It's time for another entry in our continuing GunFAIL series, and I'm adopting another few changes in format. First, I'm setting aside the domestic violence and murder-suicide reports entirely, although I think they're an especially important category to pay attention to. They deserve coverage, of course, and they do account for a significant portion of gun deaths each week. And I still believe that they represent an important category of GunFAIL, particularly when guns are purchased ostensibly to protect the family and instead end up killing the family. But tracking them is not only enormously taxing emotionionally, but they're not exactly central to the main point of this feature, which really is that even well-meaning and well-intentioned gun owners surprise themselves with accidents far more than we think, and certainly far more often than many of them will admit.
The second change in format takes me back to my preferred approach to presenting these stories, that is, with a one line story of my own. Each entry still includes a link to the original reporting, so you can still get the dry facts of the incidents there.
Even with this new restriction on what sorts of GunFAIL make the cut for this series, I was able to find 50 new examples for you in this entry, the vast majority of which took place just in the week since publication of GunFAIL IV.
Before moving on to the list, I want to acknowledge some other great sources of similar information. Right here on Daily Kos, we have Tom Begnal's series, "Another Day in the (gun crazy) U.S.A." Also among us in the blogosphere are the folks behind Slate's cooperative venture with @GunDeaths, the Today's Accidental Shootings blog, and the OhhShoot blog. In the mainstream media, kudos to Joe Nocera of the New York Times, and NBC News for giving in-depth and continuing coverage to these stories. I like to think we may have had a little something to do with encouraging it, and proving the existence of a "market" for it, so to speak.
And now, this week's Dishonor Roll, below the fold.
- TYLER, TX, 1/16/13: Gimme all your money and no one gets hurt! Except me! KA-POW!
- PARMA, OH, 1/25/13: I have a few minutes to spare. I think I'll tidy up this .40 cal... BLAM! D'oh!
- NORTH STONINGTON, CT, 1/26/13: You know what would be a great idea to prove that responsible gun ownership is still a good idea in a state recently traumatized by mass shootings? Some random cow shootings! And hey, let's lie to the cops and try to hide the gun, too. The NRA is gonna love this!
- HOLLY HILL, SC, 1/30/13: Don't know why she had a gun. Don't know what she was doing with the gun. Only know that she's now dead.
- HAMPTON, VA, 2/03/13: The other thing that can sometimes stop a bad guy with a gun is another bad guy with a gun.
- NEWINGTON, CT, 2/04/13: Go ahead, make my pizza!
- DES MOINES, IA, 2/05/13: He jumped me! He came from outta nowhere! Who did? I did!
- KIRKSVILLE, MO, 2/07/13: What part of "concealed" do you concealed carry ninjas not understand?
- CROSSVILLE, IL, 2/07/13: Aren't these really just the kind of folks you want "protecting their family" with 10 guns?
- HUNTINGTON, TX, 2/07/13: Gunwin's Law: The longer the argument goes on, the greater the chances you'll fire your guns.
- MEMPHIS, TN, 2/07/13: At this point, when you hear that a 16-year-old and a 15-year-old are getting together and there's a gun there, you can pretty much bet that before the day is done, there will be a... KA-POW! Yep.
- COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, 2/08/13: Wanna see my antique shotgun? What a beaut, huh? Been in the family for... KA-BLAM!
- MT. SHASTA, CA, 2/08/13: Best. GunFAIL. Ever. At least in terms of the target. Home invader pistol whips victim, but ends up shooting himself in the leg doing it.
- FAYETTEVILLE, AR, 2/08/13: What with all these school shootings, I'd better protect myself while on campus with my trusty... POW! Ow! Damn it!
- COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, 2/08/13: No, really! Someone really did jump me! OK, you got me. I'm lying, too. I dropped a gun and shot myself through both legs. But I was responsible in doing so! Freedom!
- FORT LEONARD WOOD, MO, 2/08/13: Concealed carry ninja successfully ends the wild rampage of his own foot!
- MEMPHIS, TN, 2/08/13: I swear, I didn't know it was loaded! Not any of the three times I shot you!
- TUNNELTON, WV, 2/08/13: Hey, we're 11 and 14 years old, and you say you want to see this gun that belongs to the registered sex offender whose house we're in, and who's prohibited by law from owning this weapon? Well, OK. I mean, it's not like this situation could get any worse, right? Oops! Clunk! BLAM!
- PALATINE, IL, 2/08/13: You never know when these German Shepherds are gonna "go native." Better shoot him before he turns into one of those zombie coyotes!
- RIVERTON, UT, 2/09/13: Hello, 911? I was cleaning my knife when it suddenly went off and stabbed my friend! Haha! Just kidding, that could never happen! It was a gun.
- COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, 2/09/13: Dude, don't worry. What are the chances of a third accidental shooting right here in Colorado Springs inside of 30 hours? BLAM!
- EASTVALE, CA, 2/09/13: Patriotic 8-year-old exercises his Second Amendment right to take out the tyrants under the floorboards.
- HORIZON CITY, TX, 2/09/13. You'll never guess how this guy shot himself in the leg. OK, you got me! He was cleaning it when it suddenly went off! Because it was still loaded! Dang, you're good at this!
- IMPERIAL, CA, 2/09/13: Bad news: a pastor and parishoner of the local church were examining a gun when... well, you know. Good news: discounted burial!
- INDEPENDENCE, MO, 2/09/13: Whew! Finished cleaning my gun without shooting myself! Here, take a look at it, honey! BLAM!
- EAST GARDEN CITY, NY, 2/09/13: The right of the people to accidentally blow a hole in the plumbing and flood their apartment building shall not be infringed.
- BALDWIN, PA, 2/10/13: Just a quick reminder that sometimes, even if you're trained for this sort of thing, you miss and hit the wrong person.
- MUSKINGUM CO., OH, 2/10/13: After a little target shooting, I sometimes like to save the last bullet to ventilate my hand.
- DAYTON, OH, 2/10/13: Yeah, I was totally breaking up a fight between a World Champion MMA fighter and a member of SEAL Team 6, and I got shot! OK, I'm another one of these liars. I shot myself.
- BUTTE, MT, 2/10/13: Guys! Break it up! Don't fight! It's incredibly dangerous, given that one of you has a... BLAM!
- MCBRIDGE, MI, 2/10/13: This never happens, because safety! So shut up, you whiners!
- WASHINGTON, IL, 2/10/13: Knock knock! Who's there? Guy cleaning his gun. Guy cleaning his gu... BLAM!
- HARRISBURG, PA, 2/10/13: Wanna see a stolen gun? Check it... KA-POW!
- COVINGTON, OH, 2/10/13: Let's do a little target shooting! Who gives a flying #@*& where the bullets go if we miss? This is America! Amirite or what?
- MEMPHIS, TN, 2/11/13: No one could have predicted that a 4-year-old would find a gun and kill himself with it.
- DAUPHIN, PA, 2/11/13: Stay back or I'll shoot myself! In the arm!
- SALT LAKE CITY, UT, 2/11/13: It was Monday, so it was time for another law enforcement officer to shoot himself during a firearms training exercise.
- CHARLOTTE, NC, 2/11/13: No one could have predicted that another 4-year-old would find a gun and shoot herself with it.
- ALAMEDA, CA, 2/11/13: A man robbed at gunpoint goes for his own gun, gets shot. See, if you're already at gunpoint, you're kind of stuck.
- MADISONVILLE, KY, 2/11/13: I didn't shoot anyone or anything. I'm a responsible gun owner. I even have a concealed carry permit. What's this 9mm casing doing on the floor, and why is there a bullet hole in the wall? I dunno. But whatever it was, it must've been an accident. Which I don't remember. Or something. Hey, why am I being arrested?
- WATERBURY, CT, 2/11/13: Armed guards for schools are a great idea, because armed guards are trained and never do anything stupid with their guns that might invite disaster.
- BALTIMORE, MD, 2/12/13: Tuesday. Law enforcement officer shot in the head during gun training exercise. The ninth officer accidentally shot in as many days, and the seventh shot at the practice range.
- EL PASO CO., CO, 2/12/13: Dude, you want some weed? Dude, you want a shot? Dude, you want a shot in the back?
- NEWPORT NEWS, VA, 2/12/13: Another responsible gun owner shoots himself, but tells the cops he was robbed & attacked. Ho hum.
- BUNNELL, FL, 2/12/13: He was "messing around with the gun and it accidentally went off. Just wait until he has to clean it!
- MOBILE, AL, 2/12/13: I'm giving up accidentally shooting myself for Lent. But for now, it's still Mardi Gras! BLAM!
- TIGARD, OR, 2/13/13: I hate you, leg! You are a tyrant among limbs! FREEDOM!
- ROME, GA, 2/13/13: Stop me if you've heard this one before. Guy brings his pistol to the local diner. Takes it out for some unknown reason. Goes to put it back in his holster and then... I'll give you one guess what ended up in his left ankle. Any ideas?
- FT. SMITH, AR, 2/14/13: Roses are red. Violets are blue. If I smoke meth and play with guns, I might accidentally shoot you. Happy Valentine's Day, Auntie!