: Perry County sheriff's deputies arrested an Old Appleton man and his girlfriend Wednesday after he accidentally shot himself in the shoulder in a Delta church parking lot Tuesday, deputies said. The Perry County Prosecuting Attorney's Office charged Eric S. Lindsay, 25, with first-degree burglary, stealing a weapon, second-degree burglary, misdemeanor first-degree trespassing and misdemeanor theft of less than $150. His bond was set at $5,000 cash or surety. The prosecuting attorney also charged Heather A. Bacon, 32, of Perryville, Missouri, with second-degree burglary, misdemeanor trespassing and theft of less than $150. Her bond was set at $5,000 cash or surety. Cape Girardeau County sheriff's deputies were alerted to a woman who ran screaming from a parked vehicle about 10 PM at Amen Center in Delta, according to a probable-cause statement filed in the case by Perry County sheriff's deputy Michael J. Schamburg. Cape Girardeau County sheriff's deputy Zach Snyder found Lindsay with a bullet wound in his shoulder while sitting in the front passenger seat of a 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis, Schamburg wrote. Snyder retrieved a Springfield Armory 9 mm handgun below Lindsay's seat and determined Lindsay shot himself, according to the statement. Snyder ran the gun through a database and discovered it was stolen, Schamburg wrote. The gun was reported stolen Jan. 5 by a woman living in the 200 block of Apple Creek Lane, in Perryville, Schamburg wrote. She said the gun was missing from her top dresser drawer after she noticed a draft in her house from an open window in her living room, according to the statement. Schamburg wrote he observed pry marks on the bottom part of the widow. The victim later discovered several rolls of quarters, dimes, nickels and dollar coins missing from her residence, according tot he statement. Neighbors in the 400 block of Apple Creek Lane said Lindsay and Hooper stayed with them Jan. 2 but left Jan. 3, and a footprint in the snow matched one of Lindsay's as described by a neighbor, Schamburg wrote. Lindsay admitted when he was interviewed by deputies Wednesday he broke into the residence in the 200 block of Apple Creek Lane, according to the statement. He said he stole the handgun and a cash box from the bedroom and a Coca-Cola and water from the refrigerator, Schamburg wrote.
20. GRANDVIEW, MO, 1/11/17: Grandview High School was placed on an external lockdown Wednesday morning. At approximately 8:55 AM a gun was discharged accidentally in a P.E. locker room, according to the school officials. They said all students are safe and no one was injured. The school said students were evacuated from the area and held in their classrooms while police were called to investigate. “The safety of our students and staff is our top priority,” said Sheba Clarke, public relations coordinator for the school district. “Currently an investigation is in process and student discipline will take place according to board policy and statute.“
21. KANSAS CITY, MO, 1/12/17: A Kansas City motorist told police he was shot and robbed of his wallet early Thursday when he tried to give money to a person who appeared to be homeless. Officers were called to a hospital around 12:30 AM on a reported shooting. The victim told officers that he was driving in the area of 23rd Street and Topping Avenue when he stopped for a red light, police said. The motorist said a person who had a sign and appeared to be homeless approached his vehicle. The victim pulled out his wallet to give the man some money but the pedestrian reached into the vehicle and tried to take the motorist’s wallet. The men struggled over the wallet. The victim grabbed his pistol. He accidentally shot himself in the leg during the struggle. The pedestrian ran away. The victim was later taken to a hospital in a private car where he was treated for an injury that was not life threatening.
22. CONCORD, NH, 1/12/17: A New Hampshire lawmaker says she's "mortified" after her loaded gun fell onto the floor during a public hearing on the merits of full-day kindergarten. Republican Rep. Carolyn Halstead, of Milford, says the gun fell off her waistband as she rushed to take her seat Thursday at a House Education Committee meeting. She says her backpack caught on the gun as she took it off. It did not go off, and observers say the hearing carried on without disturbance. Halstead says she quickly put the gun into her bag. It's not a first-time occurrence at the Statehouse. Former Republican Rep. Kyle Tasker dropped his gun during a 2012 committee hearing. It's legal to carry guns on the Statehouse grounds. Halstead says she is licensed to carry her gun concealed.
23. WILLIAMSBURG, KY, 1/12/17: A woman suffered serious injuries after a shooting Thursday morning in Williamsburg. Police say they responded to a reported shooting around 9 AM on Mt. Morgan Road and found Natasha Archer on the ground. She was shot in the shoulder. Archer was flown to the University of Tennessee Medical Center for serious injuries where she is stable. Police say the shooter is Chris Creekmore, but it may have been accidental. Nearby Williamsburg Independent School went under lockdown for a short time after the shooting. Police have not arrested anyone.
24. LEON CO., FL, 1/12/17: A man working with a contracted road cleanup crew along 1-10 was hospitalized Thursday afternoon after a gun he found in a ditch discharged. How the gun went off is still being investigated, said Leon County Sheriff’s Office Spokesman Lt. Grady Jordan. The man is in stable condition. How the gun ended up in a ditch on the shoulder of the east-west highway is also being investigated. Even as LCSO investigators lined the westbound highway around midday, officials were trying to determine what led to the shooting. Jordan said the crew, contracted to pick up trash for the Florida Department of Transportation, found the gun. The crew's conversion van was roped off inside the crime scene tape erected by investigators. LCSO detectives photographed the scene and marked evidence in the ankle-high grass while the crew of about a half-dozen sat waiting.
25. TEMPE, AZ, 1/12/17: Tempe police have identified the woman who died after being shot in the chest Thursday night as 21-year-old Kathrina Durham. Durham was taken to the hospital in critical condition after she was shot by her live-in boyfriend, Bryan McCartney, 25, at their apartment near Kyrene and Elliot roads, according to Sgt. Josie Montenegro, a Tempe Police Department spokeswoman. Police said McCartney grabbed his gun when someone who he didn't initially recognize knocked on the apartment door. After realizing it was just another roommate, police said McCartney was "in the process of making his gun safe" when it discharged and hit Durham. McCartney was arrested and booked into jail on suspicion of manslaughter.
26. ROSWELL, NM, 1/12/17: At about 11:51 PM Thursday, a Roswell police officer was called to Eastern New Mexico Medical Center on West Country Club Road regarding a shooting. According to the incident report, the injury of a 24-year-old man by a handgun was determined to be accidental.
27. COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, 1/12/17: A 19-year-old man was arrested Tuesday after he accidentally shot himself in the leg while on a break from his job at a Colorado Springs car dealership, police said. At about 1:49 PM, police were called to a dealership on the 700 block of Automotive Drive. The employee, Daniel Starkman, was allegedly handling his personal handgun alone in his car when he inadvertently discharged the weapon, said Lt. Robert Weber of Colorado Springs police. Starkman was taken to an area hospital. He was arrested on suspicion of prohibited use of a weapon, served court papers and released, Weber said.
28. MONTANA VISTA, TX, exact date unknown: People in the Montana Vista area tell KFOX14 bullets continue to hit their houses. But for one homeowner, its finally hit too close to home. "We were asleep. I didn't hear it but she did and what it was a big bullet that went right through our window. Our living room window,” Gerardo Garza said. Garza, who has been living in the Montana Vista area for 20 years said bullets have been hitting his home forever the last 10 years, but this year it's gotten a lot worse. "Unfortunately, we keep asking the authorities what they are going to do about it and they say there's nothing they can do about it," Garza said. Sheriff's deputies told Gerardo that the bullet came through the double-pane glass window at head level through the double pain glass window. If somebody had been in this room at the time, they could've been killed. "My main concern is my family,” Garza said. “This, the property, is no big deal. I can buy the window. If they hit one of us, it'd be a different deal." El Paso county commissioner Vince Perez knows this is a problem. He's trying to get no-trespassing signs approved so deputies can try and bring an end to the issue. He says current laws on the books aren't helping fix the issue either. "The key component is tougher enforcement,” Perez said. “But we can't have that tougher enforcement if law enforcement doesn’t have the tools to move forward with the case and that has really been the difficulty." Perez hopes a change to the state law can be made to help those people like Garza. "Here's the proof that people are shooting into our houses. It's not right, man,” Garza said. “This is just not right."
29. COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, 1/13/17: What started as a roadway altercation ended in shots fired along Caviar Court on Friday night. Officers responded shots fired in the 3800 block of Caviar Court at around 11:39 PM. After further investigation, police found that the shot was accidentally fired during an fight between two men. Apparently, one of the guys involved felt slighted in traffic, so he followed the other person home off Caviar Court and began to fight him in the front yard. The driver was cited for misdemeanor harassment for following the other individual home. Police are still unsure as to how the gun got brought out during the fight. This is an ongoing investigation.
30. WEST DES MOINES, IA, 1/13/17: A West Des Moines man accidentally shot a handgun through a basement ceiling and struck his mother who was sleeping upstairs, according to a news release. Gage Kyran Mauk, 21, of West Des Moines, was arrested after he called 911 on Friday morning, saying he accidentally struck his mom, 43-year-old Jennifer Mary Carter. He told investigators he was "manipulating" a handgun in the basement when it shot off at their home in the 300 block of 18th Street. The round traveled through the basement ceiling, through the bed his mom was sleeping in and struck her. Carter suffered non-life threatening injuries and was transported to a hospital. A search warrant was conducted at the home, and Mauk was charged with reckless use of a firearm causing serious injury, possession of schedule I narcotics and two counts of possession of schedule IV narcotics. Mauk was charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance first-offense in October.
31. CARTHAGE, MO, 1/13/17: A 10-year-old Carthage girl died on Friday night at Mercy Hospital Joplin after suffering what police said was an apparent accidental gunshot wound. Carthage police were called shortly before 2 PM Friday to a home in the 1000 block of James Street, where they found the girl unconscious. Officers "rendered aid to the 10-year-old female juvenile victim until Carthage Fire (Department) and Mercy EMS took over," police Chief Greg Dagnan said. The child was taken by ambulance to the hospital, and Carthage police said in a statement issued at 7:30 PM Friday that she was in critical condition. By 8:30 PM, they had received word of her death, Dagnan said. Dagnan said Saturday that “all the evidence and interviews we’ve done so far point to” an accidental shooting. Three minors of various ages were present in the home at the time of the incident; like most districts in the area, Carthage had closed its schools on Friday in anticipation of Winter Storm Jupiter. Dagnan declined to comment on whether any of the other children were involved in the incident. The handgun involved originated in the home, but police have not yet determined to whom it belonged, Dagnan said. Dagnan said his department will not release the girl’s identity or the owner of the handgun until Monday, when he expects an autopsy to conclude that the death was a "tragic accident." Dagnan declined to elaborate further on the circumstances of the shooting until the autopsy had been completed. The department continues to collect evidence and interview people involved in the incident. MORE: Carthage police identified the victim Tuesday in a news release as Sa'nya LaTrinity Faith Hill.
32. CAMPBELLSVILLE, KY, 1/13/17: A Campbellsville woman died Friday afternoon at a Bell Avenue residence from a gunshot wound the Campbellsville Police Department says was probably accidental. Taylor County Coroner Daniel Cook pronounced Mindi Keith, 33, dead at the scene of the shooting on 212 Bell Ave., according to a Campbellsville Police Department report. Police say the shooting took place shortly after 3 PM on Friday.  While the case is still under investigation, the police at this time believe the shooting was accidental; an unnamed person was cleaning a firearm when they shot Keith, the police report says. An obituary stated that Keith, a member of Robinson Creek Baptist Church, was a cashier at All Star Truck Stop and had spent time volunteering as a Girl Scout leader. She was married to Randy Keith. “She loved all animals, but especially her fur baby, Hooch,” according to the obituary. “Although Mindi had many things she enjoyed, spending time with her daughter, Rebecca, was number one.” Her funeral was on Tuesday at Parrott & Ramsey Funeral Home.
33. YODER, KS, 1/14/17: Authorities say a man accidentally was shot while trying to help kill a buffalo at a south-central Kansas meat-processing business. The Reno County Sheriff’s Department says Duane Helms of Moundridge was wounded in the leg shortly before 12:30 PM Friday at Yoder Meats in Yoder. Authorities say Helms was assisting a Yoder Meats employee in trying to shoot a buffalo so the animal could be butchered. The sheriff’s department says a Yoder Meats employee with a rifle was atop a ladder, trying to shoot a buffalo confined in a trailer, when the animal turned, jarring the ladder and knocking the employee off balance. That’s when the rifle discharged, shooting Helms. The department did not immediately disclose Helms’ medical status Saturday.
34. FALL RIVER, MA, 1/14/17: A 70-year-old man accidentally shot himself in the leg last weekend at a firing range in Fall River, police reported. The victim was transported to Rhode Island Hospital with what was described as a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to one leg, Fall River police Lt. Ronald Furtado said. The incident occurred around 11:30 AM Saturday at the firing range at 1 Adirondack Lane. Furtado said several Fall River police officers were at the range when the victim shot himself. Furtado said the victim was either holstering his weapon or removing it from the holster when a piece of clothing became stuck to the firearm, causing the accidental discharge. Police officers at the scene provided first aid until paramedics arrived and transported the victim to Rhode Island Hospital, Furtado said.
35. CORONA, CA, 1/14/17: An accidental shooting at a Corona-area gun range left a man dead on Saturday, Jan. 14, sheriff's officials say. The shooting occurred just before noon at Raahauge Shooting Enterprises, 14995 River Road near Corona, said Riverside County sheriff's Deputy Mike Vasquez. Responding deputies found an adult male suffering from a gunshot. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Vasquez said. The gun range was closed for the afternoon while the Sheriff's Department conducted its investigation.
36. HUMBOLDT CO., CA, 1/14/17: As of 9 PM, a victim with an accidental gunshot wound to his/her hand is headed in a pickup towards Jerold Phelps Community Hospital in Garberville from the Telegraph Ridge area west of Redway. Emergency responders from local fire departments are rushing to meet the pickup. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department is also responding to the incident.UPDATE 9:35 p.m.: The ambulance met up with the pickup carrying the wounded man and is now transporting him.
37. LOS ANGELES, CA, 1/14/17: Residential burglary: 8 AM Jan. 14, 23300 block of South Western Avenue. The victim heard noises in the garage, saw someone inside the garage, ran upstairs to arm himself and accidentally discharged a round in the residence. The would-be burglar fled.
38. RENO, NV, 1/14/17: Reno police say a local man has been arrested in the apparently accidental shooting of another man in a hotel room. Police say detectives determined that 23-yar-old Deandre Richie was handing the firearm early Saturday morning when it discharged, fatally wounding the victim in the chest. Police also say that although there was no altercation or malicious intent by Richie to shoot the victim, he was arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter as well as possession of a stolen firearm and carrying a concealed weapon. Richie remains jailed and it's not immediately known whether he has an attorney who could comment on the allegations. The victim's identity was not released.
39. SEMINOLE, FL, 1/14/17: Deputies responded to a call about a shooting incident around 11:15 PM on Saturday at a house located at 11439 60th Terrace North in Seminole. Detectives with the Crimes Against Children responded to the scene to investigate after a 17-year-old victim was reported with a gunshot wound from a handgun, along with three other male juveniles. The victim was sent to be treated at the Bayfront Medical Hospital. 17-year-old Jacob McMann told deputies that the shooting happened as a result of a home invasion robbery attempt and that the juveniles did not know who shot the victim. After detectives had an opportunity to talk to the juvenile witnesses, it was discovered that the teens had been smoking marijuana and McMann was playing with the handgun when he accidentally pulled the trigger. Deputies also discovered that the gun used was reported as stolen following a home burglary in the area on December 9. McMann was also on probation for possession of a controlled substance, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. McMann has been charged with multiple charges, including delinquent possession of a gun and ammunition, negligence, resisting arrest via obstruction, and a felony count of violation of probation. Detectives are investigating for further details.
40. BUFFALO, SC, 1/14/17: A typical hunting trip turned into a nightmare on Saturday for one Upstate man. Sheriff Taylor of the Union County Sheriff's Office confirmed that a man from Union, South Carolina was wounded during a hunting trip accident in the area. Family of the victim says the man was shot in the abdomen, thigh and lower part of his back. They say it was a 12-year-old boy who accidentally shot the man. According to the victim's Mother- in-law, they were all quail hunting on the his land when the incident happened. The victim's family says that he was taken first to Union Hospital before being transported by EMT to Spartanburg Regional Trauma following the shooting. Luckily, Sheriff Taylor said the victim's injuries were non-life threatening, noting that had already been treated at a hospital and released.
41. KANKAKEE, IL, 1/14/17: Police believe a 21-year-old Kankakee man accidentally shot himself in the leg early Saturday morning in the northeastern part of the city. Riverside Medical Center informed police at about 1 AM that a man had been shot in his upper left leg. The patient said he had been shot not far from his home. Jay Etzel, investigations commander of the Kankakee Police Department, said evidence suggests the shooting was self-inflicted. Police have not recovered a firearm, and the victim does not have a registered FOID card. The investigation is ongoing.
42. TOLEDO, OH, 1/14/17: Toledo police have arrested a 19-year-old man accused of shooting and killing a 14-year-old Thursday night. Officers were called to the 1500 block of East Broadway, near Oakdale just after 7 PM. According to police, Dominique Alexander, 14, had been shot at least once. He was taken to St. Vincent's Hospital where he later died. During the investigation, officers arrested Leonard Temple, 19, a friend of the victim. He's charged with reckless homicide, child endangering and tampering with evidence. Though, police charged Temple with reckless homicide, they know he didn’t plan it and don’t believe he wanted to do it. But what he was doing at the time when the gun went off was wrong. “More of an unfortunate set of circumstances than anything else,” Lt. Joe Heffernan said. “Yet again, we have another young life lost because of an unsecured gun in the home and falls in the wrong hands and is mishandled, and now, we have a 14-year-old dead.” Police are still working to determine who was the owner of the gun and why it was unsecure and left within reach of Temple. Alexander was an eighth grader at East Broadway Elementary School. A TPS spokesperson says grief counselors are on hand at the school for students and staff. Temple is currently being held in jail on a $500,000 bond. He will be back in court on Jan. 17. Regardless of the answers police are looking for, Alexander is the third, young life lost in Toledo within a month, after a gun has been left out in a home. It is the second homicide of the year for the city of Toledo. The police department recently purchased gun locks and are working to have an event to get them out to those who need them. If you can’t wait, they are available at the Safety Building downtown.
43. NORTH COLLEGE HILL, OH, 1/14/17: Three teenagers are in custody after police say they attempted to rob a home in North College Hill. Police said the trio broke into a home around 11:30 PM Saturday in the 6800 block of Parish Road. Authorities said during the attempted robbery, one of the teens accidentally shot himself in the leg. He was taken to UC Medical Center from the scene. His condition was not immediately available. The two others were arrested.
44. NOBLE TOWNSHIP, OH, 1/14/17: A Defiance man was injured in accidental shooting early Saturday. According to the Defiance County Sheriff's's Office, Matthew Lawson, 21, 1000 Ralston Ave., accidentally shot himself in the leg with a firearm, at around 4:30 AM at 1507 Mustang Drive in Noble Township. He was taken by the Defiance Fire Department to ProMedica Defiance Regional Hospital before being flown to Toledo Hospital with a non-life threatening injury, according to a sheriff’s deputy. Lawson was listed in “critical” but stable condition Saturday night. No charges were filed.
45. VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, 1/14/17: A man trying to clean his gun shot himself, sustaining a nonlife-threatening wound, according to Virginia Beach Police. Around 3:50 PM, police received a call about an accidental discharge of a firearm in the 1600 block of Michigan Ave. The man was taken to a hospital for treatment.
46. CROSSVILLE, TN, 1/14/17: A Crossville man has been charged in the shooting death of a woman in his home early Saturday morning. Michael Dale, 26, got in an altercation with another man inside his home on the 1000 block of Old Mail Road in Crossville. During the fight, Dale fired a shotgun inside the house. Projectiles from the gunshot went through an interior wall, hitting and killing 21-year-old Kelsey Nicole Brady in the next room. Dale is charged with aggravated assault resulting in death, reckless homicide and aggravated assault. As of yesterday, Dale was being held in the Cumberland County Jail on $200,000 bond. The arrest was the result of a joint investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Crossville Police Department.
47. TISHOMINGO CO., MS, 1/14/17: A Tishomingo County boy is recovering from what appears to be an accidental gunshot wound. The Tishomingo County Sheriff’s Department was called to the North Mississippi Medical Center–Iuka on Saturday about a person who had been shot. After talking with family members, deputies discovered that the juvenile male and a brother had been target shooting with a 9 mm pistol. When the victim attempted to disassemble the weapon, he accidentally shot himself in the abdomen. The victim was transported Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital where he underwent surgery and was listed in critical condition. The incident is being treated as an accidental shooting, and no charges are being filed at this time.
48. VALDOSTA, GA, 1/14/17: A Valdosta man has been arrested after allegedly shooting a man and then accidentally shooting himself during an altercation at a liquor store Saturday night. At approximately 9:40 PM, Lowndes County E-911 received a disturbance call for service at a local business. Employees with the “Hill Street Booze” (414 E Hill Avenue) reported that two subjects were arguing and that one possibly had a firearm, said Lt. Adam Bembry with the Valdosta Police Department. “Uniformed patrol units with the Valdosta Police Department were dispatched to the incident location to investigate. While en route, a report of shots fired was also received through the 911 dispatcher,” Bembry said. “Patrol units arrived on scene but did not locate any injured subjects. Witnesses advised that possibly two subjects had been shot but were no longer on scene.” Investigators reportedly learned that the victim had been transported to the Emergency Room by a friend. VPD Detectives and Crime Scene Technicians with the Valdosta/Regional Crime Lab responded to the scene to assist in the investigation, Bembry said. “Through the investigation, it was learned that the offender, Leroy Brown, got into a verbal altercation with a customer in the store. The customer attempted to leave the premises to avoid Brown; however, detectives determined that Brown pulled out a pistol and shot the subject in the arm,” said Bembry. “Witnesses to the incident attempted to physically restrain Brown after shooting the customer. While they were struggling over the gun, Brown’s gun discharged a second time, striking Brown in the leg.” Brown was reportedly found at a private residence shortly after the altercation with a gunshot wound to his leg. He was taken to the Emergency Room as well for treatment and then booked into the Lowndes County Jail on multiple charges, reports stated. Leroy Brown, 58, now faces charges of Aggravated Assault (Felony), Aggravated Battery (Felony), Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime (Felony) and Criminal Damage to Property (Felony). “The Valdosta Police Department commends the citizens who attempted to restrain the offender in this case from continuing to discharge his firearm in an attempt to commit further violence. The witnesses in this case who assisted Valdosta Police Officers while investigating are also recognized,” said Bembry.
49. ODESSA, TX, 1/14/17: 23-year-old Rio Grande City man was arrested over the weekend on two active warrants following his treatment for a self-inflicted, accidental gunshot wound in the men’s room of the Jaguars Gold Club. Juan Trevino reportedly gave Ector County Sheriff’s Office authorities a false name during his account of what happened Saturday night at the club. Trevino reportedly claimed a Hispanic man he argued with at the parking lot shot at him twice, leaving him with a gunshot wound to his left thigh, Sgt. Gary Duesler said Tuesday. But a sheriff’s official went back to the Jaguars Gold Club, reviewed several pieces of surveillance footage and found nothing that corroborated what Trevino told authorities. A spent bullet casing from a .38 Smith & Wesson gun was found in his clothes and Trevino reportedly told sheriff’s authorities later that he didn’t want to say anything further because he was under the influence, Duesler said. At some point Trevino reportedly told authorities that he accidentally shot himself in the bathroom and that one of his cousins he attended the club with dialed 911, Duesler said. A sheriff’s deputy Saturday said that a witness tried taking Trevino to the hospital but apparently got lost and ended up near an industrial site at Proctor Avenue and Cargo Road. Trevino was taken by ambulance to Medical Center Hospital for treatment of his injury and was released. Trevino, 124 Woods Brothers Road, was arrested on one warrant out of Hidalgo County that revoked his probation on a charge of driving while intoxicated. The second warrant was out of Cameron County on a burglary to a vehicle charge, Duesler said. Trevino was being held Tuesday at the Ector County Detention Center on no bond for either of the two warrants.