The week of April 23 was a pretty busy one. The numbers were fairly typical: 15 people who accidentally shot themselves, 14 kids accidentally shot, six accidental gun fatalities, five people who accidentally shot other family members, etc. Like I said, pretty typical. What was extraordinary was the number of GunFAIL incidents that were themselves extraordinary, in one way or another.
We had a Colorado man accidentally shoot his brother while the two were practicing their “defensive techniques.” We had an accidental discharge at a Texas gun show. We had an Arizona wildfire started by the careless use of exploding targets. In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, we had a loaded gun left not just in a public bathroom, but on the baby changing table, at that. We had an Ohio cop accidentally shoot himself in the leg at the practice range, with a rifle he had slung over his shoulder. We had a Florida man accidentally shoot into his neighbor’s apartment when he decided the time was right for a little heroin and to clean his gun. We had it all!
I’m not even done yet! We had a Philadelphia teenager decide to try to wake his friend up for school by sticking a gun in his face, then accidentally shooting him in the eye. We had a campus concealed carrier in Utah accidentally fire the weapon in his backpack in the middle of a Utah Valley University food court. We had yet another turkey hunter accidentally shot in Ohio, once again doing such a good job with his turkey call that he was mistaken for the real thing. We had a California driver who pulled his gun in self-defense during a road rage incident, only to accidentally shoot himself in the leg on the draw. (Though it should be noted that the assailant did then flee.) And finally, we had yet another gun instructor accidentally shoot a student, this time in Michigan.
That’s a lot!
I’ll just wrap up by recalling the Utah Valley University accident and note that that is the second time UVU has made the GunFAIL list, the first being in May 2015, when one police academy cadet accidentally shot another while taking his gun apart, forgetting there was a round in the chamber. Back in 2012, a student at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, accidentally discharged his concealed weapon. And it was in Taylorsville, Utah, in September 2014 when a sixth grade teacher injured herself when she accidentally shot and shattered a toilet in the faculty bathroom with her (not very well) concealed handgun.
So, you know, keep that all in mind as more states begin to permit campus carry and allow teachers to arm themselves in the classroom. (Pennsylvania has decided to go next, by the way.) After all, that’s actually the reason I try to keep track of how frequent gun accidents of all kinds really are.
- OMAHA, NE, 4/23/17: A man who on Sunday told police that his 27-year-old brother had shot a 4-year-old boy in the hand recanted his statement Tuesday after a court hearing for his brother, Jared Nichols. “The little boy got a hold of the gun and the little boy shot himself in the hand is what happened,” said Dennis Nichols, 39, after his brother’s first court appearance Tuesday morning. He added that he and his brother had been drinking “some beers” before the shooting occurred. The account differs from what he told police, according to prosecutor Eric Fabian. Fabian said both Dennis Nichols and the 4-year-old had told officers that Jared Nichols fired the shot. Jared Nichols is charged with intentional child abuse and tampering with physical evidence. Douglas County Judge Thomas Harmon on Tuesday ordered him held on $450,000 bail. He also ordered him to have no contact with any child under 19 years old if he posted the required $45,000 for release. Jared Nichols’ girlfriend, Coneasha Davis, has said she left her son, Princeton Shannon-Davis, at Nichols’ duplex at 3301 Blondo St. on Sunday evening. Fabian, the prosecutor, said Jared Nichols shot Princeton in the hand with a Taurus 9mm pistol and then asked his brother to throw the gun in a sewer. Dennis Nichols refused, Fabian said, and Jared Nichols took the gun and went around the side of the building. Police recovered the gun in a storm sewer with a spent casing inside the slide, Fabian said. Dennis Nichols and another brother, 29-year-old Jamie Nichols, said after court that Jared Nichols told officers where the gun was. They defended their brother, saying it was an accident and that he immediately provided first aid to the boy. “He cares for the children,” Jamie said. “He’s a good man. He wants to get out and go back to the family.” “He said he wants to get help—parenting classes and stuff like that. He’s willing to do anything to better himself,” Dennis Nichols said. Public defender Mary Thielen was vague about the circumstances of the shooting, but said it doesn’t equate to intentional child abuse committed by someone who might, for example, shake a baby. “A gun was in a place where it should not have been, and it resulted in this accidental shooting,” Thielen said. Jared Nichols waived his preliminary hearing and will stand trial.
- EL PASO CO., CO, 4/23/17: A man faces charges for reckless manslaughter and prohibited use of a weapon for admitting to fatally shooting his brother while he says they were practicing “defensive techniques.” The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office says deputies first responded to the shooting at around 6:15 PM on April 23. The admitted shooter, identified as 30-year-old Erik Mattyasovsky, has been booked into the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center. His brother has not yet been identified. The incident remains under investigation.
- BELTON, TX, 4/23/17: A shooting at the Bell County Expo Center has left police asking the public to be more careful. Sunday afternoon a gun show vendor was showing someone a gun when the weapon accidently discharged. Deputies say the bullet went up in the ceiling and thankfully did not hurt anyone on its way down. The vendor was asked to leave following the incident, however deputies say incidents like these can quickly escalate into something much worse. "These guys are dealers and they deal with guns all the time and even they had an accident," said Major T.J. Cruz of the Bell Co. Sheriff's Dept, "This was an isolated incident but it's very important to point out always treat a gun like it's loaded." It's unclear why the vendor had the handgun loaded since only ammunition brought in the original box is allowed.
- PIMA CO, AZ, 4/23/17: A man target shooting on state land Sunday morning started the Sawmill Fire that had burned 22,000 acres by Tuesday night, according to several sources who spoke with the Green Valley News. The man was firing at exploding targets when brush apparently ignited near Box Canyon and the Santa Rita Ranch about 11 AM. He tried to put out the blaze, then called to report it. He later turned himself in, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. John Cambra, a public information officer with the Southeast Arizona Incident Management Team, the team fighting the fire, would not confirm the reports. “It's human-caused, under investigation,” he said, adding that there were no arrests. He would not discuss whether anybody had been questioned. Heidi Schewel, a public affairs officer for the Coronado National Forest, also would not confirm the reports. “Our statement is (that) our case is under investigation,” she said. Exploding targets are created by mixing two types of powder in a container and are detonated when shot by a high-velocity firearm bullet. Fueled by heavy winds and bone-dry grass, the Sawmill Fire continued its march east on Tuesday, charring an estimated 22,000 acres and prompting law enforcement officials to prepare to evacuate residents of about 400 homes east of the Santa Rita Mountains. The fire crested the mountain Sunday night and by Tuesday evening had prompted the closure of Highway 83 from Interstate 10 to Highway 82 in Sonoita. Nearly 300 firefighters from across the state were assigned to it, Cambra said. Nearly three dozen homes and ranches near the eastern slope were evacuated to the Sonoita Fairgrounds on Monday and the American Red Cross set up another evacuation shelter at Pima County’s Southeast Regional Park Shooting Range. Exploding targets contain chemicals that mix to produce a loud noise when penetrated by a high velocity bullet. Although federal land managers have banned exploding targets in at least a dozen national forests in four Western states, they are not banned in Arizona. Doug MacKinlay, owner of Diamondback Shooting Sports in Tucson, spoke with exploding target manufacturers and watched several YouTube videos online before deciding he won’t carry exploding targets. “Exploding targets are fun if used properly, but you’re always going to get that one individual who’s going to say, ‘Wow, that’s what a quarter-pound does, let’s see what five pounds does or 10 pounds or 20 pounds will do.”
- LITTLE ROCK, AR, 4/23/17: A 26-year-old man told police he was walking in Little Rock on Sunday night when someone drove by and shot him, according to a police report. Little Rock resident Courtney Hammons told investigators he was in the 800 block of South Dennison Street about 10:30 PM Sunday when he was struck by gunfire, a Little Rock Police Department report said. Officers met Hammons at a hospital. Hammons couldn't give police a description of the person who shot him or the car the gunman was in, the report said. Police said the Hammons "had a bullet wound on the inside of his right leg just above his foot" with an exit wound in his heel, according to the report. Police noted in the document that the wound "appeared to be self-inflicted." A hospital receptionist told officers that a male left Hammons at the hospital and drove away in a maroon SUV. A female was driving, the report said. No arrests had been made at the time of the report.
- LITTLE ROCK, IA, 4/23/17: Authorities have ruled an April 23 incident that hospitalized a Little Rock man with a gunshot wound as accidental, but the man now faces multiple charges for unlawful possession of a firearms and another charge of child endangerment. Joseph Michael Pedersen, 36, suffered a single gunshot wound to the chest at a residence in the 300 block of Clothier Street in Little Rock April 23. Pedersen was transported to Sibley Hospital and then flown to Avera Hospital in Sioux Falls for treatment of his injury. According to a news release issued Tuesday, an investigation by the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident determined Pedersen had inflicted the gunshot wound on himself. However, he was found to not be allowed to have firearms in his possession. Pedersen was charged Monday with seven counts of felony possession of firearms and one count of child endangerment, an aggravated misdemeanor. He has been released from the Lyon County Jail on $10,000 bond.
- VICKSBURG, MS, 4/23/17: A neighborhood along Ford Street is still in shock following the shooting death of a Vicksburg 3-year-old on Sunday. Police confirm that the child's name is Jayceon Karter O'Neal Hasty. According to Vicksburg investigators, he was handling a gun when he was shot. Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey said the child was shot in the chest with a .380 caliber handgun and was found in the living room. Police said Jayceon's father and a 16-year-old were inside the home at the time of the incident. The father's name has not been released. Investigators have not said how the child gained access to the gun. "The failure to properly maintain and secure a gun could amount to culpable manslaughter," said Warren County District Attorney Ricky Smith. "If convicted that charge carries a penalty of 20 years in the Mississippi Department of Corrections". Smith would not speak specifically about the case, but said no decision has been made regarding criminal charges. Vicksburg Police Department officials say so far no charges been filed.
- JACKSON, MS, 4/24/17: Jackson Police say they are investigating an accidental shooting near Mary C. Jones School. According to police, a 16-year-old boy accidentally shot himself on Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. We’re told the teen is in stable condition. JPD said no children from the school were present where the incident happened. No other injuries were reported.
- MYRTLE BEACH, SC, 4/24/17: A man cleaning a Broadway at the Beach restroom Monday told Myrtle Beach police he found a gun on a baby changing station, a report says. Police were called Monday afternoon to Celebrity Circle within the entertainment complex. The man told officers while he was cleaning a bathroom near Margaritaville, he found a gun laying on the baby changing station while no one else was inside, the report says. The man said he didn’t see anyone in the bathroom and told his boss immediately after discovering the Ruger LCP 380 gun, which was valued at $300, police said. Police checked to see if the gun was stolen and said it wasn’t after investigating. Its unclear whether the gun was loaded when it was discovered.
- OBERLIN, OH, 4/24/17: A Rocky River police officer was hospitalized Monday after what investigators described as an accidental shooting at a Lorain County gun range. The shooting happened between 11 to 11:45 AM Monday at the Lorain County Joint Vocation School Law Enforcement Range. The 25-year-veteran, who is a police sergeant, was taken to MetroHealth by helicopter for treatment. His condition is unknown, but he was conscious when he got to the hospital. A .223-caliber bullet went through the back of the officer's left leg and came out of the front of his leg and into his left foot, Lorain County Sheriff's Office Capt. Rick Thomas said. The officer's rifle was slung over his shoulder and pointed toward the ground with a round in the chamber and the safety off, Thomas said. He reached around to grab the hand guard and instead hit the trigger, Thomas said. "You got to always pay attention with firearms," Thomas said. "I feel sorry for the guy." Eight Rocky River police officers went to the gun range for rifle qualification training, Thomas said. Rocky River police said family has been notified, but would not release the name of the officer Tuesday morning. An updated medical condition was not available as of Tuesday morning. Police say the shooting range at Lorain County JVS is not near student centers or activities. There were no students at the range, according to Rocky River police. The Lorain County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene and Rocky River police is investigating the incident internally. The sheriff's office will investigate the incident, but Thomas said there won't be much to it.
- FORT MYERS, FL, 4/24/17: Bullets whizzed by a Fort Myers couple inside their apartment after their upstairs neighbor started shooting. Deputies say Richard Shield, 43, was high on heroin when he decided to clean his gun. The bullets went through the floor, then the ceiling and eventually hit the couch in the apartment below. The couple who live there said they heard a loud boom and then saw parts of their ceiling start to crumble. That's when they noticed two bullet holes just inches from where they were sitting. Devon Knowles is holding on to one of the bullets that almost hit him. "I honestly wasn't really thinking about it. It was more or less... just surviving." He said he was playing video games on his couch at the The Fountains at Forestwood on Brantley Road around 10 PM Monday, when the shooting game became a reality. "I just popped back like this, and a few minutes later pla! Pla! Gun shots came right through the ceiling." Knowles said he was in the line of fire and his cat lying next to him was almost hit. "You can see within inches of where everything happened." His wife Chrystal was in the bedroom. Both ran for cover, hid in their bathroom and called for help. "We didn't go outside because we didn't know if there was going to be a third, fourth, fifth shot," Devon said. "I was terrified, like, the 911 operator said are you in a safe place? And I said, no I am not in a safe place. There isn't anywhere safe. I don't know where to go!" Chrystal recalled. When deputies arrived, they told the couple the man they say hello to every day, their upstairs neighbor, was high on heroin. Deputies said they found the resident and a syringe at Shield's apartment, and that Shields was high when he decided to clean his Glock, accidentally firing two shots into the Knowles' home. "He was on heroin, and he's never struck me as the type of person that would have done something like that," Chrystal said. The couple said they're afraid Shield will return and they don't know what could happen next. "We just didn't know about what actually was happening up there," Devon said. "He could have killed my husband," Chrystal said. Shield remains in the Lee County Jail on drug and weapons charges. The Knowles said they're talking to the property managers about getting away from Shield.
- PHILADELPHIA, PA, 4/24/17: Police say a Philadelphia teenager was accidentally shot in the face by a friend who was trying to wake him for school. Philadelphia police Lt. John Walker said a 16-year-old was trying to wake his 17-year-old friend Monday morning. When the older teen wouldn't wake up, the 16-year-old pointed a gun at his face. Police say the 17-year-old then woke up and tried to push the gun away. The gun fired, hitting him in the eye. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Police have not said if the 16-year-old will face charges.
- MCKEESPORT, PA, 4/25/17: Authorities believe that a 14-year-old boy killed Tuesday inside a McKeesport home was the victim of an accidental shooting by his cousin. The alleged shooter, a 19-year-old man, told authorities that his cousin, Will Chaffin, showed up at his 1317 Ridge St. home with a shotgun Tuesday afternoon. The 19-year-old told authorities that he warned Will he was too young to have a gun and then said he tried to grab the firearm. But the weapon fired and the blast hit Will in the chest at point-blank range. The two teenagers were alone in the home during the shooting. The 19-year-old stayed at the scene afterwards. He was questioned by investigators but has not been charged in Will’s death or publicly named. Allegheny County Police said Tuesday that all the people “involved during the incident have been identified” and that District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. will determine whether criminal charges will be filed in the case. Will—called “Lil Will” by family and friends—was a popular eighth-grader. Dozens of people, including friends and relatives, came to the crime scene and watched with tears in their eyes as police investigated. At one point, part of the group formed a circle and bowed their heads in prayer.
- FLORIDA CITY, FL, 4/25/17: The brother of a 13-year-old shot and killed in Florida City is facing charges for her death in what some people are calling a tragic accident. Martaevious Santiago, 17, is charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child under 18 years of age and possession of a weapon during the commission of a felony. The shooting happened Tuesday night at 421 NW 167th Street. Tedra King, whose family and friends called her Rosie, was shot in the head when a gun her brother and friend were handling went off. Miami-Dade Police said her brother called 911 and stated he had shot his sister. When crews arrived, they pronounced her dead at the scene. “When my wife was down there with her, you know, I saw a handful of blood,” said her stepfather Vernon Williams. ” My reaction was to just grab them both. That was my reaction, you know, so no one would run.” Investigators found that Santiago was holding the loaded semi-automatic handgun when King was being playful with him because it was his birthday. They say she hugged her brother while he was holding the handgun. At some point, police say, she turned around to walk away and Santiago pointed the handgun to the back of King’s head and pulled the trigger, shooting her. The tragedy prompted strong words Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. “When a 13-year-old is shot by her brother after getting a gun from a friend, the question must be asked, how can this happen? Who’s responsible for safeguarding the use of guns in our community,” asked Carvalho. “Why are children having access to guns on the streets of Miami, as well as in our homes? It is unacceptable and the community needs to step up and deal with this issue. The availability of guns side by side with the murderous code of silence does not allow for information to be brought forth to law enforcement and it’s victimizing kids in our community. Enough is enough.” A family friend spoke to CBS4’s Peter D’Oench and called it a tragic accident. “He didn’t mean to kill his sister because every picture that they take it’s always Popeye and Rosie and they always together,” said family friend Shamara Perpall. “This was a freak accident that shouldn’t have never even happened.”
- CENTRAL FALLS, RI, 4/25/17: An 18-year-old who claimed she was grazed by a bullet fired into a home made the whole thing up, Central Falls police said Wednesday. Police said Lisa Henriquez actually shot herself by accident while she and two others were playing with a gun in the Parker Street home Tuesday afternoon. According to police, the three thought the gun was not loaded. When officers responded to the reported shooting, police said Henriquez and others at the house told officers that a gunman had fired through the window, then ran off. Police said several more officers rushed to the Parker Street address to search for a suspect and other possible victims. After she was treated for a gunshot wound to her cheek at Rhode Island Hospital, police said they charged Henriquez with obstructing officers and firing a gun in a compact area. Police said they also charged a 16-year-old boy, claiming he was in possession of the gun. Police said the boy also tried to hide the gun from officers. According to police, Henriquez was released on $50,000 personal recognizance following her arraignment Wednesday morning. The 16-year-old was arraigned in Family Court and ordered held at the Training School.
- VERNON, VT, 4/25/17: A search of vehicle in which a Hinsdale, N.H., man claims he was accidentally shot by a Colt 1911 didn't turn up the firearm, but it did turn up a number of items, such as marijuana, a "possible stolen safe (and) credit card," empty liquor bottles, a 7mm handgun and pill bottles. On Tuesday, April 25, at 5 PM, the Windham County Sheriff's Office received a report of an accidental shooting at the boat landing near the Vernon Hydroelectric Dam. The victim, identified as Shawn J. Gailey, 20, of Hinsdale, N.H., was initially driven to Brattleboro Memorial Hospital and later transported by ambulance to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., for treatment of gun shot wounds to his right hand and his right leg. Gailey had a single gunshot wound through his right hand and another in his right leg. The bullet had entered Gailey's inner thigh and shattered his femur, which was put back together by doctors at Dartmouth Hitchcock. Clark told the Reformer on April 27 that while the investigation was ongoing, there are a number of unresolved questions about how the shooting actually occurred. "We are assuming it was a single round, but given some inconsistencies, we are not sure," he said. The search of the vehicle, which was conducted on April 27, is part of the sheriff's investigation. An emergency room nurse at BMH told Windham County Sheriff Keith Clark that Gailey had been brought to the hospital in a vehicle "with a lot of blood on the passenger's side." After delivering Gailey to the ER, the driver and a passenger left the scene in the vehicle. According to an affidavit attached to the search warrant, Gailey told Clark he was in the passenger seat of the vehicle with the Colt 1911 handgun in his lap when he dropped his iPad onto the weapon, causing it to fire. But Clark, who writes that he himself owns a Colt 1911, notes the handgun is designed with various safety features including a grip safety that requires the firearm to be "properly gripped" before it will fire. "The victim's statement is inconsistent with the known features of the Colt Model 1911," wrote Clark. Gailey also told Clark that he had possessed the gun for "a couple of months," but did not purchase it. Gailey said he found it near powerlines in Chesterfield, N.H. When Clark asked where the gun was, Gailey said it had been tossed into the water near Cersosimo Lumber on Route 142 because "we got scared." At 9:40 PM on April 25, a deputy located the vehicle Gailey had been riding in at the Vernon Dam boat launch. Two people were in the car, noted Deputy Joshua Parro, and there was "a significant amount of blood and tissue on the floor, seat and door on the front passenger side ..." The driver of the vehicle admitted to Parro that she was with Gailey when he shot himself and that they had been smoking marijuana when he took the gun out and was cleaning it. "She later said she thought he was changing the grips. She said the gun went off once striking Gailey." The driver confirmed Gailey's statement that on the way to the hospital, the firearm was thrown into the Connecticut River. The firearm has not yet been located, according to the affidavit. In September 2016, Gailey was found guilty of misdemeanor criminal mischief in Hinsdale. According to the Keene Sentinel, In February 2016, he intentionally damaged another person's vehicle by pouring one or more items into the gas tank, puncturing a tire and smearing tuna fish on the interior of the vehicle. He was sentenced to 12 months in jail, with all but three months suspended, and ordered to pay $2,559 in restitution to his victim. He was also ordered to tour the New Hampshire State Prison and to undergo an anger management evaluation and follow through on all recommendations.
- BATTLE CREEK, MI, 4/25/17: A 31-year-old Battle Creek woman accidentally shot herself in the leg Tuesday and later was arrested on a charge of child abuse. Battle Creek police said they were notified of the shooting at 8:02 PM Tuesday in the 100 block of Waubascon Road. The woman told police she didn't realize the 9mm handgun was loaded and she accidentally shot herself. She was taken to Bronson Battle Creek for treatment. While there the woman's parents approached Battle Creek officers at 1:11 AM Wednesday and said a 10-year-old daughter of the woman said she had been assaulted by her mother. The girl told officers that a couple hours before the shooting she accidentally bumped a baggie of pills which spilled into a heating grate. The girl said her mother began to yell at her and then threw her to the ground and punched her in the head, slapped her, kicked her in the side and choked her. The girl said she is frequently assaulted by her mother. Police said they arrested the woman on charges of assault by strangulation and child abuse in the third degree. Six children living in the house were placed in the custody of other family members.
- BATON ROUGE, LA, 4/25/17: Police were called out to a report of shots fired in a Baton Rouge neighborhood Tuesday evening. It happened on South 16th Street at Wisteria Street. According to witnesses, a man called 911 after accidentally shooting a 13-year-old in the leg. The child was taken to the hospital and is expected to be okay, according to sources. The investigation is ongoing.
- OREM, UT, 4/25/17: A student sitting near a Taco Bell on campus reached into his backpack and fired a gun in the bag by mistake Tuesday, Utah Valley University reported. The blast went off about 2:30 PM in a popular food court. The bullet hit a table and a light near the Jamba Juice and Taco Bell, but did not strike anyone, said UVU spokesman Layton Shumway. Campus police responded to a report of a shot in the dining area between the Physical Education and Liberal Arts buildings. The student had a valid concealed carry permit, Shumway said. Utah law allows people with the license to carry firearms at the state's public colleges. UVU is not releasing the student's name, and university police are investigating, Shumway said. UVU police did not immediately return a message left Wednesday afternoon. In 2015, a gun accidentally went off in a firearm training course at UVU and grazed a student's chest in the education building. He had surgery for an injury police said was minor.
- LAS VEGAS, NV, 4/25/17: A 40-year-old man faces multiple charges in the April shooting of an infant. Jail and booking records show Jeremiah James Halper was booked Friday into Clark County Detention Center on child abuse charges, on which he’s being held without bail. Halper also faces unrelated drug charges. He has prior felony convictions of forgery charges in 2010 and drug charges in 2013 and 2014, according to court records. Metropolitan Police Department documents implicate Halper in a shooting where a then-4-month-old baby was shot in the hand. Metro officers responded about 11:10 AM April 25 to an apartment complex on the 300 block of Harmon Avenue, near Koval Lane, where the baby was shot. The baby was taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center. Gunfire from a neighboring apartment went through a wall and struck the child, police said at the time. Halper faces six counts related to the incident: 3 counts each of child abuse or neglect with substantial bodily or mental harm; 1 count of discharging a gun within a prohibited structure or vehicle; 1 count of owning or possessing a gun by a prohibited person; 1 count of battery resulting in substantial bodily harm.
- LUBBOCK, TX, 4/25/17: A shooting that seriously injured a 19-year-old Lubbock man last week was ruled accidental, Lubbock police said Tuesday. The man’s release release from a Lubbock hospital came a week after the April 25 shooting at a South Lubbock apartment complex, according to Lubbock police spokeswoman Tiffany Pelt. Police were called about 5:30 PM April 25 to the Enclave Apartments near 71st Street and Utica Avenue in reference to a shooting. “The caller said that his friend just shot himself,” a police report states. Upon arrival, police found the injured, shirtless man on his hands and knees with a witness holding a throw blanket on the man’s chest and back. A second witness poured water over the man’s head upon his request as he said he was feeling ill. According to the report, other responding officers arrived on scene and the initial officer noted he was told the gun was taken to a different location. Police at the scene reported finding a spent shell on the apartment’s floor in front of the couch, and live 9 mm rounds were scattered around the carpet. The officer also located a bullet hole in the left-side of a television. “(The suspect) said that (the wounded man) was jumping around in front of him and (the suspect) stood up to get off the couch and then gun went off,” the officer notes. There were blood drops on the sidewalk, in the entry hallway, and a bloody-hand print on the closet door. The officer notes the unspent rounds allegedly came from one of the involved parties attempting to unload the magazine. Over the course of the investigation, 18-year-old Madison Oglesby was arrested at a home in the 2000 block of 35th Street on charges of tampering with evidence and possession of a controlled substance, according to A-J Media records. Pelt said that, after questioning all involved individuals, including the wounded man, LPD investigators determined the shooting was accidental. Court documents show Oglesby has since been released from the Lubbock County Detention Center on a $20,000 bond. No further information was released.
- FORT WAYNE, IN, 4/25/17: The death of a man who police said was accidentally shot by his son Tuesday on Robinwood Drive has been ruled a homicide, the 10th in Allen County this year. The AllenCounty coroner today identified the victim as Frank Lax, 65. Police said Lax's son accidentally shot him in the 4000 block of Robinwood Drive. Officers were called to a home between Rudisill Boulevard and Baxter Street at 11:50 AM. The men were handling a gun when it went off. The father was taken to a hospital in critical condition but later died, police said.
- LOUISVILLE, KY, 4/26/17: A 3-year-old is being treated for a gunshot wound to the shoulder at a downtown Louisville hospital, and police believe another child shot her. Dwight Mitchell, a spokesman for the Louisville Metro Police Department, said the girl's injury is not considered life-threatening. She was brought by private vehicle to Norton Children's Hospital about 11:45 AM Wednesday. The shooting happened at Henry M. Greene apartments in the 1000 block of W. Jefferson Street. It appears to have been an accident, Mitchell said. A woman who lives next door to the apartment where the shooting happened said the bullet went through her bedroom wall and that if she has been in bed, the bullet would have hit her, too. "I heard a big boom," the woman, who didn't want to be identified said. "I looked through the hole to see if I could see through. It's a little frightening." Where the gun was or how the child was able to access it remains unknown. "I work right in the midst of gun violence in the city and all too often it seems to be innocent children," apartment maintenance supervisor Vincent Henderson said. The message neighbors are sharing about guns, is an important one. "When it comes to guns, children, and having them in the household, keep them secured and locked away at all times," Henderson said.
- OGLETHORPE CO., GA, 4/26/17: A 17-year-old resident of Athens Gardens was treated for a gunshot wound Wednesday morning at Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center, Athens-Clarke County police said. The teen claimed he was holding a pistol by his side when it accidentally went off, sending a bullet through his leg, according to police. Two friends who accompanied the teen to the hospital backed up that account, but none would say where it occurred, police said. After some investigation, police said they identified a location in Oglethorpe County where it might have happened, and the case was handed over to that county’s sheriff’s office for further investigation, police said.
- LAWRENCE, KS, 4/26/17: A 63-year-old man was injured Wednesday night after he accidentally shot himself in the arm, police say. Officers were dispatched to the 2500 block of Stowe Drive about 9:40 PM Wednesday, Lawrence Police Officer Drew Fennelly said in a written response to questions. They found that the man had accidentally shot himself while he was cleaning the firearm at home. The man was taken to an area hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, Fennelly said. An update on his condition was not available Thursday. Fennelly said additional information regarding the incident was not immediately available Thursday because the police reports were not yet complete.
- GREAT BEND, KS, 4/27/17: Law enforcement authorities in Barton County are investigating a shooting. Just before 8 PM Thursday, police were dispatched to 4900 12th Street in reference to a man who had been shot, according to a media release. The victim of the shooting, Michael Workman, 20, was treated on scene by EMS for a wound in the area of his side and back, according to police. He was transported him to Great Bend Regional Medical Center, stabilized and then transported to St Francis Hospital in Wichita. Officers found that several other people were in the house at the time of the shooting. One witness, who was in the room with the victim at the time of the shooting, claims that the shooting was accidental. There have been no arrests.
- COLDWATER, MI, 4/27/17: Coldwater Police say a man accidentally shot himself late Thursday night with a stolen weapon and then lied about the circumstances surrounding the shooting when he was interviewed by police. Coldwater Public Safety Director Mark Bartell says officers were dispatched to the Community Health Center of Branch County for a man with a gunshot wound. Bartell says initial statements made by the 24-year-old Coldwater man indicated he was shot in the back yard of his residence on Waterman Avenue by an unknown male. A female friend who was also at the residence during the incident then drove the man to the hospital. According to Bartell, officers through interviews were able to determine the man was not being truthful about what was initially reported and found that the man had accidentally shot himself while in possession of a stolen firearm. Attempts were made to hide the firearm but officers found it hidden on the man’s property. Bartell says the man suffered extensive injuries to his hand and thigh area. He was initially treated at C.H.C. before being transferred to Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo. Coldwater Police will forward a report to the Branch County Prosecutor’s Office that will request numerous charges
- UNION TOWNSHIP, MORGAN CO., OH, 4/28/17: A man hunting turkeys in the Wayne National Forest was injured in an accidental shooting Friday morning. According to the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, the victim said he was hunting just off of fire road 1981B in Union Township. He said he had turkey decoys set up and was calling turkeys when he was shot from behind. Deputies said he had multiple shotgun pellet wounds to his backside. All of the wounds appeared to be superficial, investigators said. The victim and the other hunter involved made their way to the roadway to await help. The victim was taken to a Zanesville area hospital for treatment. The Sheriff’s office turned the investigation over to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for further investigation.
- FUQUAY-VARINA, NC, 4/28/17: Officials said a 12-year-old boy accidentally shot himself while playing with a gun. The accidental shooting happened in Fuquay-Varina. According to the Wake County Sheriff’s Office the boy and an 11-year old girl related to him were playing with a gun when it was fired. The boy was taken to WakeMed for treatment.
- BROWNSVILLE, TX, 4/28/17: A teen is in serious condition on Friday following what Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio is calling an accidental shooting. Cameron County Sheriff's deputies responded to a traffic accident on the 2200 block of South Browne Road shortly after 12:00 PM. Upon arrival, deputies found 18-year-old Adrian Bautista inside a vehicle with a gunshot wound to the chest. According to Lucio, 18-year-old Jose Gonzalez shot Bautista with a .40 Caliber pistol at an apartment on the 2200 block of South Indiana. Gonzalez was driving Bautista to the hospital when the traffic accident occurred, according to Lucio. Deputies are investigating if there was an altercation before the accidental shooting. Gonzalez is being detained by deputies, and may face charges.
- DICKINSON, ND, 4/28/17: A 17-year-old boy has been charged with reckless endangerment after accidentally shooting a 15-year-old boy at a Dickinson residence early Friday morning. The Dickinson Police Department says just before 1 AM, the 17-year-old was recklessly brandishing a loaded handgun when it fired, hitting the 15-year-old victim. The victim's friends took him to CHI St. Alexius Health Dickinson and he was later transferred to Bismarck with non-life threatening injuries. The incident is still under investigation.
- VICTORVILLE, CA, 4/29/17: Deputies responded to a shopping center parking lot about 4:36 PM Saturday after receiving reports of a man being assaulted and possibly shot. Deputies found Chris Chow, 54, at the scene suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg. Chow shot himself during a road rage incident also involving 21-year-old Chance Givens, which started near Petaluma Road and Mall Boulevard, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release. Chow was the driver of his car and Givens was a passenger in a car driven by his girlfriend. According to sheriff’s investigators, Chow pulled into a parking lot on Bear Valley Road, west of Amargosa Road, and Givens followed him. Givens got out of his car and “confronted Chow about his driving,” officials said, and then began repeatedly punching Chow in the face. Chow has a valid permit to carry a concealed weapon, and told investigators he pulled his handgun from his waistband because he feared for his safety and that of his wife. Chow’s gun accidentally went off while he was retrieving it and resulted in him shooting himself in the leg, sheriff’s officials said. Givens and his girlfriend fled from the scene after the shooting, but Givens was apprehended a short time later. His girlfriend returned to the scene on her own. Givens was cited and released at the scene, sheriff’s officials said. Chow was transported to a local hospital for a non-life threatening gunshot wound, as well as the injuries suffered during the physical assault.
- LIVONIA, MI, 4/29/17: A Detroit-area firearms instructor has been charged in the accidental shooting and wounding of a man attending a gun training class. The Wayne County prosecutor's office says 44-year-old Michael Hearn of Farmington Hills is expected to be arraigned Tuesday on a misdemeanor careless, reckless or negligent use of a firearm charge. Prosecutors say Hearn was teaching a concealed pistol license class at a gun range in Livonia on April 29 when a shot was fired through a door and into a second classroom. A Detroit man attending gun training in the second classroom was struck in both legs.
- RADCLIFF, KY, 4/29/17: Police in Hardin County are looking for a teenager they say accidentally shot another teen. The shooting happened Saturday night on Daneswood Court in Radcliff. Police say a 13 year old boy was shot in the abdomen by a 17 year old who was showing off the gun. The 13 year old was taken to the hospital where he is expected to be okay. Police say they are still looking for the 17 year old and are considering whether charges will be filed.
- SHELBY CO., IN, 4/29/17: An Indianapolis man was injured Saturday evening while handling a gun. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Department says Thomas Moon, 21, was feeling out the trigger on a gun when it went off and struck him in the left hand. The incident happened in Pleasant View. There’s no further word on Moon’s medical condition.
- CHESAPEAKE, VA, 4/29/17: A 20-year-old man was killed Saturday afternoon in a shooting, police say. Chesapeake police spokesperson Kelly Elliott says officers were called to Seaboard Avenue around 3:50 PM for a report of an accidental shooting. Witnesses told officers two people were handling a shotgun when it went off, hitting 20-year-old Jaonta Wyche in the face. Wyche was pronounced dead at the scene. “It’s the most people I’ve seen on this block,” said resident Kenneth Caldarera. Caldarera said crowds grew as news spread of the shooting. “I had heard the muffled shot. I didn’t think much of it, so I went in the house,” he said. Caldarera says he had been sitting on his porch at the time and went inside to make a sandwich. “Came outside, the cop cars were flying down here. People were in the front yard screaming. There were two young gentlemen out of control screaming, flopping around on the ground. We couldn’t deduce what was going on,” he said. Caldarera says he sensed something bad happened when the victim’s mother showed up. “It’s really sad. It’s really sad,” he said. Police have charged 20-year-old Juan Perry with voluntary manslaughter. The two men were reportedly friends. “It’s real sad. You know this stuff has to stop. It’s out of control around here,” he said.
- CONESTOGA TOWNSHIP, PA, 4/29/17: A 29-year-old male appeared to have accidentally shot himself in the leg in the 900 block of Conestoga Boulevard at approximately 4:06 PM Saturday, according to 911. Medics at the scene reported the man was awake and alert, but will likely be hospitalized for serious bleeding. Scanner reports indicated emergency responders are not yet sure if he was alone at the time. No further details were immediately available. The man's identity was withheld.
- FAIRBANKS, AK, 4/29/17: A Fairbanks man was arraigned today in Fairbanks Superior Court for allegedly shooting another man by accident after he went to the man's apartment to confront him. 37-year-old Adrian Mendizabal is charged with Attempted Murder, Assault, and Tampering with physical evidence. According to officials, the Fairbanks Police Department received a call on April 29 that a shooting occurred near 11th Avenue. Police responded and found that the victim, Vernon Smoke, had been shot. A few minutes after the shooting, Mendizabal reported to authorities that he had accidentally shot Smoke. He told police he had heard that Smoke and some other individuals were "out to get him," so he went to Smoke's apartment and waited for him inside. When Smoke arrived, Mendizabal said the gun went off by accident. Smoke was medevaced to Seattle with life-threatening injuries.