Monday, April 24, 2017

Waldman's GunFail

Is that a tax refund in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me? GunFAIL CCXXXIV
By David Waldman  
Ten of the 79 guns discovered by TSA agents at airports across the country, during the week of February 20-26,2017.
Ten of the 79 guns discovered by TSA agents at airports across the country, during the week of February 20-26,2017.
REBLOGGED BY
TAGS
Life has intervened and left me playing catch-up once again, lest you think GunFAIL actually stopped at some point. GunFAIL never stops.
Picking things up from when we last left off in mid-Feburary, the week of the February 19-25 was a humdinger. I don’t know what was going on in gun world, but that week saw 79 forgotten guns picked up by TSA agents in the carry-on luggage of airline travelers across the country, 21 people who accidentally shot themselves, 12 kids accidentally shot, 9 accidental gun fatalities, 8 law enforcement officers involved in gun accidents, 8 people who accidentally fired their weapons while out shopping and dining among the rest of us, 8 people who accidentally shot family members or significant others, 4 people who accidentally fired their guns while cleaning or disassembling them, and 3 who accidentally fired them into neighboring homes and apartments.
We also had one incident each in some of our more familiar oddball categories, including our first accidental shooting by a dog this year (Florida, of course), another gun-carrying state legislator who (just this one time, I swear!) left his loaded pistol behind at a hearing (Virginia), another accidental discharge in a public bathroom, this time in a porta-potty at a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, which of course ended up hitting someone in the crowd.
Another returning theme, but one I didn’t necessarily expect to see again: another gun accident involving a (former) Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office auxiliary officer. You may remember these guys as the unpaid hobbyist cops commissioned by disgraced former Tulsa County Sheriff Stanley Glanz, one of whom—local insurance executive Robert Bates—thought he had drawn a taser instead of his firearm, fatally shot Eric Harris on April 2, 2015. Nothing quite so tragic this time, thankfully. But there were a few bystanders injured by shrapnel this time, when off-duty Wagoner County reserve deputy Michael Witham’s gun “went off on its own accord” in the White River Fish Market restaurant in Broken Arrow, OK. How strange!
Finally, our title story: Yay! I got a $7,000 tax refund! Boo! I put it in the same pocket as my gun, which I swear, I usually keep in a holster, but today I decided to cram my gun into the same pocket as that giant wad of cash. Then, my girlfriend reached into my pocket to try to get my money, before I could tell her I also had my gun in there, and, well… at least I know I can cover my initial medical expenses in cash.
Those stories and—unfortunately—much, much more, below the fold.
  1. THURMOND, NC, 2/19/17: A 2-year-old boy accidentally shot himself after he found his parents’ handgun in their vehicle on Sunday, according to a press release. The child pulled the gun from the driver’s side door and accidentally shot himself in the chest, according to the incident report. It happened around 5:32 PM at 407 Chuckwood Road in Thurmond. He was taken to Brenner Children’s Hospital in Winston-Salem and his current condition is unknown. The child’s mother told FOX8’s Michael Hennessey the gun was placed in their truck on Saturday so the child’s father could put down an animal on the farm. On Sunday, the family was playing outside, the mom said. They needed to do some work on the farm and the child was in the truck with his father as they went to a garage on the property to get some equipment. The father was only feet outside of the truck—which was off with the windows down—and the mother was about 100 feet away watching them, when the shot went off, the mother said. They realized that the child had shot himself in the chest and immediately drove him to Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital in Elkin. From there, he was airlifted to Brenner. The child’s mother said today, the 2-year-old is recovering—alert, talking and laughing—and they expect he will be moved out of the ICU tonight. The investigation is ongoing.
  2. HICKORY, NC, 2/19/17: An accidental shooting in Catawba County resulted in injuries to two boys. According to published reports, pellets from the boys' father's shotgun ricocheted off a wall and hit two of his children. The boys are ten and eight-years-old. Both have been treated and released from the hospital. The father has been charged in the incident.
  3. MEMPHIS, TN, 2/19/17: The grandmother of a 4-year-old who was shot Sunday night in Memphis has been charged. Diane Nellums was charged with child abuse and neglect after police say her three-year-old grandson shot his four-year-old brother inside a home on Mirror Avenue in Frayser. Memphis Police said they initially showed up to the house just before 8 PM Sunday night after a report someone had fired shots at the house. "At the time they were investigating you heard another pop. Like I said, all the other police were there and they ran in the house and found a child had been shot," said neighbor Chris Hill. Police said the child shot his brother in the arm. The injured victim is expected to be okay. Nellums told officers she came out of the house and fired several shots in the ground to scare off whoever was shooting at their house. Initial information said she put the gun in a lock box but did not lock it. In an affidavit WREG obtained Monday, police said she left the gun in plain view in the living room. The three-year-old picked it up and dropped it, accidentally shooting his four-year-old brother.
  4. OAK HILL, OH, 2/19/17: The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate an accidental shooting that occurred outside the Village of Oak Hill Sunday evening. While details of the shooting are very limited at this time, it is known that shortly after 7 PM law enforcement officers were dispatched to a call about two unidentified 17-year-old males being involved in a shooting that happened at a residence on State Route 233 just south of Oak Hill. Oak Hill Police Officers were the first to respond followed by deputies from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. Reportedly the weapon belonged to a juvenile at that location while the victim was from the Groveport area. The juvenile male was reportedly showing off the 9-millimeter pistol to his friend in his bedroom. The male allegedly removed the magazine but did not realize there was a round still in the chamber and when he moved the slide he accidentally hit the trigger and the bullet struck his friend in the top of the foot. Upon arrival at the scene deputies observed the victim being loaded into an ambulance and spoke with him briefly. He was able to tell them the shooting was an accident. The deputies collected evidence and took statements at the scene. The injured male was transported by Jackson County EMS to the old Oak Hill High School football lot where the Madison-Jefferson Fire Department had set up a landing zone for the MedFlight helicopter. The male was transported by the helicopter to a hospital in West Virginia around 8 PM. Because of the ages of those involved and the report that it was an accidental shooting, it is unclear as to whether charges will be sought in the case.
  5. BATON ROUGE, LA, 2/19/17: A convicted felon is reportedly back behind bars where he is recovering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. According to the probable cause report submitted by the Baton Rouge Police Department, police were called to Elm Drive near Shelley Street around 5:15 PM Sunday evening. When emergency responders arrived on scene, they found Christopher Chatman, 26, suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg. The probable cause report states that Chatman initially told police that he didn't know who shot him. However, the officer saw a box of ammo near his foot and that's when he allegedly changed his story. Police say Chatman admitted to having a gun and that it accidentally went off in his pocket. Chatman was transported to the hospital and treated for his injury. Due to his status as a convicted felon, police charged him with felon in possession of a firearm, illegal use of a weapon, firearm altered, illegal carrying of a weapon, and criminal mischief. Records for the 19th Judicial District Court show that Chatman has prior convictions for possession of synthetic marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
  6. RIVERVIEW, FL, 2/19/17: Hillsborough County Deputies arrested a Riverview man they say shot a woman in the back inside of his home early Sunday morning. According to a search warrant of the home in the Towne Estates subdivision, 41-year-old Edward Castro initially told 911 dispatchers he was outside of his home when an "unknown suspect" shot the woman in his 2nd story bathroom. Castro appeared to leave the woman while being directed to render aid until emergency crews arrived, according to the warrant. Castro also told deputies he did not own a gun. According to neighbors, deputies spent about 12 hours searching the home and surrounding areas, including a pond and a neighbor's vehicles, for the weapon used in the crime. Deputies finally found two guns hidden in a bush two houses down. Deputies say Castro eventually admitted to the shooting, but says it was accidental. Arrest documents show Castro is on felony probation. He claimed he denied the shooting and hid his guns because he was afraid he would get into trouble. We are not identifying the woman or her relationship to Castro because she is the victim of a crime.
  7. LINDEN, NJ, 2/19/17: A Newark man is facing weapons and marijuana charges after he allegedly shot himself in the leg with a stolen gun. Around 9:30 PM Sunday, police were called to the 400 block of West Edgar Road, also known as Routes 1&9, for a report of shots fired. When police arrived, they found Mario Buchanan, 22, bleeding for an apparent gunshot wound to his leg. Linden detectives investigated and determined the injury was self-inflicted. Police recovered a stolen H&R .22-caliber revolver and a quantity of marijuana. Buchanan was transported to University Hospital in Newark, where he was treated and released, police said. “This arrest was possible because average citizens picked up the phone and reported suspicious activity.” said Linden Patrol Capt. Michael Saake. “Our ability to respond to and investigate cases like this relies on the cooperation of the public.” Police said Buchanan was charged with second-degree possession of a weapon, third-degree possession of stolen property, and possession of marijuana, a disorderly persons offense. He was transported to the Union County Jail  in Elizabeth pending a court appearance.
  8. HILTON, NY, 2/19/17: The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office tells us that two jail deputies were injured after a gun was accidentally fired. Deputies say that they believe the incident happened early Sunday morning, a little after midnight, at a residence on Doud Circle in Hilton. They say that the gun had reportedly just been field stripped and cleaned, which deputies tell us was done while the gun was not loaded, and the gun was loaded after. After the cleaning, deputies say they believe the gun was dropped by one of the jail deputies. The trigger was grabbed as it was falling and it went off. They tell us that the jail deputy who reportedly dropped the gun and attempted to catch it was shot in the hand and leg. The other jail deputy was hit by a fragment in the lower leg. Fortunately their injuries are not considered life threatening. Deputies say that no charges are expected.
  9. SWEDEN, NY, 2/20/17: A man was rushed to the hospital after a shooting in the Town of Sweden Monday evening. According to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, the accidental shooting happened in a wooded area near 6142 Lake Road around 6:30 PM. Deputies say 42-year-old Brett Blackburn and his son were on their property hunting for coyotes when they saw movement in the field. Blackburn used a light to illuminate the area of movement, and observed light he thought to be the eyes of a coyote, according to deputies. According to deputies, Blackburn fired his rifle and then heard someone yell. He assisted the victim, 32-year-old Robert Williams, who was shot in the abdomen. Blackburn’s son called 911. Deputies used an ATV to reach the man and he was transported by ambulance to Strong Memorial Hospital. Investigators say he sustained life threatening injuries. We're told the father and son did not know the victim. Brett Blackburn was charged with second degree assault and arraigned in Sweden Town Court. Bail was set at $1,500 cash/$5,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday, February 24.
  10. SARASOTA, FL, 2/20/17: A husband and wife are both recovering after being shot at their home off Signal Pointe Circle in Sarasota. The call came into police Monday afternoon. According to the Sarasota Police Department, the husband and wife were cleaning the gun went it went off. The husband was shot in the hand, and the bullet then struck the wife in the leg. The case is considered an accident and is being investigated as such.
  11. FARMINGTON, NH, 2/20/17: A man was hospitalized after his gun accidentally discharged and struck him in the leg. Farmington Police Sgt. Matt Embrey said first responders were dispatched to Tire Guys & Express Service at 11:54 AM on Monday after a report of a man accidentally shooting himself in the leg. Dylan Garrity, 19, of Farmington, told police that he was sitting in his vehicle in the parking lot of Tire Guys on Rt. 11 and was checking his small caliber pistol to ensure it was unloaded. During that time, the gun accidentally discharged and struck him in the lower part of the calf, Embrey said. Officers at the scene determined it was accidental, he said. Embrey said when officers arrived, they found employees from Tire Guys performing first aid on Garrity. He was transported to Frisbie Memorial Hospital in Rochester by Farmington Fire and Rescue with non-life-threatening injuries. Embrey said the Farmington Police encourages the safe handling of firearms at all times.
  12. MASSILLON, OH, 2/20/17: The 10-year-old boy who was shot Monday was injured by his brother as they played with a gun. Massillon police and city officials said Chandler Woods and his 16-year-old brother were playing with a gun when the younger brother was accidentally shot in the shoulder, according to a news release. The case has been forwarded to the Stark County Juvenile Prosecutor's Office for review to determine if charges will be filed.
  13. HARRISONBURG, LA, 2/20/17: On Monday, around 10:20 PM, a Harrisonburg Police officer was flagged down by a male subject. He was later identified as Jonathan Scott Williamson, 43, from Harrisonburg, La. Williamson told the officer that he had just accidentally shot his girlfriend in the head with a 22 rifle. The victim was identified as Shelley Mixon Waller, 44, from Harrisonburg. She was transported to the Rapides Medical Center in Alexandria, La., where she was on life support and later died from her injures on Wednesday. Detectives interviewed Williamson and other witnesses, which ended in warrants being obtained for the suspect for Attempted Manslaughter, but those charges are expected to be upgraded to Manslaughter. He was arrested and booked into the Catahoula Parish Jail late Tuesday evening.
  14. CORSICANA, TX, 2/20/17: Police responded to a medical emergency where a man accidentally shot himself Feb. 20 in the 2000 block of N. Beaton St.
  15. GREEN BAY, WI, 2/20/17: A 20-year-old man is dead after he was shot in the head early Monday morning. Green Bay police say the shooting happened just before 3:30 AM in the 1800 block of Harold Street. "I got up and I looked outside and I saw the cops across the street and I didn't know what was going on," said Gary Verheyden. Verheyden lives across the street from where the shooting took place. "I was just sitting down in my chair, and I heard like a little pop and I just assumed it was a paperboy throwing a paper on the porch and that, I didn't think anything of it," said Verheyden. Bryant Ellis, 18, was arrested on potential charges of first-degree reckless homicide. Ellis has not yet been formally charged and is expected in court later this week. "What appears to have happened, was two friends, or acquaintances, were in the room together, and they were playing with a gun, it went off and the one person was shot in the head," explained investigating Cmdr. Jim Runge of the Green Bay Police Department. Runge added drugs and alcohol were factors in the shooting. "I think we'll wrap this up pretty quickly and then hand it over to the district attorney," said Runge. The victim's name has not been released, pending notification of the family.
  16. REDMOND, OR, 2/20/17: A 24-year-old Redmond man has been arrested on assault and other charges, accused of firing a gunshot at his home, sending the bullet through a wall and fence and into a neighbor’s home, where it bounced off the head of a woman watching TV, officers said. Deschutes County 911 dispatchers received a call around 9:45 PM Monday from a resident in the 2400 block of Southwest Wickiup Court who reported a bullet had entered the home and “bounced” off the head of a resident who was sitting watching television, Lt. Curtis Chambers said Wednesday. Responding officers confirmed there were no injuries and found the bullet on the floor, where it came to rest, Chambers said. An initial investigation confirmed the bullet entered the house from outside, going through a fence, exterior wall and picture frame before striking the resident’s head, he said. "There were two people inside the victim's residence," Chambers said. "The bullet bounced off the head of one of them." Other officers searching the area found an apparent bullet hole on the exterior of another house along Wickiup Avenue, directly south of where the bullet came to rest, Chambers said. Officers contacted and detained a resident, Ryan Pine, and found a 9mm gun in a bedroom, along with a spent 9mm casing, the officer said. Pine was arrested and taken to the county jail in Bend, facing charges of third-degree assault, five counts of recklessly endangering another person, two counts of second-degree child neglect, second-degree criminal mischief and an outstanding in-state arrest warrant. Online jail records indicate a probation violation and bail of $45,000 pending a Feb. 28 court appearance. Chambers said police won’t release the exact circumstances about how or why the gun was fired, but added that police believe “the discharge of the firearm was not intended to harm any other person.” He added that drug and alcohol impairment appear to be contributing factors. “The walls and fences of our homes provide a false sense of protection when comes to high-velocity projectiles, such as a bullet from a firearm,” Chambers wrote in a news release.  “The Redmond Police Department would like to remind all people it is a crime to discharge any firearm within a city limit.  Cities have a high population density. Therefore there is an increased risk of unintentional injuries or property damage when a firearm is discharged within a city. “We would also like to remind everyone of the four cardinal rules of firearm safety: 1. Always treat all firearms as if they were loaded. 2. Never allow the muzzle of any firearm to point at anything you are not willing to destroy. 3. Never put your finger near the trigger until you are ready to fire. 4. Always be sure of your target, and what is behind and in front of it.”
  17. RICHMOND, VA, 2/20/17: Entering the General Assembly Building in Richmond, visitors are subject to screening, must walk through metal detectors and past signs that warn against the carrying of firearms. As in so many things, lawmakers are subject to a different set of rules. Since the building is under control of the legislature’s majority Republican Party, members have also been permitted to carry concealed firearms if licensed to do so. There is, of course, an expectation that those who choose to exercise that privilege will do so responsibly. Still, accidents happen—as in 2006 when, as the Richmond Times-Dispatch reminded readers this week, “then-Del. John S. Reid, R-Henrico, accidentally fired a gun he was unloading in his office.” And then there’s Sen. John Cosgrove Jr., the Republican from Chesapeake. He says he learned a lesson about responsible gun ownership on Monday, when the handgun he legally carries was left behind in a General Assembly committee room. He later explained to a reporter that the holster he wears on his belt was instead attached to his pants, where it was apparently not secure. He was without the weapon for about 20 minutes—it was discovered by another senator—and he told a reporter it was never a threat: “No bullet in the chamber. Safety was on,” he said. That’s nowhere near enough, of course, and Cosgrove knows that. The first rule of gun safety is to know where your weapon is at all times. Cosgrove is a fierce defender of the Second Amendment and has led the charge to turn back proposals to limit access to firearms in Virginia. The retired naval officer wears his A+ rating from the National Rifle Association proudly. It doesn’t often need to be said, but Cosgrove clearly needs a reminder: Gun advocates need to do more than preach responsibility. They have to exercise it. More importantly, they need to set an example.
  18. MARTIN, TN, exact date unknown: What police call an accident involving a gun at Chapel Ridge apartments in Martin have many worried about how firearms are being stored and handled. “A gun can go off anytime you’re handling it, and you can instantly put other people in jeopardy,” Capt. Phillip Fuqua with the Martin Police Department said. Martin police say 24-year-old Lamont Harris accidentally fired his Glock 9 mm, sending a round through his wall and into his neighbor’s apartment. The bullet went through his neighbor’s headboard, a dresser on the opposite side of the room, an interior wall and into a closet. No one was hurt, but residents say someone could easily have been killed. “It’s got me scared now,” Yasmine Askins, a resident of the area, said. “I need to start to watch out the windows and keep my kids in the house.” Martin police officers described this case as strange but said something like it has happened recently. “Probably two or three years ago, we had this exact same thing happen on the south side of town in an apartment complex,” Fuqua said. Fuqua said even though they were accidents, the dangers are the same. He says people should use this as a reminder to properly store their firearms and use a gun lock when indoors. “Be aware of where the muzzle is pointing, assume all guns are loaded and never put your finger inside the trigger guard until you’re ready to fire a weapon,” he said. Harris was issued a citation for firing a gun in the city limits and was also given a criminal summons for reckless endangerment.
  19. CHESTER, PA, 2/21/17: A Chester police officer was injured when he accidentally shot himself, authorities confirm to Action News. It happened around 1 PM Tuesday at the Chester Police Station. Officials say the officer suffered a graze wound to the leg and was taken to Crozer Chester Medical Center for care. His injuries are said not to be serious and he is expected to return to duty in a short time. The incident remains under investigation.
  20. MCKEES ROCKS, PA, 2/21/17: A Sheraden man charged with fatally shooting a teenager Tuesday evening in McKees Rocks contacted the victim’s mother a day later and apologized for what he had done, according to police. William “Willie” Hoston, 19, told the mother of Jihad Cromer, 18, that she could have everything he owned, but he knew it could not change what had happened. Allegheny County Police arrested Mr. Hoston on Thursday and charged him with homicide and carrying a firearm without a license in the death of Jihad, a former Sto-Rox High School basketball player. Police said Mr. Hoston and another man were in Jihad’s house on Robb Avenue playing video games and smoking marijuana about the time of the shooting, around 6:30 PM, according to a police affidavit. Mr. Hoston told police he was disassembling a handgun when, with a flash, it accidentally fired. Jihad collapsed from a gunshot wound to his head. Mr. Hoston told police he ran from the residence and went to his grandparents’ home. Jihad was taken to Allegheny General Hospital, where was pronounced dead at 9:50 PM. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office ruled his death a homicide. Investigators said they pegged Mr. Hoston as a suspect after talking with Jihad’s mother, whose full name was not disclosed in a police affidavit. She told police multiple people had approached her and told her “Willie” had shot Jihad and was going to turn himself in. She also said Mr. Hoston called her about 10:30 PM Wednesday and apologized to her. Mr. Hoston later told investigators that during their conversation, Jihad’s mother forgave him. Mr. Hoston called police Wednesday and told them he was at his mother’s apartment in Duquesne. Officers went to the Harry S. Truman high-rise at 25 N. Second St., where they took Mr. Hoston into custody. Court records show Mr. Hoston faces upcoming trials in two cases—one for burglary, the other robbery—stemming from incidents in August and December. Police said Mr. Hoston also was wanted on drug charges in McKees Rocks. Mr. Hoston was being held in the Allegheny County Jail. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for March 10.
  21. BLOOMINGTON, IN, 2/21/17: It was minutes after Nathon Scott left his friends Tuesday that Malik Parker allegedly shot 18-year-old Anthony Andrews in the neck, killing a lifelong friend with a rifle he said he did not realize was loaded. The three were like brothers, Scott said Thursday outside a Monroe County courtroom after 21-year-old Parker’s initial hearing on a reckless homicide charge. “I lost a brother, and my other brother is in jail,” the anguished 22-year-old said. Scott had been at the South Camden Drive house where the shooting happened, hanging out with his buddies, until 3:35 Tuesday afternoon. He then left to go to work at the Bob Evans restaurant, where he is a cook. As he drove on Patterson Drive, four Bloomington Police Department cruisers flew by, lights flashing. “I thought there had been a bad wreck,” he said, shaking his head, lamenting his timing. “If I had just stayed there 10 minutes longer, maybe ...” A 17-year-old who was at the house called 911 at 3:41 PM to report an accidental shooting. He held a towel on Andrews’ neck, trying to stop the bleeding. Scott said he had warned his friends about the danger of having loaded guns lying around. “If I’d have been there, I would have told Malik to put the damn gun down now.” Police say Andrews, a Bloomington High School South senior who went by the nickname “Big Bird,” was shot with his own .22-caliber rifle, purchased on his 18th birthday. The gun’s stock was missing, and it was loaded with a magazine. It had been on a bed in a room where the men had been smoking what is called “shatter,” a concentrated form of THC made into a hard resin that is chipped into pieces and smoked, police say. Andrews attended Arlington Heights Elementary School, Batchelor Middle School and then Bloomington High School North before transferring to South his junior year. Grief counselors are available for students and staff at both high schools. Students left notes of condolence at Andrews’ locker at school this week. Family members gathered his belongings from the locker Thursday morning, and told school officials they plan to place the letters in Andrews’ coffin. A candlelight vigil for him is set for 7 PM Friday in front of BHS South. During Thursday’s court hearing, Monroe Circuit Court Judge Mary Ellen Diekhoff appointed a public defender to represent Parker and set a preliminary trial date of Oct. 10. His bond is set at $10,500 and his mother, Cynthia Parker, said she is hoping to get him released from jail soon. “He’s a good kid. He works hard, and he’s the kind of person who would give you the shirt off his back,” she said after the hearing. Her son works nights at McDonald’s on Bloomington’s west side. Police say the deadly combination of drugs and guns played out that afternoon. “We know drugs are involved with violent crime at a ridiculous level,” BPD Capt. Steve Kellams said. “And unfortunately, you see it right here.”
  22. MCCOOK, NE, 2/21/17: No one was injured when an off-duty Red Willow County sheriff's deputy accidentally discharged his service revolver in his McCook apartment about 4 AM, today. Sheriff Alan Kotschwar said the deputy was cleaning his .40-caliber handgun when it discharged. The incident requires an investigation by outside law enforcement, and a McCook police officer was dispatched to the deputy's apartment. Following the investigation by McCook police officers, Police Chief Ike Brown said this morning that no one was injured, and the bullet damaged two walls and a television set. Sheriff Kotschwar said the deputy is responsible to pay for damages. The incident becomes part of his record and he will be required to complete more weapons training.
  23. ANAHEIM, CA, 2/21/17: Cellphone video captured a physical struggle between an off-duty LAPD officer and a 13-year-old boy that led to the officer firing his weapon and the teen in Anaheim police custody. The incident happened around 2:40 PM Tuesday near Euclid Street and West Palais Road, close to Loara High School, according to the Anaheim Police Department. Anaheim police said that they were called to the scene where an off-duty Los Angeles Police Department officer had discharged his firearm and was detaining a 13-year-old. "The confrontation began over ongoing issues with juveniles walking across the officer's property," Anaheim police said in an updated statement issued Wednesday, after cellphone video of the altercation was posted on YouTube. The boy "is alleged to have threatened to shoot the off-duty officer," Anaheim police said. That account is disputed in the video by the boy himself and by the boy's parents. No one was struck by the gunfire, and the officer admitted firing the weapon, police said. The officer was not arrested, but the 13-year-old boy and another 15-year-old boy were. The officer was placed on administrative leave, according to an LAPD statement issued Wednesday night. KTLA published a story about the incident Tuesday night, prompting the father of the 13-year-old to contact the station with the family’s side of the story. The boy’s mother, who did not want to be identified, went to visit her son at the Theo Lacy detention facility in Orange Wednesday. She came outside with her son, who had been released, saying she was told the Orange County District Attorney's Office had rejected charges. “I still fear for our lives, for him living right down the street from us,” she said, tearing up. “Him being an officer.” The DA's office would not confirm if charges were rejected; a spokeswoman said the office cannot comment on juvenile cases. Anaheim police said LAPD is conducting a “concurrent/administrative investigation.” Investigators from the Office of the Inspector General will be reviewing the video, officials said. The father supplied a link to a nearly nine-minute YouTube video of the confrontation in which the teen can be heard making claims that the officer got upset with a girl who was walking on his lawn, and the boy came to the girl’s defense, prompting the confrontation. The cellphone video shows a boy and off-duty officer physically struggling with each other on the sidewalk in a residential area. More than a dozen people, mostly apparent teens, are present. The bald LAPD officer wears a plaid shirt and sunglasses. He appears to be grabbing the front of the boy’s black hoodie as several of the gathered teens say “Let him go.” An older man with a long beard and a crutch says “Hey, Kevin,” at one point, apparently addressing the officer. Later in the video, the man apparently calls 911 to report the gunfire, saying the off-duty officer is his son. In the video, as the sweatshirt-wearing teen and the off-duty officer struggle, the teen seems to taunt the officer, saying, “He tried to hit me in my nuts. That’s like a little pussy move, punch a kid in the nuts.” The audio is difficult to understand, but the officer appears to say, “Because you’ve been resisting this whole time.” “No, I wasn’t. You tackled me first. I didn’t do anything to hurt you,” the teen says. “All I said was, ‘Respect the girl,’ because you said, ‘Get out of my property.’” The officer responds that the teen had said he was going to shoot him, and the teen denies that, saying, “I didn’t say that. Why you lying? I said, 'I’m going to sue you.'” Then the pair tell each other to “get your hands off me.” “I’m only like 13,” the teen says. After a couple minutes, a young man comes up to the struggling pair, apparently trying to separate them. Then another boy with a red backpack runs into the threesome, pushing the officer into and over a low hedge. At that moment, the teen who tried to separate the officer and the 13-year-old appeared to strike the officer in the head area. In a matter of seconds, the officer, with one hand still on the 13-year-old, reaches into his waistband and pulls out a handgun. The person recording the video backs away, and the view of the confrontation is temporarily blocked. A single gunshot is heard. The officer can be seen pulling the teen over the hedge as the person recording and other witnesses run away from the scene. Kneeling over the teen, the officer appears to tell the older man with the crutch to call 911. The teen then gets up and says, “You shot me, you put a gun to my face.” The older man can be heard saying into a cellphone, “My son shot his gun because they’ve got about 15 people.” The young witnesses can be heard heckling the officer and the older man, disputing what the older man is saying on the phone. A helicopter arrives overhead, drowning out the audio. About 5 minutes into the video, a police patrol car pulls up and the off-duty officer can be heard yelling to the arriving Anaheim officers. The two Anaheim officers approach the pair. One officer appears to put handcuffs on the teen, while the LAPD officer, hands up, is walked across a driveway by another officer. The Anaheim officer appears to take the handgun of the LAPD officer’s back pocket or waistband. Then the LAPD officer and the Anaheim officer can be seen conversing in a neighboring home’s front yard. Meanwhile, a handful of teens are sitting on the curb next to the Anaheim officers’ car. More police arrive and the video soon ends. Anaheim police said the 13-year-old was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats and battery, and the 15-year-old on suspicion of assault and battery. The older teen was released to his parents, Anaheim police said Wednesday. The LAPD officer, who has not been identified, is cooperating with the Anaheim homicide detail investigation, according to the Anaheim police news release. Anaheim police investigators were seen Wednesday afternoon knocking on doors in the neighborhood where the altercation occurred. Standing with his mom outside the jail facility Wednesday, the 13-year-old again said the incident started with the off-duty officer yelling at one girl. "I said, 'Hey, that's not how you treat a lady,'" the boy  said. "And then he came at me. ... He hit me. I ran to the street to run away from him, and he got me. He tried to trip me and then he kicked me in my testicles." The boy again said he told the officer he was going to "sue him," not "shoot" him. The boy's mother said the family had retained an attorney. The video of the altercation and gunfire has more than 18,000 views on YouTube as of midday Wednesday. Later in the afternoon, it has been removed "for violating YouTube's Community Guidelines." In an email Wednesday, Anaheim police Sgt. Daron Wyatt said: "We are aware of numerous videos being posted on YouTube and other internet sites. We cannot authenticate the validity of these videos as they were not recorded or posted by APD. However, they do appear to depict portions of the incident in question." On Wednesday night Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait said the city is committed to a thorough investigation.  "Like many in the community, I've seen the video and I'm very concerned about what it shows," Tait said in a released statement. "Anaheim is committed to a full and impartial investigation. Our city will move forward without delay." Activists were protesting near the location of the altercation on Wednesday night.
  24. JACKSONVILLE, FL, 2/21/17: Diesel the dog did it. That’s the claim a 25-year-old Westside man made after his sleeping girlfriend was shot in her right leg late Tuesday at their West Patou Drive home, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Police were called to the home west of Fouraker Drive just before 11:30 PM on a report that a 25-year-old woman had been shot in their bedroom, according to the incident report. The boyfriend said he was sleeping next to his girlfriend when Diesel woke him up. He took the dog outside, then went back inside with the dog leading the way into the dark bedroom, the report said. Just after the boyfriend walked in, he saw a flash and heard a bang. He said he thinks Diesel jumped up on the nightstand where his gun was sitting and it went off, according to the report. The boyfriend called 911 and put a towel on his girlfriend’s bleeding leg. The girlfriend told police she was awakened by a throbbing pain to her right leg, not sure how she was shot, the report said.
  25. FORT MYERS, FL, 2/22/17: Police are investigating a shooting that sent a man to the hospital Wednesday afternoon. It happened at a home in the 2600 block of Jackson Street. Officers say the victim accidentally shot himself in the rear end, and then walked to Lee Memorial Hospital for treatment. The victim is expected to recover.
  26. MIAMI, FL, 2/22/17: Police have charged a young man with manslaughter in the shooting death of his friend while they were horsing around with a loaded gun. The tragic incident left Bobby Duverny, 20, dead on the floor. On Wednesday afternoon, he was hanging out with Brandon Velez, 19, in another friend’s bedroom, who lives at 14910 N.W. 9th Court. According to police, Duverny and Velez were both playing around with a loaded gun, pointing it at each other and “mishandling the firearm,” when it went off. “Just seconds before the shooting, the defendant pointed the firearm at the victim,” said Miami-Dade Police. “At which time the victim grabbed the barrel, the firearm discharged striking the victim in the face, exiting out towards the back of the skull.” As Duverny collapsed, the third individual ran and called 911. Velez fled the scene on foot out the back of the home but was later located at his house. Police said Velez told them he tried burning the clothes he was wearing and disposing of the firearm. Both were recovered. Velez was taken in for questioning by the MDPD Homicide Bureau and charged. An investigation is ongoing.
  27. FORSYTH CO., GA, exact date unknown: While looking at his friend’s new guns, a man accidentally shot the friend in the leg. The friend said he was showing the man his new guns and told him the gun was unloaded. The man looked at the first gun and pulled the trigger and nothing happened. He did it again with the second, but didn’t realize it was loaded and accidentally shot his friend in the leg. The friend was helped by EMS and the shooter wasn’t arrested because all evidence indicated this was an accident.
  28. PARK CITY, KS, 2/22/17: A teenage boy has been injured in a shooting incident in Park City. The shooting was reported just after 5 PM Wednesday at the Navajo Lakes Estates mobile home park, 501 E. 63rd St. North, a Sedgwick County emergency dispatch supervisor said. “Mom just said he’s OK,” family friend Brandy Smith, speaking outside the family’s mobile home, said of the boy, who is a high school student. The ambulance crew transporting the boy to a Wichita hospital for treatment reported via scanner radio communications that he had been shot in the arm with a 12-gauge shotgun. His injuries were not considered critical. Park City police were investigating the incident Wednesday night.
  29. WICHITA, KS, 2/22/17: This was the second accidental shooting in Sedgwick County in 24 hours. The first occurred around 1:00 AM Wednesday at a mobile home park near Douglas and Greenwich. Dispatchers said a man playing with a gun shot himself in the head, and was critically wounded.
  30. QUAPAW, OK, 2/22/17: A 60-year-old Quapaw man died as the result of an accidental shooting, according to Ottawa County Sheriff Jeremy Floyd. "All the evidence calls for an accidental shooting," Floyd said. At approximately midnight on Wednesday, the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to the site of the shooting just off East 22 Road in Quapaw, near Five Mile Creek north of Baxter Spring's, Kansas. "It appears this was accidental, he was crawling over a fence when the gun went off," Floyd said. The name of the shooting victim has not been released pending notification of family. More to come as details are provided.
  31. HOUSTON, TX, 2/22/17: A K9 police officer was shot, and two schools were placed in lockdown during a foot chase with three carjacking suspects in northwest Houston Wednesday afternoon. Police said the incident happened at about 12:30 PM in the 11300 block of Trickey Road, north of Gears Road in the Greenspoint area. According to police, Houston police officers and Harris County sheriff’s deputies were pursuing three carjacking suspects. Police said the carjackers ditched the car in a field on Trickery Road and took off on foot into a wooded area. A police officer and his K9 partner began chasing the three carjacking suspects with other officers and deputies in pursuit. The K9 officer reportedly got into the path of one of the officers who allegedly fired his weapon on the dog twice. The K9 officer was taken to a nearby veterinarian for treatment. The condition of the K9 officer, identified as Jake, is unknown. According to the Houston police foundation website, Jake is an 8-year-old Belgian Malinois, who serves a dual purpose of searching for people and explosives. Students at nearby Plummer Middle School and Spence Elementary School in Aldine ISD were placed in a lockdown status for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, officers were eventually able to locate and arrest a man, a woman and a juvenile, for the carjacking.
  32. SANDY, UT, 2/22/17: A 29-year-old man is recovering after police say he accidentally shot himself in the thigh. It happened around 10:30 AM Wednesday in the Scheel's parking lot (that's 11282 South State St.). Lt. Dean Carriger with Sandy Police Department said he had just purchased the weapon. "He took that gun out to his vehicle in the parking lot, at which time he loaded the handgun and attempted to put that gun in a holster." That's when the gun discharged, shooting him in the right thigh. Lt. Carriger says he is expected to survive his injuries. "If you decide to go out and make a purchase of a firearm, make sure you understand how that firearm operates before you start to manipulate that firearm," the lieutenant said.
  33. HALE, MI, 2/22/17: Thomas James Herzberg, 59, Hale, sustained non-life threatening injuries when he was accidentally shot in the leg on Feb. 22, at 11:03 AM. The Iosco County Sheriff’s Department (ICSD) responded to the Lakeview Drive home of Herzberg and his wife, Joann, who advised that her husband had accidentally shot himself in the kitchen. According to the ICSD, Iosco EMS arrived on scene and determined that the bullet of the .38-caliber Derringer pistol, owned by Herzberg, appeared to have entered the back of the victim’s calf from an upward trajectory and did not exit the leg. Based on the ICSD report, this was consistent with Herzberg’s statement that he had dropped the weapon, causing it to discharge upwards. Herzberg reported that he was preparing to leave the house with his wife and stopped in the kitchen to load his pistol, after which he accidentally dropped the gun, which discharged upon striking the ground. Herzberg was transported to Tawas St. Joseph Hospital, where he was treated for the injury.
  34. GLENWOOD, WI, 2/22/17 [NEW]: A woman was injured in the Town of Glenwood when a .22 rifle accidentally discharged and the round went through a bathroom wall and struck the woman as she was getting into the shower. The St. Croix County sheriff’s department was dispatched to a Town of Glenwood home on 290th Street at around noon Wednesday, February 22, for a woman who had been accidentally shot by her boyfriend.
  35. BAKERSFIELD, CA, 2/22/17: Deputies found a 16-year-old with a gunshot wound in southeast Bakersfield Wednesday morning in a vacant house. They determined that he accidentally shot himself in the leg in the 1300 block of Reese Avenue. Two other juveniles were present when the incident happened, but they were not injured. Responding deputies found the gun, and the investigation remains ongoing.
  36. PATTERSON, CA, 2/23/17: The 17-year-old Patterson boy who was fatally shot Thursday has been identified as Benito Garcia. While calls to 911 initially indicated Garcia had accidentally shot himself, another 17-year-old was later arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter. Patterson Police Services deputies and emergency medical personnel responded to the home in the 100 block of Washburn Street about 12:30 PM, according to the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department. They found Garcia with a gunshot wound to his upper body. Lifesaving measures were started but Garcia was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene. Homicide detectives responded to assist in the death investigation. When deputies initially arrived, they spoke with several people in the home, including a 17-year-old male who was present when Garcia was shot. After detectives conducted their investigation, it was determined the victim’s wounds were not self-inflicted. The 17-year-old suspect was arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter and being a minor in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The Sheriff’s Department would not release any details about how the shooting occurred or the relationship between the victim and the suspect.
  37. LINCOLN, NE, 2/23/17: An accidental shooting on Thursday night in Lincoln led to a mother being cited for providing alcohol to four juveniles. The incident took place around 11:22 PM in the 2100 Block of A Street, when Lincoln Fire and Rescue and Lincoln Police Department responded to an accidental shooting. Upon arrival, authorities discovered that a 16-year-old had shot himself in the left thigh by accident. Police said that the 16-year-old was hanging out with three friends, a 16-year-old male and two 17-year-old females, when he pulled out the firearm to show it off. On accident, he pulled the trigger, sending a bullet into his leg. He was transported to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries. Upon investigation, it was determined that the four juveniles were drinking and smoking marijuana at the time of the incident. Police then discovered that one of the female’s mothers, Brenda Bonin, 51, had purchased the alcohol that was being consumed. She was cited and released for procuring alcohol to minors and child neglect. Police found Miller Lite, UV Blue vodka, and Four Loko at the scene.
  38. BROKEN ARROW, OK, 2/23/17: The Wagoner County reserve deputy whose pistol accidentally fired last week at a Broken Arrow restaurant is a former Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office auxiliary officer. The internal investigation into the discharge of Michael Witham’s holstered pistol while he was off duty began Monday. Sheriff’s Office spokesman Nick Mahoney said Tuesday the investigation could take a few weeks, but the estimate is tentative because it’s unknown how long it will take investigators to contact and interview people who were at the restaurant. Witham’s handgun “went off on its own accord” while holstered about 8:30 PM Feb. 23 as he was leaving the White River Fish Market restaurant at 1105 E. Kenosha St., according to a police report. Two people reportedly suffered minor injuries when the bullet struck the ground and sprayed shrapnel. Mahoney said Witham, an unpaid reserve deputy since September, is on administrative leave pending the investigation. He said Witham, 25, has met state-mandated firearm qualifications and is up to date on required training. Witham was hired into the Tulsa County reserve deputy program under then-Sheriff Stanley Glanz’s administration on April 8, 2014. In an Oct. 6, 2016, resignation letter, Witham noted he would depart the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office two weeks from that date. “I have enjoyed working here immensely and will miss all the people associated with this office,” Witham wrote. TCSO spokeswoman Casey Roebuck said Witham was in good standing when he left. About 129 reserve deputies were serving when Glanz’s longtime friend and Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office benefactor Robert Bates fatally shot Eric Harris on April 2, 2015. Bates, a former insurance executive and reserve deputy, mistook his revolver for his Taser as deputies subdued Harris on the ground in north Tulsa during a gun-purchase sting. The Tulsa County reserve program came under scrutiny afterward as allegations surfaced about falsified records, intimidation of subordinates and special treatment that benefited Bates. Glanz later resigned after a grand jury indicted him; he eventually pleaded guilty and no contest to two misdemeanors. Bates was convicted of second-degree manslaughter and is serving a four-year prison sentence. The TCSO conducted an audit of reserve deputy training records that in June 2015 determined Witham was up to date and without deficiencies in his file. In the time since the internal records audit was finished, 53 reserves have left the TCSO program and received approval from the county commissioners to retire as peace officers. That status allows each to keep their gun and badge. Witham’s father, Dan Witham, also used to be a Tulsa County auxiliary deputy. Dan Witham has retired as a reserve, Roebuck said. His name hasn’t come before county commissioners seeking retirement as an official peace officer. Dan Witham also is chairman of the committee that oversees the Tulsa Jail sales tax. Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado won a special election to fill the remainder of Glanz’s term and later won a four-year term. Last April, Regalado announced reforms to the reserve program. They include no more solo patrols or assignments to special operations teams or task forces, as well as more stringent training requirements.
  39. LAPORTE, IN, 2/23/17: A Michigan City man's gun went off in his pocket when his girlfriend reached in to grab a tax refund. That's what the victim told LaPorte police after officers were called just after 5 PM Thursday to LaPorte Hospital to investigate a shooting. The victim was in the emergency room being treated for a single gunshot wound. He told investigators he and his girlfriend were inside a vehicle parked outside a Speedway station discussing a $7,000 tax refund, police said. The man said he shoved the money into one of the pockets of his cargo pants. She reached over from behind the wheel to grab the money from his pocket before he could tell her he had a gun in the same pocket. That's when his firearm went off, striking his left knee, police said. When contacted, the victim said he was released from the hospital Friday morning and is on crutches. He said the bullet did not strike any bones or tendons, and he felt fortunate the projectile didn't go in a more serious direction. ''It was basically a flesh wound on steroids,'' he said. The victim also blamed himself, saying he normally keeps his gun in a holster but that day chose to keep it in his pants pocket.
  40. BALTIMORE, MD, 2/23/17: At approximately 9:05 PM a 21-year-old was shot in the 300 block of W. Lanvale Street. The victim was shot in the thigh. Police believe this was a self-inflicted wound. He was transported to an area hospital with a non-life threatening injury.
  41. LAKE CHARLES, LA, 2/23/17: A 16-year-old boy's death in the 1700 block of Rena Street Thursday was the result of he and another 16-year-old boy's "horseplaying" with two loaded guns, authorities with the Lake Charles Police Department said. Christopher Wright was pronounced dead at the scene. The other 16-year-old involved in Wright's death was arrested Friday, said Sgt. Jeff Keenum, Lake Charles Police Department spokesman. Following the shooting, the juvenile suspect fled the scene, Keenum said. He was later located by the LCPD SWAT Team in the 1100 block of North Cherry Street. The boy discarded a semi-automatic pistol - which has been recovered - during a brief foot chase. The boy is charged with negligent homicide, illegal possession of a handgun by a juvenile and being a runaway juvenile.
  42. ABBEVILLE, SC, 2/23/17: A man who reportedly shot himself by accident has died. Jonathan Stroud, 18, of Wilson Road, Abbeville, died at 1:10 PM Friday at Anderson Anmed Hospital, said Abbeville County Coroner Ronnie Ashley. Abbeville County deputies responded Thursday to a call at a residence at 2101 Old Calhoun Falls Road, Abbeville where they found Stroud with a gunshot wound to the head on the front porch, a news release from the sheriff's office said. Someone was performing CPR on him, the release said. Deputies spoke to witnesses who said a group had gathered at the residence to grill and drink when Stroud began talking about a gun that was tucked into his waistband, the release said. Witnesses said he pulled the gun out and pointed it at the right side of his head and said, "I trust my gun enough to know when it's not loaded." He then pulled the trigger and collapsed from a gunshot, the release said. The Abbeville County Sheriff's Office is investigating, but it appears to be accidental, Capt. Natalie Talbert said.
  43. ORANGEBURG, SC, 2/24/17: Authorities are investigating after a three-year-old boy accidentally shot himself in Orangeburg Friday. Orangeburg County Sheriff's Department Spokesperson Richard Walker says the child was hit in the upper body by gunfire outside Sunshine Recycling on the Glover Street extension. The child has been airlifted to the hospital for treatment. Deputies believe the child's father had car trouble earlier in the day, and called his wife to pick him up. Before he left the car behind, officers say the father took his gun out of the car and put it into his wife's car, where his son was a passenger. Deputies say as the father was at Sunshine Recycling trying to find a part to repair his car, the child grabbed the gun. “At this time, we are praying and thinking about this child who we believe at this point shot himself after a series of events that placed him next to a loaded weapon,” Sheriff Leroy Ravenell said. “It’s just tragic and we’re pulling for him to make a full recovery.” No charges have been filed in the case. “Everything has a time and place,” Ravenell said. “Right now we’re just hoping and praying this child recovers. We will, however, look at the elements of what happened.”
  44. TEMECULA, CA, 2/24/17: A Temecula man who was accidentally shot was hospitalized Friday night, Feb. 24, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said. Deputies responded at 7:34 PM to a report of an accidental shooting in the 31000 block of Six Rivers Court, said Deputy Michael Vasquez. The victim had moderate injuries, Vasquez said, and was expected to survive. The incident is being investigated as an accident, he said. Vasquez did not have any information on the shooter.
  45. OSCEOLA, AR, 2/24/17: A 16-year-old boy has been shot after an Arkansas police officer's weapon discharged as she was attempting to arrest him. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/2llgyls ) that the Osceola police chief has asked the Arkansas State Police to investigate the shooting. The boy was struck by the officer's errant bullet Friday morning. He was treated at a local hospital and released later in the day. State Police spokesman Bill Sadler says Osceola police officers were called to an attempted robbery at a convenience store and when the police arrived, they arrested one person. Sadler says the 16-year-old tried to get into a vehicle parked in the store's lot and an officer tried to remove him from it. That's when the officer's gun discharged and hit the boy.
  46. BATESVILLE, MS, 2/24/17: An apparent accidental shooting cost the victim a trip to the emergency room at Merit-Health when Batesville Police Officer Tyler Hardin was dispatched for investigation last Friday. Hardin’s incident report stated the victim had accidentally shot himself in the leg and toe while at a barbershop on the square. The report stated, “. . . the handgun went off while he was sitting on the couch talking to someone on the phone.
  47. MONTICELLO, NY, 2/24/17: A Monticello woman faces felony charges for firing a shotgun through the ceiling of her apartment, into the apartment above, police said. Monticello police said Nanette Barnes, 47, fired the shotgun last Friday evening in her apartment in Building 10 at the Sleepy Hollow apartment complex on Terry Lane. The shot penetrated into the apartment above. The incident was reported to police on Tuesday, and they charged Barnes on Wednesday. Police said they got a warrant and searched Barnes' apartment, seizing 69 rounds of 12-gauge 00 buckshot. The shotgun has not yet been found. Police charged Barnes with first-degree reckless endangerment, a felony. She was arraigned and sent to Sullivan County Jail on $10,000 bail, awaiting a Monticello Village Court date.
  48. GREENFIELD, MA, 2/24/17: 7:30 PM—A caller at Baystate Franklin Medical Center reported a man having entered the hospital with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
  49. SISSONVILLE, WV, 2/25/17: One person was taken to the hospital after a reported accidental shooting in Sissonville. Dispatchers say a 911 call came in around 1 AM Saturday about a man who had accidentally shot himself. The caller told dispatchers that the man dropped the gun and it went off. It happened in the 200 block of Meadow Mist Lane. The victim was taken to CAMC General. He was alert and talking according to dispatchers. Dispatchers say the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office is investigating.
  50. CHATTANOOGA, TN, 2/25/17: Chattanooga Police say one person was hurt in an accidental shooting near UTC's campus. Police say one person was shot on the 800 block of Douglas Street just after 11 Saturday afternoon. UTC says it happened in a parking lot near the Mapp Building. The victim is not a student, according to UTC. They say the suspect ran from the scene away from campus. UTC sent an alert to students and staff advising them to stay indoors and keep their doors locked. Not long after, they tweeted the shooting was an isolated incident and campus could return to normal. MORE: Chattanooga Police have released more information on the incident this morning near the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. According to police, it was an accident shooting that occurred at 506 East 8th Street. Officials say the victim told investigators an acquaintance was showing the victim a pistol when the gun unintentionally went off. Chattanooga Police say video surveillance from UTC corroborates the victim’s statement. Police say the victim suffered from a small laceration to the back of the head. According to police, the acquaintance left the area before police arrived with consent from the victim. The victim was taken to a local hospital.
  51. NEW ORLEANS, LA, 2/25/17: A 36-year-old Metairie man was wounded in a shooting Saturday afternoon (Feb. 25) near the Uptown New Orleans parade route at St. Charles Avenue and Napoleon Avenue, a heavily crowded intersection where hundreds of people had gathered to watch Mardi Gras season parades. Police think the victim was shot when a gun accidentally discharged inside a portable toilet on the Napoleon neutral ground, but the gunman was not immediately found. Witnesses said the victim had been watching the Krewe of Tucks parade on Napoleon at about 2:30 PM when a gunshot rang out. Several people saw the man crumple on the neutral ground and spotted blood streaming from his side. Police Superintendent Michael Harrison said investigators located a hole, consistent with a bullet exit point, on the toilet's side and found gunshot residue inside the toilet. Though "not conclusive," Harrison said, that evidence, plus statements from witnesses, corroborated the hypothesis that a gun had fired from within the toilet. Harrison said the victim told police he had not argued with anyone during the parade, and witnesses also said they had not seen him arguing with anyone or instigating anything that would suggest a motive for the shooting. Harrison described the shooting an "accidental discharge." Police have not found a weapon, he added. Several police officers arrived within a minute of the shooting and rushed the victim to a first-aid station about 100 feet from the intersection, Harrison said. He described the victim's condition as "guarded". Police have not identified the man. One witness, Alonzo Gonzales, said he was standing under a tent with his family watching the parade when, turning to his left, he saw a man with blood pouring from a hole in the side. The man fell on the ground, and everyone started running, Gonzales said. "I feel a little insecure," he said. "I'm just worried about everyone I care for." Patrick MacFetters was standing on the neutral ground nearby with his family when he said a loud shot rang out. He said at first he and the crowd around him were not sure what had happened or whether the sound had been part of the parade. But one thing was certain: It was a gunshot, he said. "It was clear as day," he said. "Everyone heard it." Crime scene tape blocked a section of riverbound Napoleon at St. Charles. The Tucks parade stopped for about 15 minutes, then resumed as police investigated. Despite the shooting, few people seemed deterred from watching watching the parade to its conclusion. Maggie Salib-Barrios stayed, but she said she was stunned and very wary. "It's pretty scary," she said. "There are so many families and children out here. If I had kids, I'd be long gone." Mike Niemtzow of New York said the Organ Grinders marching group was passing by when the shot was fired. He said he was visiting with his wife and 3 1/2-year-old child, for their first Carnival, and had been trying to persuade his wife to buy a house in New Orleans. "But my job just became much harder unfortunately," he added. "The city has a lot going for it, but crime has been and continues to be a big issue. Why someone is bringing a gun to a parade is beyond me. There were lots of kids [who] could have been hit." The shooting came on Carnival's peak weekend and followed stern warnings from Harrison and Mayor Mitch Landrieu for revelers to keep guns away from parades. It also came a week after gunfire wounded two people near the parade Uptown route at Lee Circle. Harrison reiterated his call to leave guns at home during the Mardi Gras season. Louisiana's concealed-carry laws do not permit gun owners to carry firearms at a parade. "We've said over and over again: Do not bring firearms to the parades," Harrison said. "If we find the individual, we will prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law." Landrieu said the same: "Don't bring firearms to parades. You're going to hurt someone else or hurt yourself."
  52. CLARISSA, MN, 2/25/17: A Clarissa man has been charged in the death of a woman who was shot and killed early Saturday morning. Todd County authorities have charged 32-year-old Tyler Slagerman with one count of second degree unintentional manslaughter and one count of child endangerment. According to the criminal complaint, Slagerman called 911 just before 2:00 AM Saturday to report 36-year-old Lacey Kuschel had been accidentally shot when a gun had fallen off the counter and discharged, hitting her in the upper part of her back. When a sheriff’s deputy arrived on scene, he noticed a lever-action rifle on the ground in the living room. When the deputy entered the bedroom he noticed an infant in the crib and a distraught Slagerman doing chest compressions on the woman who was lying on the bed. Records show Slagerman told the officer he had been out with friends earlier and had four drinks before returning home at approximately 12:45 AM. Slagerman said he later grabbed the rifle to go and check out why the dogs were barking, assuming there was a coyote in the yard. Kuschel was holding the baby because it had woke up crying due to the barking dogs. Slagerman said when he grabbed the rifle from the corner, he turned around fast and headed toward the door. That’s when he said the gun went off and hit Kuschel. The baby was not hurt in the incident.
    Court records show four hours later, Slagerman’s blood-alcohol level was .073 which is just below the legal limit to drive. Slagerman is being held in the Todd County Jail on $100,000 unconditional bail.

Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)