Six of 55 guns discovered by TSA agents at airports around the country, from 7/31/15 through 8/06/15.
Sorry I'm late. Lots of late-breaking reports of GunFAIL this week. But we're going to press with 34 posted incidents that break down as follows: 13 people who accidentally shot themselves and 13 kids accidentally shot, with four fatalities, ranging in age from two to 15. And among our original 34 GunFAILs, three involved law enforcement officers accidentally shooting themselves, and one involved a retired law enforcement officer accidentally shot by his brother, while at a gun range.
Among the week's most notable events: our title entry, involving the 68-year-old Massachusetts man who dropped his gun in the stands during a home game of the Pawtucket Red Sox, Boston's AAA affiliate club. He had a knife with him, too, which only complicated matters. Now, he did have a valid Massachusetts concealed carry permit, but no permit for Rhode Island. And as far out of his way as he was willing to go to get himself that permit (and the knife), he apparently had no interest in buying himself a holster to secure that gun. I guess he blew it all on PawSox tickets. And the Sox lost.
Just to keep things in the realm of the outrageous but not deadly, I'll also highlight another gun mishap in a place you wouldn't expect it: a man accidentally fired the gun he brought with him for a stay in ... a Ronald McDonald House. You probably know the Ronald McDonald House Charities as the organization that provides a place for families to stay locally when they've got a critically ill child in the hospital. It takes a special kind of carelessness to risk an accidental shooting where any victims would be among families already dealing with one family member fighting for their life in the hospital. But leave it to the gun enthusiasts to double down with someone else's money, so to speak.
But lest you think last week's GunFAIL was all near misses and bad breaks, you'll find the regular and predictable parade of horribles listed below the fold.
- LAKE PARK, FL, 8/02/15: On Sunday morning, a man accidentally shot himself while trying to fetch a cigarette outside a Burger King in Lake Park. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement the man had pulled a handgun from his pocket so he could get the cigarette. The gun discharged into his right leg when he tried to return it, said Teri Barbera, a sheriff’s office spokeswoman. The incident happened at 8:58 AM outside a restaurant at Dixie Highway and Northlake Boulevard. The victim was later found and taken to St. Mary’s Trauma Center with a non-life-threatening injury.
- DAVIE, FL, 8/02/15: A father teaching his 12-year-old daughter about gun safety accidentally shot her in the arm Sunday night, police said. The girl was taken to an area hospital and was in stable condition Sunday night, Sgt. Pablo Castenada said. The incident happened about 8:30 PM in the 7700 block of Northwest 34th Street. The girl's father was being questioned by police at the scene. Kara Perez, who often visits relatives in the neighborhood, said she heard a loud bang and thought it was fireworks. But less than 10 minutes later, several Davie police cruisers and ambulances crowded the street. Shortly afterward, a young girl dressed in white shorts walked out of the house, her forearm bandaged and one side of her clothing covered in blood, Perez said. "You could see in her face she was in pain," Perez said of the girl. MORE: A neighbor who knows the girl's father told 7News he's a former U.S. Marine, and the neighbor described him as a good person who works very hard to provide for his family.
- SLIPPERY ROCK, PA, 8/02/15: A 19-year-old woman was injured while target shooting Sunday afternoon. Pennsylvania State Police said that Brianna McNees, 19, of New Waterford, Ohio sustained non-life threatening injuries in the accidental shooting. Police said she was struck in the left shoulder by a bullet which ricocheted at about 12:45 PM. The accident took place on Rolling Farm Lane, Slippery Rock Township. Police said she was with several people who were target shooting when the accident occurred. She was flown to Allegheny General Hospital. No information on her condition was available Sunday.
- ROTTERDAM, NY, 8/02/15: Police say a woman who accidentally fired a gun has succumbed to her injuries. Rotterdam Police say at 6:30 AM Sunday morning they received a call at 1287 MariahVille Rd. reported as a 28-year-old who accidentally discharged a gun. EMT’s tried to save the woman, but could not. Police say the victim’s name is Dominique Gonzalez and investigators are currently investigating and awaiting toxicology test. Police say they are not labeling this as any kind of death, such as suspicious or otherwise until they wrap up their investigation.
- DETROIT, MI, 8/03/15: Three-year-old Elijah Walker was playing with another boy on Monday afternoon, after one of them had discovered a gun. Moments later, the gun went off, striking Elijah in the head. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. The tragic incident, which took place in the 16000 block of Eastwood on Detroit’s east side, is the subject of a Detroit Police investigation. Police will not publicly say where the boys found the gun, or who owned it. But Elijah’s family is reeling from the sudden loss. “I’m hurt,” said Elijah’s cousin, Tameka Cash. “Everybody is hurt. It’s just sad. It’s tragic.” Elijah was an outgoing and fun-loving child who had been called a “miracle baby” by his family members. Though born prematurely, he survived without major complications. “He played and played and played,” Cash said. He was a happy baby.” On Monday, moments before the shooting, Elijah was inside a home on Eastwood with his mother and aunt, Cash said. At some point, the boy got up and ran outside the home, and his aunt followed after him. But before his aunt could get outside, she heard a shot, Cash said. The 3-year-old, who was shot in the face, was found in the front seat of a car that had been parked behind the home, a source familiar with the investigation said. The source said it’s unclear whether the 11-year-old boy, who told police the kids had been playing with a gun, pulled the trigger. They found the gun in the home’s closet and a case in the car’s front seat, the source said.
- JOHNSTON, IA, 8/03/15: An Iowa Law Enforcement Academy student accidentally shot herself in the leg while doing a close-range drill at Camp Dodge in Johnston on Monday afternoon. At 2:15 PM Monday, students were doing a drill to practice drawing firearms and shoot at a target 7 yards away. One student shot herself in the thigh when drawing her gun during the drill, said Iowa Law Enforcement Academy Director Judy Bradshaw. The bullet entered and exited the student’s leg and she suffered no broken bones, Bradshaw said. Monday was the first day of a two-week school during which the law enforcement academy trains officers to become firearms instructors, Bradshaw said. Bradshaw said all safety protocols were followed and other officers at the training drill stepped in to assist. She said this is the first time someone has shot themselves during a training session. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident, but the academy will also hold an internal investigation to see if there was anything wrong with her weapon or if there is a way to improve safety during drills, Bradshaw said. “It was just an unfortunate accident,” Bradshaw said. “This is highly unusual.”
- MILLVILLE, NJ, 8/03/15: A 14-year-old boy accidentally shot himself in the foot while he and his friends were joyriding in a relative’s car — leading to a car crash, according to authorities. Millville police were dispatched to the 700 block of Mulberry Street around 11 PM Monday for reports of a car accident. When officers arrived, they found a 2008 Chrysler Sebring in the intersection of 8th and Mulberry streets and a 14-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to his left foot, said Sgt. Ross Hoffman. The Sebring had heavy front-end damage. The juvenile told police that he and two other boys took a relative’s car for a ride without asking for permission and were driving around Millville. As they rode down Mulberry Street, the 14 year old heard a gunshot and felt a pain in his left ankle, he told police. The driver became distracted, ran a stop sign and crashed into a car driving on 8th Street. There were no injuries caused by the accident. Two of the boys fled the scene on foot. The 14 year old could not, due to his injury. During the police investigation, officers determined that the gunshot came from inside the car and “appears to be from a self-inflicted accidental discharge,” Hoffman said. Authorities transported the teen to Inspira Medical Center Vineland and then to Cooper University Hospital in Camden. He is in stable condition. Police have not yet recovered the gun used in the accident and the accident is still under investigation.
- GRAND JUNCTION, CO, 8/03/15: A Grand Junction woman was struck by a bullet Aug. 3 after a firearm was accidentally discharged inside a home in the 2200 block of Broadway.
- PORT ARTHUR, TX, 8/03/15: Port Arthur police are investigating a Monday afternoon shooting. The shooting was reported around noon in the 900 block of Phyllis Street. Officers and a crime scene unit responded to the house. A K-9 unit was also called to search the area. Police on the scene said the victim said he was sitting in a parked car near the house when a man wearing a ski mask walked up and shot him once, then ran away. Police say some of the man's story didn't add up. They believe the man may have accidentally shot himself. A police spokesperson said the injury does not appear to be life threatening. The man was taken to the hospital by ambulance.
- LONGVIEW, TX, 8/03/15: A child playing with a loaded gun may have accidentally killed a 2-year-old girl Monday at a North Longview apartment complex, Longview police said. Officers were continuing to investigate the incident, which occurred at Huntington Hills apartments in the 2500 block of North Eastman Road. Police had been called about 1:05 PM to assist with an EMS call. “When officers arrived at the scene they were told a child had been playing with a loaded firearm,” police said in a statement issued Monday evening. “The firearm accidentally discharged striking another child. The victim, a 2 year-old child, died at the scene.” Police added the shooting appeared to be accidental. Some neighbors, who declined to be identified, said they heard from other residents the victim’s older brother found the gun and accidentally shot his baby sister. Gregg County Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace B.H. Jameson confirmed the victim was a toddler girl. Earlier Monday, he had referred to the death as “suspicious.” Jameson said he had ordered an autopsy from Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas. The preliminary results of that autopsy were expected to be released today. Police did not specify the type of firearm and had not released any information regarding the identity of those involved. Longview police spokeswoman Kristie Brian said it was too early to say whether any charges would be sought in the case.
- MIDLAND, TX, 8/03/15: Johnny Miller, 69, of Andrews, was arrested Monday afternoon after accidentally firing a gun just feet away from the curbside terminal at the Midland airport. Sara Bustilloz, spokesperson for the City of Midland said Miller was asked if his firearm was loaded. Bustilloz said, “When he checked, somehow his firearm discharged. That went straight through his car and also skimmed the top of the car parked next to him.” It was a hunting rifle, and the bullet was stopped by some trees before it could reach the airport terminal windows. Bustilloz said Miller was charged with a class A misdemeanor for discharging a firearm within city limits. “There was no cause for alarm,” Bustilloz said. “This wasn't an active shooter situation. However, obviously it's understandable that people who were around in that area would be distraught.” Bustilloz said, “It’s not illegal to have your gun outside the airport, inside your car, as long you’re following all the laws to carry that weapon and you're carrying it properly.”
- AUSTIN, TX, 8/04/15: An Austin police officer shot himself in the leg with a pistol at the city’s training center Tuesday evening, an APD spokesperson said. The APD watch commander said the shooting occurred at the training academy shared by APD, Austin Fire Department and Austin-Travis County EMS along Shaw Lane in southeast Austin around 8:45 PM Tuesday. The male officer was injured while attending a departmental training session on the firing range, a city spokesperson said. EMS took the officer to University Medical Center-Brackenridge, and that the injuries were serious but not life threatening. APD said it will conduct an internal review of the incident.
- MIAMI, FL, 8/04/15: Investigation is underway after a young child was taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound. Miami police spokeswoman Officer Frederica Burden said they received word from Jackson Memorial Hospital that a child had been brought in with a gunshot wound just after 6 AM. Officers were sent to the hospital and were told the child was shot inside an apartment at 112 NE 71st Street. Blanca Perez, who lives in the apartment building, said she didn’t hear the shot but heard what happened. “They said he got shot in the head and it was an accident. They say he had the gun in his hand and the little boy got shot in the head but it was an accident,” Perez said. “I’m so sorry about that, they are good people.” An adult drove 3-year old boy to the hospital, something Burden doesn’t advise. “It is better to call 9-1-1 because we can get you there with lights and sirens faster than a regular vehicle. If you are panicking, stop, slow down and call 9-1-1,” said. The boy’s mother, Dorphise Jean, said her son, 3-year old Darnel Mundy, climbed up into a drawer around 5:30 a.m., picked up his father’s gun and shot himself in the head. Mundy is listed in very critical condition.
- LEADWOOD, MO, 8/04/15: A St. Francois County boy was airlifted to Children's Hospital this morning after being found in his front yard with an apparent gunshot wound. The Leadwood Fire Department and the St. Francois County Sheriff's Department were called to the 6100 block of Glore Road around 7 AM for a 12-year-old boy who was found unconscious and partially covered in blood in his front yard. According to St. Francois County Sergeant Randy Tate, the parents saw the boy this morning and he was going out to shoot groundhogs or to do some target practice. “He was found lying in the yard with his head covered in blood,” said Tate. “There was a blood trail back towards the fence. Apparently he was trying to climb over the fence with the gun in hand. It appears that the gun discharged and struck him in the forehead above his eye.” The gun that discharged was a .22 rifle commonly used for small game hunting and target practice. Tate added that the evidence showed he dropped the gun. There was blood all over the gun, blood on the fence and a short trail of blood in the grass to where the boy was found. “It appeared he was trying to get back to the house for help before he passed out,” said Tate. “The deputy who was on the scene said he was roughly five feet from the fence so it also may have been that he was rendered unconscious almost immediately. It’s hard to tell at this point because everything is speculation right now until we can talk to him ourselves.” The wound was reported as superficial because it was right above the eye and exited pretty quickly above that. “The deputy that worked the scene said when they got the boy in the ambulance to take him to the helicopter he was conscious and talking,” said Tate. “It is still a serious wound above the eye and he was bleeding pretty badly. We will have a detective go up to talk to him and a caseworker is waiting for his parents to talk to them right now.” Children's Survival Flight One landed on Highway 8 at Old Highway 8 causing the roadway to be shut down for a time.
- MCALESTER, OK, 8/04/15: Authorities said they found a man shot after responding to a domestic call on Fifth Street Tuesday night in McAlester. McAlester Police Department Det. Sgt. Chris Morris said police suspect a .25-caliber pistol was used by a woman in the shooting. The woman was arrested, but the News-Capital is withholding her name until formal charges are filed. The victim in the case has told police the shooting was an accident. The incident was reported at 8:07 PM, according to a police report. Morris said the man was found shot in the right leg. The sergeant said the man refused treatment at the scene and told authorities it was an accidental discharge. Morris said witnesses outside the home first urged police to make their way inside saying a life may be on the line — but they were mum afterwards. "(The report states) they did say 'hurry up get in there he is going to kill her,'" Morris said. " But, when officers went in there he was the one that was shot."
- CHICAGO, IL, 8/04/15: Shortly before 4 PM, a 15-year-old boy shot himself in the leg in the 6700 block of South Western Avenue in the Marquette Park neighborhood. The boy, who has documented gang affiliations, was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where his condition was stabilized, [Chicago police spokeswoman Officer Nicole] Trainor said.
- CHATTANOOGA, TN, 8/04/15: A mother is facing a charge of aggravated child neglect after her 13-year-old mentally handicap son shot himself Tuesday with a .22 caliber handgun. Shallon Sales, 36, remained in jail on a $50,000 bond Wednesday. The child initially told Chattanooga police that an ice cream man shot him. The officer was suspicious of the story because the call was dispatched as gunman wearing a black ski mask. The child eventually told the officer he accidentally shot himself. He told police he made up the story about the ice cream man because he didn't want anyone to get in trouble. As officers spoke with the child, they realized the child could not spell his own name, did not know his mother's full name, phone number or where she was. Sales later showed up at the residence distraught. She gave police consent to search her Hughes Avenue residence, according to an affidavit of complaint. Police found a total of three handguns including a 9mm handgun and a .22 caliber gun which were loaded. One of the guns was stolen. Sales also told police she was unaware that her boyfriend keeps a .22 caliber Lorcin gun inside the residence. Police noticed it was unloaded. They also found drug paraphernalia, marijuana and unmarked pills. The items were in plain view, according to the report. "Due to the presence of narcotics, paraphernalia, and loaded weapons in the house, coupled with the child's diminished mental state and lack of supervision and Ms. Sales' statement about unknown persons coming and going from her home, I believe there is probable cause to charge the defendant with aggravated child neglect, which led to the child's serious injury," an affidavit of complaint reads. Sales is expected to appear before Hamilton County General Sessions Court Judge Gary Starnes on Aug. 20.
- BARREN PLAINS, TN, 8/05/15: Smokey has confirmed with Robertson County officials that a 15 year old boy has died after being shot in the back shoulder Wednesday afternoon on the property of a home located in the Barren Plains area. The home is located on Clinard Rd. The call came into 911 at 4:01 PM. Early reports are that the shooting was accidental. Emergency radio traffic at 4:30 PM by medics in transit indicated that the boy was alive at that time. According to Robertson County Emergency Medical Service Assistant Chief, Russell Gupton, “E.M.S. crews along with law enforcement and fire responded to a residence on Clinard Road in the Barren Plains community this evening. “We encountered a male juvenile with a gunshot injury. The victim was extremely critical at the scene and resuscitation measures were employed. The patient was transported emergently to NorthCrest medical center where teams continued those efforts to no avail. It was simply a tragic accident.” Officials have released the name of the boy, he is identified as 15 year old Justin Mcghee of Jo Byrns High Shcool. Justin’s father, Deputy Shaun Mcghee, ironically, is a Robertson County S.R.O. at the same school.
- FORD CITY, PA, 8/05/15: Police are investigating an apparent accidental shooting that left a child injured in Armstrong County Wednesday. According to police, the shooting happened at 1123 Fourth Avenue in Ford City. Officers were dispatched to the home at 11:27 AM. The 5-year-old boy was shot in the neck by a handgun and flown to Children’s Hospital to undergo surgery. However, his condition is unknown. As of 2 PM, police are working to obtain a search warrant in order to investigate the home for weapons. No other details have been released. MORE: The grandmother of a 6-year-old boy critically injured in Ford City on Wednesday says her young grandson was accidentally shot by an older brother. “It's just totally heartbreaking,” said Vickie John, of Manor Township. “I'm just doing a lot of hoping and praying right now.” Issac Deemer remained in critical but stable condition Thursday afternoon following surgery Wednesday at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, according to state police. Police on Wednesday gave his age as 5 but John said her grandson is 6. According to John, Issac lives with his mother, Julie Deemer, in the Shelocta area, but often spends time at the home of his father, Christopher McNeely, in Ford City. Police said Issac was accidentally shot around 11:30 AM Wednesday at McNeely's home, at 1123 Fourth Ave. The boy was hit in the area of his left collarbone. “I would have never imagined,” John said. “My son taught them you don't touch them, you don't play with them. I just don't understand why (the older boy) even decided to pick it up. “I think it was just curiosity and he was just playing around.”
- TOLEDO, OH, 8/05/15: A Toledo ambulance with advanced life support was dispatched about 2 PM Wednesday, Aug. 5, to a residence on West College Street in Toledo for the report of a man with who suffered an accidental gunshot wound in the hip.
- ANCHORAGE, AK, 8/05/15: A 3-year-old boy shot and killed himself Wednesday with a gun he found inside of a South Anchorage home, according to a preliminary investigation by the Anchorage Police Department. Police and medics responded to a home at the 4000 block of Olympic Terrace Circle after receiving a report of a shooting shortly after noon. A 3-year-old boy at the home was pronounced dead at about 12:27 PM, police said in a statement Thursday. “The firearm was found at the scene and has been taken as evidence,” police said. “No one else was injured.” Detectives interviewed three adults who were inside the home at the time of the shooting, police said. Police did not release details on what was said in those interviews. Anita Shell, police spokesperson, said “that’s part of investigation and not releasable at this time.” One of the adults called 911 to report the shooting, Shell said, and one of the adults in the home was a parent of the boy. Shell said detectives were not releasing any additional information Thursday on the shooting. Police said no charges have been filed at this time and the case has been forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office for review.
- STOCKBRIDGE, GA, 8/05/15: A police detective was taken to the hospital after accidentally shooting himself late Wednesday night. Channel 2’s Audrey Washington was told officers were conducting a protective sweep of a house on Engine Run when the accident happened. Authorities say just as the detective was holstering his gun, it went off and he received a gunshot wound in the leg. "He received a non-life threatening injury and was transported to AMC where he is recovering. We are conducting an investigation as to why we were here in the first place,” said Henry County Police Capt. Joey Smith. Several of the residents were out of the house at the time of the shooting. At least one person was detained in the case. Henry County police officers are continuing to investigate.
- AUGUSTA, GA, 8/06/15: Georgia Regents University confirms there has been an accidental shooting inside the Ronald McDonald house on campus. GRU says there were no injuries and there were no arrest made. Richmond County deputies also responded to reports of a gunshot, but left after being notified that it was accidental. MORE: Turns out, a man staying at the house accidentally shot his gun inside. The bullet went into the floor and nobody was hurt. The Ronald McDonald House has a strict anti-gun policy and the dad apparently did not adhere to it. No arrests were made.
- SMICKSBURG, PA, 8/06/15: An Amish community is western Pennsylvania is being rocked by a tragic but accidental shooting among two young relatives. WTAE in Pittsburgh is reporting that a 21-year-old man in Smicksburg, Indiana County, was accidentally shot by his 12-year-old cousin around 9:30 PM Thursday. Indiana County Coroner Jerry Overman Jr. identifies the victim is Allen Troyer, of Smicksburg. Background: The coroner tells WTAE that the 12-year-old who isn't being identified was holding a black powder revolver when Troyer grabbed the barrel of the gun. That caused it to fire, fatally wounding Troyer in the chest. Overman has ruled the shooting an accident. No charges have been filed.
- PONTIAC, MI, 8/06/15: A 24-year-old man from Lapeer is being treated at McLaren Hospital in Pontiac for non-life threatening injuries after police say he shot himself with a revolver accidentally. Deputies were sent to the 100 block of Ridgemont on Thursday for a reported shooting. Deputies found a man with a substantial wound to his chin and mouth area. People in the home told deputies that another man had left with the weapon. Deputies then went to another location to find the man who had left the scene. The man was located and he told deputies that he had dumped the gun behind a nearby dumpster. Deputies found the weapon and secured it as evidence. The man said that the victim had taken the revolver believing that it was empty. He then spun the cylinder and held the gun under his chin and pulled the trigger. The weapon had a live round in the cylinder and it discharged. The gun used is a Smith and Wesson .357 and belonged to another family member. The incident is under investigation.
- VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, 8/07/15: Police want to talk to a man who accidentally fired a gun and hit another person about 2:15 AM today in the 1700 block of Solar Lane. The man had obtained the gun and apparently took it to a home where the victim and two other witnesses were, said police spokeswoman Tonya Borman. When the man took the gun out of a bag, it fired. The man ran away after the shooting. The victim suffered a leg wound not considered life-threatening and was taken to a hospital. Police consider the incident an accident, but want to talk with the man to find out why he ran away, Borman said.
- SENNETT, NY, 8/07/15: A man wounded by a gunshot to the arm and head at a shooting range Friday has been identified as a former detective with the Auburn Police Department. Patrick Shea, 62, is still in the hospital after what deputies have called a "tragic accident," according to the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office. Shea retired after 33 years of service with the APD. Deputies said Shea was with his brother, 65-year-old Timothy Shea, at the Falcon Sportsmen Club in Sennett on Friday when Timothy Shea dropped his .22-caliber revolver, causing the firearm to discharge. A bullet struck Patrick Shea, passing through his arm and lodged into his head. The Auburn man was airlifted from Turnpike Road sportsmen club to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse. Though the investigation has not yet been closed, deputies reiterated there is no indication that the incident is anything but an accident. Detective Bryant Bergenstock of the APD said his former co-worker is "doing well" and recovering at this point. Hospital representatives could not be reached Tuesday for an update on his condition. "It was an unfortunate accident," Bergenstock said. "We're just glad the outcome wasn't worse."
- PERRIS, CA, 8/08/15: A man was accidentally shot once in the abdomen Saturday, Aug. 8, in Perris. Riverside County sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the scene at 10:36 AM Saturday in the 3100 block of Murrieta Road, near Water Avenue. That's where deputies found the man, who appeared to be in his early 20s, with an apparent gunshot wound. The man, who's name wasn't released by authorities, was transported via ambulance to a nearby hospital, said Deputy Armando Munoz of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. The gunshot wound was considered "non-life-threatening," Munoz said. The man is expected to recover from his injuries. The circumstances surrounding the shooting remained under investigation Saturday afternoon. "At this time it does appear as an accidental shooting," Munoz said. "Nobody was arrested or charged with anything."
- BOCA RATON, FL, 8/08/15: A 15-year-old boy was shot in the calf Saturday when a friend trying to transfer a .25 caliber pistol from one pocket to another accidentally pulled the trigger, police said. The incident happened about 10:40 PM at Boomers, an amusement center at 3100 Airport Rd., according to Boca Raton police. Officers called to the scene took into custody a 16-year-old suspect who was spotted running through the parking lot, police said. That teen told police he and a group of friends were near the go-cart track when he took the handgun from his front pants pocket with the intention of putting it in a back pocket. It went off, sending a bullet into the calf of a friend, he told officers. The boy told officers he then discarded the pistol in a trash can. The pistol was recovered and later found to have been reported stolen in Delray Beach. The shooting victim was taken to Delray Medical Center. Witnesses confirmed there was no altercation leading up to the shooting, police said. But two bystanders who tried to detain the teens immediately after the shooting were subsequently battered by a friend of the shooter and victim, police said. The boy believed to be the shooter was charged with resisting arrest without violence and possession of a stolen firearm, police said. Another boy was charged with simple battery for hitting the witness.
- KAPA'AU, HI, 8/08/15: A 32-year-old Hawi man died Saturday of an apparent accidental gunshot wound, according to Big Island police. The man has been identified as Aaron Kondo. At 8:30 PM Saturday, North Kohala police responded to a report of an unconscious man with a hole in his chest in Kapa'au. Responding officers arrived to find Fire Department personnel attempting CPR. Kondo was taken to Kohala Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:55 PM. Police learned that he had driven a pickup truck to go check pig traps on private property off Kekoa Uhane Road. When he failed to return home, family members went to check on his welfare and found him next to the truck and unresponsive with a wound to the left side of his chest. Detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigation Section determined that a rifle had been stored in the cab of Kondo’s truck and that when Kondo attempted to pull it out of the truck by the barrel, an item inside the truck caught on the gun’s trigger, causing it to discharge. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the exact cause of death. The case is classified as a coroner’s inquest.
- HOPKINSVILLE, KY, 8/08/15: A Saturday night shooting in which a teenager told Hopkinsville police he was shot in a drive-by has been determined to have been accidental, according to an HPD news release. At 11:45 PM near the 100 block of McPherson Avenue, a juvenile told police he was walking in the area when he was shot in the shoulder.
- CORPUS CHRISTI, TX, 8/08/15: A 36-year-old man was shot in the leg Saturday after he told police his sleeping wife woke up, thought he was a stalker and grabbed a gun. When Corpus Christi police arrived just after 10 PM, they found the man lying in the street in the 4800 block of Marion Circle. He was bleeding from his left leg and receiving assistance from bystanders, said Senior Officer Travis Pace. The man told police he was in bed with his 56-year-old wife about 9:50 PM when she woke up and thought he was a stalker, Pace said. He repeatedly told her who he was, but the woman "got a gun and fired it at him." The man wasn't hit by the bullet and ran to hide behind the front door. He continued to yell at the woman, but she shot at him again. Finally, the woman opened the front door and the man tried to run away but she fired the gun twice more, and one of the bullets struck him in the leg, Pace said. The woman was arrested inside the home. Pace said they do not know if she had a history of sleepwalking. Suzette Elizabeth Wagner was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault of a family member with a weapon. Her bail was set at $75,000 but she is not eligible to be released until 24 hours after her bail is posted, jail officials said.
- PAWTUCKET, RI, 8/08/15: A 68-year-old man was arrested for having a loaded gun, as well as a knife, at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket. Police said Scott Guild, of Mansfield, Massachusetts, was apprehend after a female patron saw him drop a handgun from his waist at the ballpark around 8:30 PM on Saturday. The witness told police Guild then picked up the gun and went onto the men’s room. When they reported to the scene, authorities found Guild in the rest room. According to police, Guild was also in possession of a knife, which was immediately seized by officers. Authorities noted that the knife had a blade length of at least three inches. They then located the gun in Guild’s pocket, along with three additional magazines. While Guild has a current concealed carry permit from Massachusetts, he does not have a Rhode Island permit to carry a firearm. Guild, who was taken into custody, was charged with carrying a pistol without a permit, and weapons other than firearms prohibited.
- THEODORE, AL, 8/08/15: While apparently playing with a loaded gun, a man accidentally and fatally shot one of his friends in Theodore, according to documents filed Tuesday in Mobile County District Court. Early on August 8, deputies with the Mobile County Sheriff's Office booked Brent Dawson Estabrook, 23, into jail on one count of manslaughter. Just hours earlier, around 10 PM on August 7, deputies responded to a reported shooting at a home on Pioneer Road. In a complaint filed in court, authorities said Estabrook pulled out a .45 caliber pistol while at the house. "(He) was spinning it around on his finger and it accidentally went off," the complaint said. The bullet struck 24-year-old Jacob Parker in the cheek, killing him. Deputies continued to investigate the case Wednesday. The Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Records from Mobile County Metro Jail showed authorities also picked up Estabrook on menacing and harassment charges out of Mobile. The cases appeared to stem from confrontations in 2013, although additional information was not immediately available. Estabrook has no known previous arrests in Mobile County. He was expected to appear before District Court Judge Bob Sherling for a hearing on Aug. 24.