Nine of 37 guns found by TSA agents on passengers attempting to board flights last week.
A relatively quiet week, with just under 40 entries. It's happened before, but not very often. Despite the relative calm (at least in reported events), there were some truly remarkable accidents last week, including two tragic "thought there was an intruder" shootings that killed three people. The first, in Barboursville, WV, involved a man who, convinced that someone was breaking into his shed, shot a pair of men dead from the window of his home, with a scoped rifle, in the middle of the afternoon. The problem, though, was that they weren't breaking in, and it wasn't his shed. But other than that, the ground (though not his), was successfully stood. The two men were, in fact, the new owner of the adjacent property and his brother. And their skin was darker than his, too. The second such story comes from Franklin County, VA, where a woman, finding her front door unexpectedly open, retrieved a gun from the bedroom, became startled by movement in the house, and shot and killed her boyfriend, who had just returned earlier than expected and unannounced from a business trip.
Thirteen kids were among last week's GunFAIL victims, including five between the ages of 11 and 17 accidentally shot in a single incident in Milwaukee. The youngest victim of the week was one described only as a baby, accidentally shot to death by her father, as he sat on the couch with the rifle he'd just bought hours before.
In the less spectacular categories, 15 people accidentally shot themselves, four gun owners accidentally fired into their neighbors' homes (including one loaded gun cleaner in St. Mary's, WV, who accidentally shot his 15-year-old neighbor in the head that way), two police officers accidentally discharged their weapons while on duty, two gun owners practicing at the range were accidentally shot, two were shot in hunting accidents, and two accidentally fired guns they were cleaning, apparently while they were still loaded. In keeping with the theme, two people committing suicide with their guns accidentally shot or nearly shot people nearby with the same bullet. In one incident in Morgantown, WV, a young man shot himself to death at home, sending the bullet upstairs through the ceiling, and into the ankle of his father, Tony Barill, a state representative from, yes, West Virginia. A very rough week in West Virginia.
On that note, I'll wrap up and simply let you read the stories below the fold for yourselves.
- AUSTIN, TX, 12/31/13: A man is cooperating with police after his gun accidentally fired inside Barton Creek Square Mall. Around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at least one shot went off inside the restroom at Nordstrom. Police say he does have a concealed carry license, and no one was hurt.
- PARK RIDGE, IL, 1/06/14: A man who allegedly gave his teenage son a handgun for Christmas is facing criminal charges after police said the boy shot himself with the gun inside his Park Ridge home. Park Ridge Police Cmdr. Jason Leavitt said the 14-year-old boy accidentally shot himself in the leg on Jan. 6 inside his home on the 2700 block of Mayfield Drive. The teen’s injuries were not life-threatening, Leavitt said. Four days later, police charged the boy’s father, Joseph Streff, 52, of the 7300 block of West Addison Street, Chicago, with reckless conduct for providing his son with the gun, police said. Leavitt said the gun was a Christmas present. Police did not release information on Streff’s arrest until Jan. 27, 17 days after it occurred. Streff’s bond was set at $1,000. He is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 27.
- CORTEZ, CO, 1/23/14: 7:19 p.m. An officer was dispatched to a house in reference to criminal mischief. The officer spoke with the reporting party who said he found a bullet lodged in the wall of his home. The bullet entered the exterior wall, passed through the bathroom mirror and passed through the bathroom door. The bullet continued through the foyer and lodged into the east wall of the room. The man said at approximately 5:00 p.m. his and his wife were working in their garage and heard gunfire near the property but since target shooting was not uncommon they were not alarmed. The officer also spoke with the man’s daughter who said she was sitting in the living room and said she heard a loud noise but did not know what it was. At 7:00 p.m. the man entered the bathroom and observed pieces of glass on the floor, he observed that the mirror appeared to be shot and the damage to his house would be $1000. The officer advised the man that a follow up would be completed during daylight. At this time there are no known suspects. Investigation to continue.
- WHITTIER, CA, 1/25/14: A man suffered a gunshot wound to his leg Saturday afternoon in what was initially believed to be an accidental shooting. The incident was reported at 2:37 p.m. at a home in the 7600 block of Paul Driver, Whittier police Sgt. Jim De Masi said. Few details were initially available, as wounded man — who had been shot in the thigh — did not appear to be cooperating with police, the sergeant said. The wounded man was believed to be alone in a home when the shot was fired, he said.
- GREGG CO., TX, 1/25/14: The Gregg County Sheriff's Office is investigating a shooting death in the 11 hundred block of Highway 31. Officials have one home tapped off with crime scene tape. Family members at the home say a 13-year-old boy accidentally shot an adult male with a deer rifle. A Gregg County Justice of the Peace is headed to the scene.
- MORGANTOWN, WV, 1/25/14: Monongalia County Delegate Tony Barill is hospitalized and recovering from a bullet wound. Barill was admitted to WVU hospital early Saturday morning after being shot. Sources tell MetroNews Barill was shot in the ankle and underwent surgery. He is recovering and listed in fair condition. House Speaker Tim Miley was told by a family member that Barill was at home when he was accidentally struck by an errant bullet fired from another room by his son, Brad, during an apparent suicide.
- BARBOURSVILLE, WV, 1/25/14: Behind a perimeter of yellow crime tape, a morbid scene. Cabell County Sheriff's officials said Rodney Bruce Black, 63, of Barboursville, killed two men with a scoped rifle. "Mr. Black had called 9-1-1 and said that he had in fact shot two individuals," said McComas. Deputies said Black shot the men from his home on Old Crow Drive. "He did not know the victims, he had no interactions with the victims prior to the shooting," said Cabell County Sheriff, Tom McComas. Investigators said he told dispatchers the two men were breaking into his shed, but sheriff's officials said the shed wasn't his. "These two men had every legal right to be where they were," said McComas. Rodney Bruce Black now faces two first degree murder charges. UPDATE: The Cabell County Sheriff's office has released the names of two men killed in a shooting, Saturday afternoon. Sheriff Tom McComas says Garrick Hopkins, 60, from Milton and his brother Carl Hopkins Jr., 61, from Oak Hill both died when they were shot on Lane Drive in Barboursville. Rodney Bruce Black has been charged with two counts of 1st degree murder. Deputies say he admitted to shooting the two men because he thought they were trespassing on his property. Sheriff McComas says the land actually belonged to Garrick Hopson. He had just purchased it and was showing his brother where he and his family were planning to build their new home in the coming weeks.
- LITTLE ROCK, AR, 1/25/14: A juvenile reportedly suffered an accidental gunshot wound to his face Saturday night. According to Little Rock Police Department spokesman Lt. Sidney Allen, around 7:45 p.m., officers responded to a report of a shooting on the 4100 block of W. 17th Street and found a boy suffering from a gunshot wound to the side of his face. Witnesses told police the boy was accidentally shot by one of his friends. The shooter reportedly fled the scene before police arrived. Lt. Allen said witnesses told officers the gun belonged to the victim, but his friend was playing with it when it accidentally went off and struck the boy. The victim was taken to a local hospital and is expected to survive.
- ESSEX, VT, 1/25/14: A Williston police officer providing back-up support to Essex Police during a reported shooting incident at 51 Pinecrest Avenue on Saturday accidentally discharged his rifle inside his cruiser afterward while unloading the gun. Williston Officer Josh Hansell, 29, was uninjured in the incident, but the discharged round damaged the floorboard of the cruiser and possibly the car’s transmission, according to a statement issued Monday by the Essex Police Department. Williston Police Chief Todd Shepard said Monday he is conducting a review of the accidental discharge to make sure Hansell following proper policies in handling the weapon. “I’m treating this purely as an accident at this point,” Shepard said. “I’m looking to see why it happened. Thankfully, no one got hurt. The cruiser can be fixed but people can’t.” Hansell, who has two years of law enforcement experience, remains on active duty with the department, Shepard said. Essex Police Chief Brad LaRose said no one else was in the cruiser when the discharge occurred, but two Essex officers were nearby.“It happened when (Hansell) was in the process of cleaning the gun, making sure the ammunition is out of the chamber,” LaRose said. “The muzzle was pointed down so if there happens to be a discharge, the round will go in an area where no one is hurt. That’s what happened here.”
- ORLANDO, FL, 1/25/14: A Central Florida teenager shot himself in the leg over the weekend after he got into a struggle with another teen he was trying to rob, according to police. But rather than call the police immediately, the intended victim disarmed 19-year-old Keith Griffin, unloaded the gun and gave it back to his attacker Saturday evening. While Griffin fled with the gun and a bleeding leg, Anthony Schmidt, 19, finished a late lunch at the Rosemont Community Center in north Orlando and returned to his job at Walmart. From work, he called his Edgewater High School lacrosse coach, who took him to talk to detectives, according to an interview and police records. A homeless student, Schmidt said he relies on his teachers for guidance and only did what was needed to avoid being shot. "If I hadn't pushed the gun at the ground, it was going to hit me in the stomach," Schmidt said, describing how he snatched the .380-caliber pistol after the shooting and emptied the magazine. "I told him you're going to respect me and not do me like this." On handing back the empty gun, Schmidt said, "I'm not trying to cause any problems." By the time Schmidt spoke to police, Griffin had showed up at Florida Hospital South saying he had been the victim of a drive-by shooting. Unusual for gunshot victims, Griffin refused write a statement and declined to press charges against his unknown attacker, according to police reports.
- MILWAUKEE, WI, 1/25/14: A 7-year-old boy suffered a minor gunshot wound in an accidental shooting that was not reported to Milwaukee police for two days, police said Monday night. The shooting occurred Saturday in the 4800 block of N. Teutonia Ave. and the boy is being treated at a hospital, according to a police department news release. A man was in custody Monday night in connection with the shooting, police said. MORE: A 50-year-old Milwaukee man, who has a prior felony conviction, is accused of accidentally shooting his 7-year-old son in the leg while they were at a Milwaukee auto parts store. Isom Brumfield Jr. is charged with injury by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon. Brumfield was with his son at Advance Auto Parts, 4810 N. Teutonia Ave., on Jan. 25 when he reached into his pocket to pay for an item and removed a handgun, placing it on the counter, Milwaukee police said. The employee asked him to put the gun away, and as Brumfield tried to do so, he dropped it on the floor and caused it to fire, wounding his son in the leg, according to a police news release. The child was treated for minor injuries and released from a hospital.
- GRANTS, NM, 1/25/14: Devin Ellis, 31, of Grants was killed from a gunshot wound to the head early Saturday morning, according to Grants Police Department (GPD) reports. Officers responded to 724 Austin St. in Grants at approximately 1:10 a.m. because someone had been shot. Corey White, a GPD officer, said when he arrived at the home that David Gonzales met him outside and said, “I messed up,” because he had shot his friend, Ellis. Ellis was once an officer for the Village of Milan, 2009-10. He was originally hired as a dispatcher, said Village of Milan Police Chief Jerry Stephens, and was later moved to an officer. However, Ellis failed the State Law Enforcement Academy and was dismissed from his duties. According to Officer White, Gonzales appeared to be intoxicated and had a strong odor of alcohol coming from his body when White approached him outside the home. Gonzales said he and Ellis were playing with a small caliber handgun when the gun went off. “I did not realize the gun was loaded,” said Gonzales. GPD officers said the victim was the owner of the small pistol that killed him.
- RIVERTON, WY, 1/26/14: For the second time this month, an accidental shooting has sent someone to the hospital. “A 25-year-old Riverton man was accidentally shot in the upper leg by his wife Sunday afternoon near Hutchison Road with a 9mm handgun,” Undersheriff Ryan Lee said in a news release. The incident reportedly occurred in the area of Devil’s Pit where the couple and friend were target practicing. The man was taken to the hospital via a personal vehicle. “She was shooting down range and had turned around when the gun discharged; the man was standing behind her and was struck by the round,” Lee said. “An investigation revealed it was an unfortunate and completely unintentional accident.”
- VESTAVIA HILLS, AL, 1/26/14: A Vestavia Hills man has been transported to the hospital following what appears to be an accidental shooting. At approximately 1 p.m. this afternoon, authorities responded to the 1800 block of Laurel Road in response to a report of a person shot. When officers arrived, they found an adult male suffering from a single gunshot wound. The man appears to have shot himself accidentally, said Gilham. No other injuries were reported. He is being treated at UAB Hospital for his injuries.
- CRANE HILL, AL, 1/26/14: A Cullman County man was shot and killed Sunday during a hunting trip with friends and family near Smith Lake in the Crane Hill area. Tommy “T.J.” Tucker, 37, of the Crane Hill community was pronounced dead at approximately 3:05 p.m. after being fatally shot when another hunter mistook him for a deer, near County Road 202 across from the Smith Lake RV Resort. Cullman County Sheriff’s deputies, paramedics and the Crane Hill Volunteer Fire Department responded to the incident, and were transported by boat to the scene, which was in a heavily wooded area. Authorities are currently treating the case as an accidental shooting. “The victim was out with friends and relatives deer hunting together, and a member of the group saw a deer and shot at it,” Cullman County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Max Bartlett said “The deer was killed, but they realized shortly after that Mr. Tucker had been shot, as well. It appears the deer may have been shot, and the shooter heard rustling in the area and fired another shot. We believe the victim was hit at that time.” Bartlett said paramedics attempted CPR, though Tucker was reportedly dead upon their arrival. Tucker was shot with a 12-gauge shotgun loaded with projectile buckshot. Both men were reportedly wearing hunter orange at the time of the shooting. “This is just a tragic accident, and the young man who did the shooting, who was related to Tucker by marriage, was devastated,” Bartlett said. “It’s just a sad situation. Our hearts and prayers go out to the Tucker family. We send them our deepest condolences.” Authorities have not released the name of the shooter at this time.
- COLUMBUS, OH, 1/27/14: The aunt of a 10-year-old boy says her nephew was accidentally shot in the head after his brother found a gun in an East Side alley early Monday morning. The woman told ABC 6/FOX 28 the young victim's brother accidentally shot the boy at 953 Studer Ave. at approximately 1:11 a.m. after finding a gun in a nearby alley. The victim was rushed to Nationwide Children's Hospital, where he remains in critical condition. Police have not confirmed the aunt's version of events, and have not publicly identified the victim. UPDATE: The boy's father told 10TV that his son was shot in the head but is expected to recover. Ivie Sams said his 11-year-old son admitted to accidentally shooting his 10-year-old.
- CRYSTAL FALLS TOWNSHIP, MI, 1/27/14: A Crystal Falls Township woman is recovering in Northstar Hospital today after accidentally shooting herself in the leg Monday morning. Iron County Central Dispatch received a report of an accidental hand gun discharge shortly after 8:00 a.m. Deputies from the Iron County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene and found 49-year-old Michelle Stebic with a self-inflicted gunshot wound on both of her legs. Stebic was reportedly examining the gun and thought the chamber had been cleared when it discharged. Stebic was taken to Northstar Hospital by Northstar EMS. Her condition is unknown at this time.
- BRIDGEPORT, CT, 1/27/14: Police arrested a city man after they said his gun went off while he was cleaning it Monday night. Kenneth Sullivan, 23, of Midland Street, was charged with unlawful discharge of a firearm, second-degree reckless endangerment and criminal mischief in the third degree. He was released after posting $1,500 bond. Police said officers were dispatched to Sullivan’s home on a complaint of a gunshot. They said Sullivan told them he had been cleaning his handgun, which he has a valid permit for, when it went off. The bullet pierced the wall and struck the house next door, police said. While officers were in Sullivan’s home they smelled marijuana although none was found, police said. Police said Sullivan told them he didn’t know the gun was loaded.
- FAIRBANKS, AK, 1/27/14: A Fairbanks man accidentally shot himself in the leg early Monday morning at an apartment on Ladd Avenue, but he was not seriously injured. Patrick Lee Cass, 30, told police he had cleaned his Smith & Wesson .357-Magnum and was placing it back in a safe when it slipped out of hands. When he attempted to catch it, Cass said he accidentally pulled the trigger. The gun went off and Cass was shot in the right leg. The bullet traveled down across his thigh into the top of the calf and out the bottom of the calf before striking the wall. Police wrapped Cass’ wound and he was transported to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital for treatment. Cass, who called police at 2:43 a.m. to report the incident, was not cited for negligent discharge of a firearm because police deemed it accidental and the bullet did not go into any other apartment walls, Lt. Dan Welborn said.
- PARMA, OH, 1/27/14: A Brook Park man who accidentally shot himself in the arm last week is accused of trying to conceal the gaffe by telling officers he'd been robbed. The 27-year-old man reported Jan. 27 at 7:03 p.m. that he'd been robbed on Greenwood View Drive in Parma. The man told officers that a man wearing a ski mask shot him in the arm during the incident, according to police. Officers noticed inconsistencies in the man's account and, when pressed, the man admitted he'd made up the robbery. The man told police he had an unsecured gun in his car's trunk and, when he went to remove it, it accidentally fired and hit him in the arm. The man was arrested and charged with inducing panic. He received medical treatment for the gunshot wound.
- PANOLA CO., MS, 1/28/14: A Tate County 11-year-old was shot in hunting accident. Relatives say the 11-year-old and his 14-year-old brother went to hunt Tuesday morning in a wooded area behind their home, several miles east of the town of Como in Panola County. We’re told they usually keep a deer stand in these woods, and the boy was apparently climbing up on the stand when one of their guns went off, reportedly hitting him in the neck/collarbone area. We’re told the boy was airlifted to LeBonehur Children’s hospital in Memphis where he’s getting treatment. No charges are expected to be filed. The 11-year-old’s condition is stable, and his relatives indicated his injuries are not life-threatening.
- MILWAUKEE, WI, 1/28/14: Seven people, including five juveniles, were wounded in three separate shooting incidents in Milwaukee within 90 minutes Tuesday, according to Milwaukee police. The five juveniles were shot in what police said appeared to be an accidental shooting shortly after 6 p.m. inside a home in the 2900 block of N. 28th St., according to a Police Department news release. All five, ages 11 to 17, suffered injuries that are not life-threatening and were being treated at area hospitals Tuesday night, according to the release. UPDATE: Police say several people in the basement were handling a shotgun loaded with bird shot when the gun went off. The victims range in age from 11 to 17. Investigators are questioning the people who were in the basement and say they're not getting a lot of cooperation.
- SACRAMENTO, CA, 1/28/14: The man believed to be barricaded inside a Folsom Boulevard motel today has been found dead after an apparent suicide, according to Sacramento police. Officers evacuated a number of rooms at the motel, located on the 8600 block of Folsom Boulevard in the College/Glen neighborhood, after gunshots were reported earlier today. Shortly after 11 a.m., an occupant of the motel called police to report that a bullet came through the wall from an adjacent room, said police spokeswoman Officer Michele Gigante. The caller also reported hearing several gunshots, she said. No one in the 911 caller’s room was injured.
- PORTLAND, OR, 1/28/14: A 40-year-old man who police consider a suspect in a Tuesday night shooting in downtown Portland may have accidentally shot himself in the testicles. The suspect and victim live in the same building at Southwest Ninth Avenue and Columbia Street, and it appears the shooting happened in a back parking lot. A witness called 911 just before 8 p.m. Tuesday after seeing the apparent victim run to the Safeway store at Southwest 10th Avenue and Jefferson Street. Officers responded and received information that the suspect may have fled into an apartment building. However, police later found the 40-year-old suspect near Southwest Sixth Avenue and Mill Street. He suffered a gunshot wound to the testicles, and police are investigating the possibility that he accidentally shot himself. The shooting appears to have stemmed from a robbery, according to police, and detectives from the robbery division are still investigating. MORE: "The suspect's wound is consistent with somebody putting a gun in his pants," Sgt. Pete Simpson, a Portland Police Bureau spokesman said.
- COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, 1/28/14: Police say a convicted felon likely concocted a story about a robbery to keep himself out of hot water for having a gun. Springs officers were called to Penrose Main Hospital Tuesday night on reports of a gunshot victim showing up at the ER. The man, identified as Michael Bittinger, had been shot in the hand. When officers interviewed him, they say Bittinger told them he had been shot during a robbery. But as police investigated further, they determined a robbery never actually happened; Bittinger had instead shot himself in the hand by accident. Further investigation revealed that Bittinger was a convicted felon. Police tracked Bittinger down the following day and arrested him for possession of a weapon by a previous offender. Officers later found the gun in a nearby home.
- NASHVILLE, TN, 1/28/14: A 17-year-old McGavock High School student has been charged in connection to the fatal shooting of another student. Kaemon Robinson has been charged with criminal homicide following the shooting Tuesday night in at an apartment in Hermitage. Police say 15-year-old Kevin Barbee, who police say was a friend of Kaemon's, was shot inside an apartment on Burning Tree Drive. Four McGavock High School students were inside the apartment at the time of the shooting. Witnesses told police Kaemon was playing with a pistol when it discharged and hit Kevin in the face. Kevin was taken to Summit Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
- ST. MARY'S, WV, 1/29/14: A 15-year-old Pleasants County girl was sent to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown Wednesday afternoon with a head wound after what is being deemed an accidental shooting, officials said. The 15-year-old, whose name has not been provided, was rushed by Healthnet helicopter to Ruby Memorial Hospital after being shot in the head during the accident, said 1st Sgt. B. Snodgrass with the West Virginia State Police. At approximately 4 p.m., Robbie Knight, 36, of Cloverdale Estates Road accidentally discharged his .40-caliber handgun inside his mobile home, said Snodgrass. The incident took place at the Cloverdale Estates mobile home park, 5.2 miles southeast of St. Marys. Knight was preparing to clean his handgun inside his mobile home when it accidentally discharged, Snodgrass said. The bullet went through the wall of Knight's mobile home without injuring anyone. It traveled the distance between mobile homes, penetrated the wall of the neighbor's mobile home, and struck the 15-year-old in the head while she was watching television in the living room, Snodgrass said. The 15-year-old was reported to be conscious and alert at the time of transport, Snodgrass said. The 15-year-old was still undergoing surgery as of 8 p.m. Wednesday and was listed in critical condition at the time, Snodgrass said.
- GREENE CO., NC, 1/29/14: A father is facing charges for possession of a firearm by a felon after his baby was accidentally shot and killed. Greene County Sheriff Lemmie Smith tells WITN the baby girl was shot Wednesday night around 9 p.m. in a home on Letchworth Drive in Greene County, off of Fort Run Rd. Smith says the father was holding the rifle on the couch when it accidentally went off, shooting the baby in the chest. The gunshot killed her. The baby's name has not been released. Allen Ormond, 28, is a convicted felon and is not legally allowed to own a gun. Records show he was convicted in the 2007 of possession of stolen goods in Greene County. Sheriff Smith said Ormond had just bought the rifle earlier Wednesday, hours before the fatal shooting of his baby girl. Ormond is also charged with possession of a stolen firearm. The sheriff says the rifle that killed the girl was stolen.
- PEORIA, IL, 1/29/14: A 63-year-old man discovered a stray bullet lodged in a wall decoration in his Central Peoria home Wednesday. The man discovered a bullet hole in his garage in the 1200 block of West McClure Avenue two weeks before. The bullet appeared to enter the home, but the resident wasn’t able to locate a bullet inside, according to a Peoria police report. The man delivered the bullet to police in a plastic bag Wednesday after calling authorities when he discovered it inside a picture hanging on his wall. No injuries or further property damage were noted in the report.
- ROBERTSVILLE, MO, 1/29/14: A Robertsville man is recovering from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound he suffered Jan. 29. At approximately 9:12 p.m., Franklin County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence in Robertsville in reference to a gunshot wound. Deputies determined that the victim, Perry Melton, 48, had reportedly shot himself in the leg with a handgun. Melton told authorities that he had been drinking and could not remember how the accident happened, but did recall taking the weapon out of his pocket and placing it on a table at one point. The gun was found in Melton’s back pocket. He was transported to Mercy Hospital in Creve Coeur to be treated.
- COLUMBUS, OH, 1/29/14: A Columbus police officer accidentally discharged his gun accidentally at police headquarters Wednesday. According to police, medics were dispatched to the Columbus police headquarters at about 12:03 p.m. on a report of a shooting. An officer was processing a prisoner and had to put his gun into a lock box. As he was retrieving the gun and putting it in his holster, it discharged twice, striking the floor. At the time of the shooting, it was unclear if anyone had been injured so a medic was requested as a precaution. The officer is a 26-year veteran with CPD. The dispatch center initially told NBC4 the officer was shot in the hip.
- COLUMBUS, OH, 1/30/14: Columbus police are investigating an apparent accidental shooting on the city's southwest side. Officers were called to a home on Ringfield Drive around 7 p.m. on a report of a shooting. Police tell 10TV it appears to be accidental. Neighbor Paula Roberts says she was home when she and her husband thought they heard a gun shot. That's when they say they got a knock on the door from the victims nephew asking for help. "He said that his uncle had got shot in the head with a 22 calliber. The gentleman was still breathing, was bleeding but still breathing," said Roberts. Neighbors stayed with the victim until police and medics arrived. The victim was taken to Mt. Carmel hospital in critical condition. At this point officers are not releasing his name.
- SIMPSONVILLE, SC, 1/30/14: According to Greenville County deputies, a spat between a mother and daughter-in-law led to a shot fired in front of a 5-month-old child. The cause of the argument is unknown, but deputies said it prompted the mother-in-law to get a gun and point it at her daughter-in-law, telling her there would be no yelling or cursing in her house. The daughter-in-law tried to wrestle the gun away, but the gun accidentally went off, according to deputies. The bullet grazed the mother-in-law's chest, but deputies said she is in good condition. Deputies also said they believe the mother-in-law mistakenly pulled the trigger and shot herself.
- MERKEL, TX, 1/30/14: Two people were shot in a Merkel motel room Thursday night. The shooting happened at the Scottish Inn on Interstate 20. Police tell KTXS a man was showing another man a gun when it went off. It went through a man's side and struck a woman behind him. Police believe it was an accident. Merkel police are investigating. The two injured were taken to Hendrick Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
- OREGON CITY, OR, 1/30/14: An Oregon City man remains hospitalized after accidentally shooting himself in the thigh with his handgun Thursday. Richard C. Ward, 63, is undergoing treatment at OHSU Hospital. His condition is not available. Lt. Greg Fryett, Oregon City Police Department spokesman, said Ward's wife called 911 around 3:30 p.m., reporting the accident in their home. Arriving officers and Clackamas Fire District 1 firefighters found that Ward had placed a magazine in his .380-caliber semiautomatic pistol and pulled back the slide, then accidentally fired the gun. The bullet struck a major artery and he was bleeding profusely, Fryett said. Firefighter-paramedics treated Ward at the scene. An American Medical Response ambulance took him to the hospital. The bullet apparently did not penetrate the walls and no one else was injured, Fryett said.
- FRANKLIN CO., VA, 1/31/14: On Friday, January 31st at approximately 1:30 p.m., the Office of the Sheriff received a 911 call in reference to a shooting at a residence in the 100 block of Peak’s View Drive in the Moneta area of Franklin County. When deputies arrived at the scene they were met by a female resident of the home and her toddler son. The female lived at the home with her boyfriend, Herbert Aragon Jr., age 37. The woman advised deputies that she had given her child a bath and that when she exited the bathroom she observed the front door to the home was open. She told deputies that she had locked the door prior to giving her child a bath. Fearing that someone had entered the residence, the woman said she retrieved a handgun from the bedroom and began checking the house. While checking the residence, the female told deputies that she was startled by an unknown person. The woman discharged the firearm - striking the subject. The subject was identified as Aragon whom she said had returned home early and unannounced from a business trip. Aragon was later pronounced dead at the scene.
- BOYNTON BEACH, FL, 1/31/14: A South Florida man accidentally shot himself in the leg while on his way back from a firearms safety class, police said. The accidental shooting occurred about 9:45 a.m. Friday near Congress Avenue and Neptune Drive. Boynton Beach police said officers found Eric Morkert sitting in the bed of his pickup truck with a gunshot wound to his right leg. Morkert told police he'd just left a firearms safety class and had pulled over to inspect his new Glock 17. Morkert said he removed the magazine and was manipulating the slide when the gun discharged. Paramedics arrived and took Morkert to Delray Community Hospital for treatment. He was expected to be OK. Police took possession of the gun.
- ST. JOSEPH CO., MI, 1/31/14: A man is recovering after his firearm accidentally went off. The 33-year-old was target practicing Friday when the gun malfunctioned in the 53000 block of Olney Road in St. Joseph County, Michigan. He had injuries to his right hand, and also had a wound to his chest. The man was taken to a Kalamazoo hospital where he underwent surgery to remove metal fragments from his chest.