The week of March 26 wasn’t an extraordinarily busy one in GunFAIL terms. But it had an interesting mix of problems. Of course, there were all the usuals: 14 people who accidentally shot themselves, eight accidental gun fatalities, seven kids accidentally shot, five accidental shootings at or near the practice ranges (where “near” means someone missed their target & sent a stray into the neighborhood), four people who accidentally shot family members or significant others, and even two “defensive gun uses” that went wrong.
TSA agents at airports around the country discovered 71 guns “forgotten” in the carry-on luggage of passengers during the week of March 27-April 2. But TSA also made the news in Atlanta, where they were found to have missed one gun. The owner, finding it in her bag as she prepared to board at the gate, reported the gun to the authorities and was arrested. (Though she claimed to have a permit for the gun, issued in Alabama, she had neglected to take it with her. And then, I guess, promptly forgot she had the gun with her at all.) The Atlanta TSA screener who missed the gun was fired. No word on whether there was a TSA screener who initially missed the gun in Alabama, though. But I guess there was. We just don’t know who that was.
An unfortunate accidental gun death in Goetz, Wisconsin, gives us yet another opportunity to remind would-be cowboys that modern double-action handguns are not “safe” to spin on your finger. That trick you see in the movies is either just that—a movie trick—or is being performed with a single-action revolver. In other words, a gun that has to have the hammer cocked manually, and on which the trigger does nothing but release a cocked trigger. Guns like that shouldn’t fire when you spin them, no matter how hard you may hit the trigger, because the hammer isn’t cocked. That said, please don’t do this. There are a lot of people out there, and a lot of guns, and if enough of you do it, someone will screw it up and forget they’ve cocked the hammer, and accidentally shoot themselves while twirling a single-action revolver, and then we’ll have been wrong about something in a gun debate and will be forced under the Second Amendment to stop writing GunFAIL diaries. It’s a fact.
Other notable gun mishaps include a kindergarten teacher in Guns Everywhere Georgia, who merely did the unthinkable, thankfully, as opposed to the horrifically unthinkable. That is, she showed up at work drunk, with a gun in her purse, which she left under the desk in the classroom. But what she didn’t do was have her gun discovered by one of the students. So shut up, liberals! That totally won’t happen with armed teachers! Unless it does! In which case, Freedom! And also, “suck it,” snowflakes!
There was also some “good” GunFAIL, too. A racist would-be murderer accidentally shot himself when he tried to shoot a co-worker at the Desert Hot Springs, California Autozone store where they both worked. Rudy Arana allegedly brought a sawed-off shotgun to work and announced he was “there to kill a n----r.” Well, he didn’t. Instead, he shot himself in the “lower torso” when he pulled that shotgun out of his waistband, which is really no place to keep a shotgun, not that I want to counsel him in any fashion.
Finally, our title story, involving the “security” guard (and former Tulsa County “reserve deputy”) at a Tulsa, Oklahoma gun show who accidentally fired a gun he was handling, injuring a fellow officer also working “security” that day. Yes, reserve deputy Robert Bates was the one who accidentally shot and killed Eric Harris at contact range in 2015, somehow thinking he had drawn a Taser rather than a firearm. But you would have most recently seen Tulsa’s reserve deputies in GunFAIL in connection with a gun accident on February 23 of this year, when a former reservist’s gun “went off on its own accord” inside the the White River Fish Market restaurant in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Way to go, fellas! Good thing their training and certification methods are impeccable! Otherwise, you’d start to think that having this many accidents among them was due to some laxity in standards, or something!
- PHILADELPHIA, PA, 3/26/17: The owner of a corner store opened fire on a would-be robber in North Philadelphia, shooting the suspect twice. It happened just before 4 PM Sunday at a store on the 2800 block of North 5th Street. Police say the suspect, a 40-year-old man, was shot twice in the chest. A bystander, a 52-year-old woman, was also shot twice in the hand. Both were rushed to Temple University Hospital. The suspect is critical, and the bystander is stable. The store owner is being questioned by police, but it's not clear if charges will be filed.
- OCHELATA, OK, 3/26/17: Washington County Sheriff's Office deputies are investigating after an eight-year-old boy was killed Sunday night in a shooting. Officials responded at about 7 PM to the report of someone being shot in the 29300 block of North 3950 Road. Deputies said Kade Minor, 8, asked his 15-year-old cousin if he had any guns, and the 15-year-old showed him a 12-gauge. Deputies said the gun was leaned against the tire of a vehicle, and fell to the ground, causing it to discharge one round. That round struck Minor in the abdomen, and he died as a result. "You hope that somehow they’re able to find peace and honestly that the Lord’s able to really use a positive situation for somebody," said Jake Schellack, a resident of Ocheleta. According to deputies, the 15-year-old loaded the boy into a vehicle and CPR was attempted by family members and emergency crews to no avail. Deputies said the investigation reveals no foul play so far, and the shooting was likely accidental.
- ATLANTA, GA, 3/26/17: Channel 2 Action News has confirmed that the Transportation Security Administration fired a screener who missed a loaded handgun in a passenger’s carry-on bag Sunday morning at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. According to an Atlanta police incident report, Katrina Jackson, of Hoover, Alabama, discovered the handgun as she checked her purse for her passport while at the gate. “There’s one thing if you’re missing something suspicious. This was a handgun, so this is a big deal that this got through the TSA screening process,” security expert Brent Brown said. She self-reported to police and officers showed up at the gate to confiscate her gun and bag. Jackson told them she had a permit from Alabama, but did not have it with her. Police arrested her and charged her with unlawful possession of a handgun.
- COLUMBUS, NM, exact date unknown: Negligent discharge of a firearm: Irasmo Granillo, 20, Columbus, NM was shot in the left heel when an AR-15 he was prepared to shoot accidentally discharged a around. Granillo was airlifted by Native Air for medical treatment in El Paso, Texas.
- OAKDALE, CA, 3/26/17: A man was injured Sunday morning when he shot himself while holstering his gun at a shooting range. Oakdale police said the man suffered injuries that were not life-threatening and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment. No other injuries were reported. The shooting occurred about 10:30 AM at the Oakdale Police Department shooting range on Liberini Avenue, just south of River Road in Oakdale. A company had rented the police shooting range for training sessions, according to Oakdale police. The trainee was putting his gun back into his holster when the gun fired. Police said the shooting appeared to be accidental. No Oakdale police officials were involved in the shooting, according to the department.
- VICTORVILLE, CA, 3/27/17: Authorities said a man wounded in a shooting, believed to be accidental, on Monday afternoon later died from his injuries. Edward Downie, 43, died following the incident, which occurred while he was shooting his handgun in a desert area near Sunny Vista and Olivine roads Monday afternoon, Victorville Sheriff's Station spokeswoman Mara Rodriguez said. San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department officials on scene said the shooting appeared to be accidental. "At this time, I have not received any information that this was anything but an accident and the gunshot was self-inflicted," Rodriguez told the Daily Press. Downie and a "female friend" were in the area when, while handling the weapon, a round was discharged and Downie was struck once in the head. Rodriguez said he was then flown to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The incident remains under investigation by the Victorville Sheriff's Station.
- SAN DIEGO, CA, 3/27/17: A 16-year-old boy accidentally shot himself Monday in Encanto, police said. The teen was loitering in the area of 6000 Brooklyn Ave. around 7:45 PM when a resident asked him to leave, said San Diego police Officer John Buttle. Shortly after, the teen attempted to remove a handgun from his waistband and shot himself in the left thigh, Buttle said. He was taken to a hospital with a non-life-threatening injury, Buttle said.
- ROSEVILLE, MI, 3/27/17: A Wayne County teenager is recovering today after he accidentally shot himself in the leg with a handgun he and his friends had found in Roseville, according to police. Roseville Police Chief James Berlin said officers responded early Monday to a report of a shooting in the 26000 block of Pattow Street, in the area of Frazho Road and Interstate 94. Police learned a 15-year-old Westland boy suffered a single gunshot wound to his right thigh. The victim and two of his friends had found a .32-caliber handgun in a parking lot and were playing with it when the boy pulled the trigger. “The victim was playing with the weapon when it discharged, striking him in the leg, causing non-life threatening wounds,” Berlin said in an email. He added investigators do not believe there was any criminal intent involved on behalf of the three teens and the shooting has been ruled accidental. However, the chief said the incident underscores the need for people to be aware of gun safety issues when handling any weapons. Investigators do not yet know where the gun came from or who the owner is. Roseville investigators say there is no record of ownership on the weapon online. Berlin has requested the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives perform a manual look-up of records it has on file to determine who the owner is and why the gun was left unattended. The teen is expected to make a full recovery.
- ORLANDO, FL, 3/27/17: Orlando police are still investigating a shooting that left a 15-year-old dead late last month. The March 27 shooting that killed Anatasia Riggins appears to have been accidental, police said. “As of this time, no arrests have been made in this case,” police spokeswoman Michelle Guido said Tuesday. “All involved parties remained at the scene after the shooting.” Because the investigation is still open, police released few details about the shooting. Officers came to a home on Kitty Hawk Avenue in Pine Hills, just west of Lake Orlando, just after 10:30 AM the day of the shooting, records show. They found Anatasia on the floor. She was pronounced dead at 10:50 AM, police said. According to a published obituary, which did not list a cause of death, Anatasia was a natural entertainer and a hip-hop fan who wanted a career in music when she got older. “She was a joy to be around and could always be counted on to make you laugh,” her obituary reads. “She looked forward to having a bright and successful future.” Anatasia is one of five teenagers—three boys and two girls—killed in Orange County since January. All five were shot. At this time in 2016, six teenagers had been killed in Orange County. All six were shot. By the end of the year, 12 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 were killed, up from only two teenagers in 2015.
- SHREVEPORT, LA, 3/28/17: A Shreveport juvenile is left answering questions to police after he reportedly shot himself Tuesday night. The incident happened around 10:15 PM along Gilbert Drive. Police say the boy initially reported that he heard gunshots while walking along the street and then started to run home. Officers say they later learned the juvenile shot himself in both of his thighs. The boy expected to be okay, but police say it is unclear how he ended up shooting himself. No charges have been filed and police are investigating.
- ELIZABETHTON, TN, 3/28/17: Deputies from the Carter County Sheriff’s Department responded to an accidental shooting at 190 Cash Hollow Road at 5 PM Tuesday. Deputy Cody James said when he arrived at the residence he found Steven Walker, Sarah Annie Drive, Johnson City, holding towels with pressure to a wound on the leg of Michael Hubbard, 48, 190 Cash Hollow Road. James and Sgt. Michael Malone removed the towels, observed the wound, and wrapped the leg in gauze and an elastic bandage. They held pressure on the wound until an ambulance from the Carter County Rescue Squad arrived. Hubbard was transported to Johnson City Medical Center. James reported that Walker told him the Rossi .38-caliber special revovler belonged to him and he was letting Hubbard look at it. Hubbard told James he was sitting on a couch with his legs crossed when the gun went off while he was looking at it. James wrote in his report that the accident was “from negligent care with the gun.”
- DURHAM, NC, 3/28/17: Authorities in Durham are investigating a bad crash that was linked to gunfire Tuesday evening. Around 5:30 PM, officers were called about a fight on Hedgerow Place (Old Farm Park) and that several vehicles were seen leaving the area. Authorities said one of the vehicles—a silver Subaru—was spotted by an officer near Roxboro Street and Argonne Drive. The driver ended up losing control along a curve on Argonne Drive and the vehicle overturned into a ditch. There were five people inside the vehicle—two men and three women. One of the men suffered a gunshot wound to the foot after he accidentally shot himself, according to investigators. He was taken to the hospital for treatment. The other four suffered minor injuries and were questioned by investigators. One of the people in the vehicle, 24-year-old Ricky Demuris Wardlaw of Hillsborough, was arrested on outstanding warrants from Orange County. They included assault on a female, assault by strangulation, assault with a deadly weapon and driving while his license was revoked. He was placed in Durham County Jail without bond.
- MARION, IA, 3/28/17: A 17-year-old teenager is recovering after he was accidentally shot in the back. Marion police say the incident happened on March 28th at Kyler Junkins' home. They say Junkins, 18, was handling a .22 caliber rifle when it accidentally discharged, hitting the victim in the lower back. The 17-year-old is expected to recover.
- PORTLAND, OR, 3/28/17: A man convicted in the '90s of an Arkansas murder was booked into jail Monday in Portland after police say he opened fired on a car in a motel parking lot, then tripped, inadvertently shot himself - and ended up with a broken leg. Terrance Booker, 42, remains held Tuesday in the Multnomah County Jail on accusations of attempted aggravated murder, attempted first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and felon in possession of a firearm. He is also accused of violating his parole related to his 1991 murder conviction. Another man, 65-year-old James Booker, is also accused of felon in possession of a firearm related to the March 28 shooting outside a Budget Inn along Northeast Sandy Boulevard. It's unclear if the men are related. No one else was injured. Surveillance video footage from the motel shows a woman leaving a room about 2:25 AM and getting into the driver's seat of a Cadillac parked with two occupants. Terrance Booker is seen leaving the same room soon after, a probable cause affidavit said. He steps over a parking-stall curb while trying to pull something from his waistband, falls and appears to be unable to get back to his feet. Booker gets up to his knees, pulls a silver handgun and fires two shots at the car, the affidavit said. He then throws the gun back toward the room, where James Booker picks it up and walks away, the affidavit says. No shots were fired from the car. When police arrived to the scene, Terrance Booker was still on the ground. He was taken to a hospital for treatment. It's unclear from police if the leg he broke was the same one he shot. He was released from the hospital Monday. Investigators later found the gun inside another room, where James Booker was staying, the affidavit said. He told police he was handed the gun, left it on the microwave inside his motel room and knew he wasn't supposed to possess any firearms.
- HEMET, CA, 3/29/17: In what appears to be a freak accident involving a stray bullet from a recreational shooter in the hills just outside Hemet, a man on a golf course was shot in the leg Wednesday evening, March 29. The 47-year-old man was expected to survive, Hemet Police Department officials said in a news release. The shooter was not found. The man was hit about 6 PM at the Hemet Golf Club in the Four Seasons community. The hills just to the west are outside city limits, in an area known as Juniper Springs. Police believe the victim was "struck by an errant round fired by a person shooting illegally," the release said. The victim told police he had been hearing gunfire from the hills in the hours before he was struck. Witnesses also said they heard what sounded like gunfire from that area just before the man was hit. Hemet police, with the assistance of the Riverside County sheriff's helicopter, searched the area, to no avail. Hemet police Lt. Eric Dickson said illegal shooting in the hills poses problems for law enforcement. "The primary difficulty is the terrain itself," Dickson said. "The bulk of the area is not easily accessible by vehicle and it’s a massive area, so there are some significant challenges to attempting to locate anyone on foot." It would take several off-road vehicles the Police Department doesn’t own to effectively patrol the hills, Dickson said, and even so, many incidents there are outside city limits – the jurisdiction of the county Sheriff's Department. Another issue is that many hills such as those near Hemet that were once in the middle of nowhere are now surrounded by development. Even if shooting in similar places were legal – and it’s not in most places – doing so would put people enjoying a day outside at risk. “The days of shooting cans off your back fence are pretty much over unless you happen to live on an island,” Dickson said.
- BENEDICT, ND, 3/29/17: The Ward County Sheriff's Department is investigating what it says was the accidental shooting of a 9-year-old boy in Benedict. Authorities say the boy and his 11-year-old cousin were playing with a .22-caliber pistol that the boys didn't think was loaded on Wednesday evening. The gun fired and struck the 9-year-old in the head. The boy was taken to a Garrison hospital. His condition wasn't released.
- INDIO, CA, 3/29/17: Officers responded to a shooting in Indio Wednesday at about 8:45 PM after a juvenile accidentally shot his older sister, according to the Indio Police Department. The woman showed up at JFK Memorial Hospital with a non life-threatening gunshot wound. Police didn't release the address where the shooting occurred. The hospital "went into lockdown" as a precaution after the victim arrived. According to Sgt. Dan Marshall, the woman is expected to be okay and there are no charges filed, as the shooting was deemed accidental.
- DULUTH, GA, 3/29/17: A Gwinnett County 19-year-old died hours after an accidental shooting at a house party. The shooting happened around 2 AM Wednesday at a home on Hailston Drive in Duluth. The victim was identified as Shawn Lopes. Police said there was a party at the home and that it appears the shooting was an accident involving two men. Investigators told Channel 2’s Chris Jose that half a dozen people including teenagers were playing with a gun inside the home.
- BOYNTON BEACH, FL, 3/29/17: A 34-year-old man in the 3100 block of Waterside Circle was showing his friends a handgun when it accidentally discharged into his left hand. He was taken to an area hospital.
- ZEPHYRHILLS, FL, 3/29/17: A 4-year-old Pasco County boy is in stable condition after suffering what appears to be an accidental, self-inflicted, gunshot wound. A Pasco County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said on Thursday morning that the boy was shot in the abdomen. His prognosis is good and he is expected to recover. On Wednesday night, deputies and fire rescue crews responded to a home in the 6700 block of Boulder Run Loop in Zephyrhills. The boy was airlifted to a local hospital. A major crimes unit is investigating the incident. They’re trying to figure out how the child obtained the gun and who was with the child at the time.
- FOUNTAIN, FL, 3/30/17: Bay County Sheriff's Office investigators say a man playing with a gun accidentally killed himself Thursday. It happened about 12:15 PM. BCSO wrote in a news release that Andrew Whitehead, whose age is only given as in his mid-20s, was at a home on Sandy Mountain Church Road in Fountain, when he "was playing with a gun he believed was unloaded, and pulled the trigger." The gun was in fact loaded and Whitehead shot himself in the head. Emergency workers arrived to the home and pronounced him dead. The shooting is being ruled "accidental."
- DESERT HOT SPRINGS, CA, 3/30/17: Attempted murder and hate crime allegations were filed Tuesday against a 19-year-old man who accidentally shot himself during an alleged attempt to kill a black employee at an auto parts store. Rudy Arana allegedly brought a sawed-off shotgun last Thursday to the Autozone store at 12660 Palm Drive and announced he was “there to kill a n----r,” according to Desert Hot Springs police Chief Dale Mondary. Employees told police that Arana appeared at the store around 7:15 AM looking for their co-worker, and they said he wasn't working that day. They asked if they could deliver a message on Arana's behalf, which is when he allegedly made the threat using the racial epithet, Mondary said. After continuing to loiter near the store, Arana saw the employee he was seeking when the worker left the store to take out the trash, the chief said. He allegedly pulled the shotgun out of his waistband, then accidentally shot himself in the lower torso as the other employees were trying to wrestle the gun from him. No other injuries were reported. Arana was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries of unknown severity and was later placed under arrest. Mondary said the victim, whose name was withheld, alleged that Arana had been threatening him for two weeks. Arana, who's scheduled to make his initial court appearance on Wednesday, is being held at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning in lieu of $1 million bail, according to jail records.
- SAN ANTONIO, TX, 3/30/17: A Southside woman is dead after it appears she was accidentally shot by a man described as her boyfriend. San Antonio Police were called to an apartment off of Clint Lane at around Midnight Thursday where they found the man performing CPR on the woman after she was shot in the back. Officers said it appeared as though the man was standing in a back bedroom and handling an AR-15 when it accidentally went off. That bullet passed through a wall and struck the woman who was in the bathroom. She died a short time after officers arrived. No charges have been filed to this point–though the 32-year old man was placed under arrest for an outstanding drug warrant. MORE: San Antonio police said her boyfriend told them he was taking apart his gun to clean it when it accidentally discharged shortly after 12 AM Thursday.
- GOETZ, WI, 3/30/17: Chippewa County sheriff’s officials are investigating an accidental shooting death that occurred Thursday night in the town of Goetz, near Cadott. Sheriff Jim Kowalczyk said the 22-year-old man was “twirling a handgun” when it went off, striking the man in the chest. The shooting occurred at 10:08 PM at 9864 250th St. Kowalczyk described the gun as a .22-caliber double action revolver. At least one witness observed the shooting. Alcohol may have been a factor. The man’s name was not released Friday. MORE: Police say Cole Knutson accidentally shot himself in the chest at a home near Cadott last week. He died on Thursday.
- DALLAS, GA, 3/30/17: Authorities say a Georgia kindergarten teacher was arrested after administrators found a loaded gun in her purse in her classroom. Paulding County sheriff's Sgt. Ashley Henson says the gun was found after a staff member at Shelton Elementary in Dallas alerted administrators around noon Thursday that 39-year-old Melanie Bullard's breath smelled of alcohol. Henson says Bullard tested positive for alcohol in evaluations administered by a school resource officer. Administrators then searched for any open containers of alcohol. During the search, they found a loaded handgun in her purse, which was on the floor under her desk. Bullard was being held without bond on charges of reckless conduct and possession of a weapon on school property. It wasn't immediately clear whether she had an attorney who could comment on the charges.
- SAVANNAH, GA, 3/31/17: Savannah-Chatham Metro Police Department officials say a shooting at an apartment complex on East Victory Drive that sent a man to the hospital was accidental. Officers say 42-year-old Christopher Williams was shot in the parking lot of Alhambra Apartments on Victory Drive close to Skidaway Road just after 7 PM on Friday. Investigators say Williams was shot by an acquaintance. Investigators say at this time, it appears no one will be charged in this incident. Everyone involved in this accidental shooting has been identified.
- WHITESBURG, KY, 3/31/17: Police say a gun accidentally discharged during a fight in Whitesburg Friday night. It happened on Main Street near Streetside Bar and Grill. Whitesburg Police Chief Tyrone Fields told WYMT a man with a gun in a holster was trying to break up the fight when his gun was knocked out of its holster and accidentally fired. Police say no one was injured by the accidental discharge of the gun, but one man went to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries he suffered during the fight. Police say none of the people involved in the incident are pressing charges.
- HAMMOND, IN, 3/31/17: A 38-year-old woman was wounded Friday when her boyfriend accidentally shot her in the right hip, police said. Hammond police were dispatched about 8:30 PM to a home in the 6800 block of Arizona Avenue, Lt. Steven Kellogg said. The woman told police her 38-year-old boyfriend, who also lives at the home, was outside the bathroom "messing" with a semi-automatic pistol when it accidentally went off. The woman was in stable condition, police said Monday. The man was taken into custody pending further investigation and filing of charges, police said.
- LAKEWOOD, WA, 3/31/17: A man accidentally shot a woman Friday in Lakewood while trying to shoot someone who tried to rob him during a botched marijuana deal, according to charging documents. Reniel Muniz-Suarez faces three counts of first-degree assault and one count of drive-by shooting, according to court documents submitted Monday. Court Commissioner Meagan Foley set his bail at $500,000. According to court documents: Police responded to an apartment complex in the 3500 block of 92nd Street South and found a woman with a gunshot wound to her shoulder. She said she and her 3-year-old daughter had just walked back to the complex from a nearby restaurant when she heard gunshots and felt pain from the wound. She said she fell to the ground and covered her daughter until the shooting stopped. Officers did not find suspects at the time, but learned of an incident at a nearby convenience store and watched surveillance footage there. Video showed three people in a car in the store’s parking lot as another person walked up and talked with them. Someone in the car handed the man something, and the man pulled a pistol, pointed it at the car and ran away. Two men, one with a limp, got out of the car to chase the man. The man walking normally went toward the apartment complex, then came back to the car, which left. Detectives were able to get the license plate number off the car. Police found a bag of marijuana in the parking lot. Police found the car Sunday at a nearby business with the same three people in it. The driver told police she took the men to a marijuana sale and had known the person they were meeting since high school. The man the group met said he wanted to look at what they were selling. Then he pulled the gun and tried to run. Muniz-Suarez chased the man and shot at him, but hit the mother instead. The other man had a recent gunshot wound to his leg, which explained his limp. Police found a 9mm handgun that matched shell casings left near the apartment complex, as well as the gun’s bill of sale. They said it was accessible only from the seat when Muniz-Suarez had been.
- TULSA, OK, 4/01/17: The Tulsa County District Attorney’s office filed a charge against a security guard whose gun accidentally went off during a gun show at the fairgrounds last weekend. Brian Pounds faces a misdemeanor count of reckless conduct with a firearm. Pounds was working security at the Wanenmacher’s Tulsa Arms Show on Saturday, April 1, 2017 when the incident happened. Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Justin Green said the incident hurt former TCSO Sgt. Rick Treadwell, who was also working security. Treadwell had told investigators he did not want charges to be filed. Pounds is a Tulsa County Assessor’s Office employee and former candidate for Tulsa County commissioner. He also served as a reserve deputy under former Sheriff Stanley Glanz. News On 6 partner The Frontier obtained surveillance video of the shooting. The video shows Pounds remove the handgun from a bag and handle it for a few seconds before pointing it. It then goes off and the other men in the video can be seen being startled by the shot.
- INDIAN LAND, SC, 4/01/17: One person is injured after an apparent accidental shooting in Lancaster County, said Doug Barfield with the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office. The incident occurred late Saturday at 667 Bolick Road in Indian Land, Barfield said. One person was shot in the stomach and is hospitalized. The person’s condition was not known, but Barfield said the injuries did not seem to be life-threatening. At this time, no charges have been filed, Barfield said. He said the shooting remains under investigation.
- RICHMOND, VA, 4/01/17: Richmond Police have identified the man who died at Chippenham Hospital Saturday afternoon after showing up with a gunshot wound. Police say 22-year-old Nygel E. Williams was shot by his friend, 22-year-old Darell Meredith, on Saturday around 3:30 PM. Meredith and several others drove Williams to Chippenham Hospital, where Williams was pronounced dead with a gunshot wound to the chest. Investigators determined Williams' death resulted from "the careless handling of a firearm" by Meredith. Meredith has been charged with involuntary manslaughter.
- DAYTON, OH, 4/01/17: A man is taken to the hospital after he accidentally shoots himself in the stomach in Dayton. It happened at a home in the 1400 block of Huffman Avenue just after 2 AM Saturday. According to police reports, the man told officers he was playing with the gun when it went off before losing consciousness. The victim was taken to a local hospital where his condition is unknown.
- BRISTOL, WI, 4/01/17: Kenosha County Sheriff's Deputies and the Bristol Fire Department Rescue responded to the Conservation Club of Kenosha County for a man being accidentally shot in the trap shooting range Saturday. Sheriff Deputies say they found a 64-year-old Kenosha man suffering from a shotgun wound to his abdomen just before 11 AM. Sheriff Deputies' investigation determined that 72-year-old Donald Bekeleski from Elk Grove Village, Illinois had been shooting a 20 gauge shotgun which malfunctioned. Bekeleski had tried to clear that malfunction and the firearm discharged. That shot then struck the victim who was approximately 20 feet away. The victim was taken to Froedert Hospital with serious injuries. Charges of Causing Injury by Negligent Handling of a Firearm were referred to the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office for Bekeleski.