What part of the right to light a forest on fire do you not understand?! GunFAIL LXIX

Five of 45 guns discovered by TSA agents at airports across the country last week. "Forgetting" you even have a gun on you? That's a GunFAIL

Five of 45 guns discovered by TSA agents at airports across the country last week. "Forgetting" you even have a gun on you? That's a GunFAIL

Americans are nothing if not self-reliant bootstrappers. And 16 of our fellow American do-it-yourselfers did it to themselves last week, no doubt putting an effective stop to several potential crimes once the would-be perpetrators saw that the work of shooting others had already been done for them. We likewise owe a debt of thanks to the four patriots who selflessly shared their scarce ammunition with neighbors, without putting those neighbors in the embarrassing position of having to ask for it. Even tiny Gothenburg, Nebraska (pop. 3,574), did its part, contributing two GunFAIL events to our latest list.

In other news, we logged five hunting accidents last week, plus one widely reported incident in which a 79-year-old Ohio man says he mistook one of his neighbors (and hired farmhands) for a groundhog, and shot her to death. Perhaps somewhat ironically, she was lying prone on the ground, target shooting with her own BB gun at the time. Speaking of which, four other people were accidentally shot while practicing at gun ranges last week. Additionally, five law enforcement and/or security officers were injured by accidental gunshots, as were 10 minor children, aged 4, 6, 8, 16, 16, 16, 16, 17, 17 and 17.

In the "well-trained kids won't have accidents" category, we have the McAllen, Texas, teen accidentally shot and killed on his way to a shooting competition when his friend's gun discharged as he was packing it in his bag. I'm not a competitive shooter, but I'm guessing it violates protocol to pack your gun loaded.

Also worthy of note: Last week saw three Missourians accidentally shot while turkey hunting. And in a side note about the importance of framing, a tip of the hat to the Associated Press, which noted in its coverage of the third accident that it was in fact the first such accident in 14 years... to take place specifically at Smithville Lake. Good to know!

In guns on campus news, we note an accidental shooting at Georgetown College in Kentucky, as well as two shootings on two consecutive days at Paine College in Georgia. And from Youngstown, Ohio, we find the story of a substitute high school teacher who decided to bring his gun with him to school (despite state law prohibiting him from doing so, but I'm sure he's a "law abiding" guy in every other respect, save abiding by the law), and then dropping it in the parking lot and leaving it behind. Such things will happen, though. And probably with swimming pools. What can be done? This is what the Founders intended.

This week we welcome to the GunFAIL ranks Malcolm Barrett, Jr., past chairman of the Yavapai County, Arizona, Republican Party. In true bootstrapper style, Mr. Barrett answered for himself the oft-asked question, "Who could possibly be so stupid as to clean a gun while it's still loaded?" But credit where it's due, Barrett speaks real gun sense in commenting to the press on the incident, "It's one of those things where, when it happens to someone else, you think, 'How stupid can they be?' And then you do it yourself.'" And that's why I continue to refer to these stories as accidental shootings rather than as negligence. Because, I think, people accept that characterization of the problem, and simply resolve not to be negligent, forever and ever. As if that were a thing they could actually do. As Barrett put it, "If I were doing everything the way I should have been doing it, it would not have happened. It was 100 percent preventable." Ah, if only. If, if, if. But "if" doesn't undo anything.

That's the end of the sermon for the week. Now, on to the list, below the fold.

1. GOTHENBURG, NE, 4/27/14: No charges will be filed against a man who was shooting a gun in the 600 Block of Ninth Street on April 27. Police chief Randy Olson said an investigation determined that the discharge was accidental. The man was intoxicated at the time and firearms were removed and turned over to a family member for safekeeping, he said. Olson said there were no injuries or property damage.
2. MONEKA, IL, 4/28/14: A 30-year-old Mokena man accidentally shot himself in the leg while arming himself before meeting with a couple who had contacted him through Craigslist about buying his bicycle, police said. Kenneth Dangman III, 10157 Kirkstone Way, Court B, was charged with reckless discharge of a firearm following the April 28 incident, according to police. They said Dangman invited the couple to his mother’s house in the 11900 block of 195th Street to see the bicycle. After ordering his mother to stay inside, Dangman entered a minivan in the driveway with the handgun in his waistband and the gun discharged, shooting him in the thigh, police said. Dangman’s mother told police that the buyers left shortly after the shooting when she told them she had called 911. When police arrived, Dangman was bleeding inside the garage and his mother was treating his wound, according to police. They said the gun, a Glock semi-automatic pistol, had been secured in a locked case before police arrived. Police said Dangman has a valid firearm owner’s ID card but not a concealed carry permit. The bullet was later discovered in the floor of the van between the driver’s seat and center console. Dangman was treated at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox.
3. MCALLEN, TX, on or about 4/28/14: A McAllen teen has been transferred to a San Antonio hospital. Mikey Lugo was accidentally shot by a friend two weeks ago. He’s listed in stable condition. Veronica Morales, who’s a close family friend, tells Action 4’s Ryan Wolf how the 11th grade McAllen High School student is surrounded by loved ones and that he remains strong. The 16-year-old reportedly walked out of the bathroom right into the muzzle as the gun was being placed into a gun bag, according to Mark Self. The teens involved in the incident are shotgun competitors and were on their way to a competition. Veronica Morales says both families are hurting and called what happened to Mikey “a tragic accident.”
4. CLAY CO., KS, 4/28/14: A teen was lucky to have only been grazed by a bullet in a hunting accident over two weeks ago. The accident, which occurred in Clay County the evening of Saturday, April  26, involved two juveniles, a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old, according to officials with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism. The names aren’t being released because of their age, said Kevin Jones, KDWPT director of law enforcement. The accident involved a firearm, and Jones confirmed one of the juveniles was grazed by a bullet, which caused a minor non-life threatening injury. Jones declined to release details on how the accident occurred because it is currently under investigation and is being reviewed by the Clay County Attorney for possible criminal charges.
5. RICHFIELD, OH, 4/28/14: Police were called to a Kiowa Drive residence April 28, when a homeowner reported someone shot a bullet through the wall of the residence, causing damage to the interior of the wall. Several items in the living room were covered with dust from damage to the plaster wall. Police confiscated the bullet and interviewed neighbors, who said a neighbor had been discharging firearms two days earlier. Officers are investigating.
6. GOTHENBURG, NE, 5/03/14: A 56-year-old Gothenburg man was taken to Gothenburg Memorial Hospital recently as the result of an accidental shooting. Dawson County Sheriff Gary Reiber said Thomas Delahunty was at his rural residence on May 3 and was attempting to disassemble a 40-caliber pistol. Reiber said Delahunty forgot to take out the loaded magazine and the gun discharged, hitting his left palm. Delahunty called for an ambulance, the sheriff said, and wrapped his hand with a rag before walking to the end of the driveway to meet the ambulance. No alcohol was involved, Reiber said, and the incident appears to be accidental.
7. PINELLAS PARK, FL, 5/04/14: A man accidentally shot himself in the leg while re-holstering his gun at a firing range on Sunday afternoon, the Pinellas Park Police Department said. The incident happened around 2:30 PM at the Wyoming Antelope Club, 3700 126th St. North, records show. Investigators said a private security company had leased part of the range to conduct “agency qualifications.” The man suffered a bullet wound to the leg and was taken to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg. His injuries were not life-threatening, records said.
8. EAST CLEVELAND, OH, 5/04/14: East Cleveland Police have confirmed a 6-year-old boy shot himself in the head after he found a gun in a closet at his home. The boy is in surgery tonight at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital. Police said they have one person in custody on child endangerment charges. The person could be facing additional charges due to a criminal history. Witnesses tell 19 Action News the family has lived at the home on 14517 Orinoco Avenue for a few months. One witness saw the boy being loaded into the ambulance and several cars following the ambulance to Rainbow.
9. REYNOLDS CO., MO, 5/04/14: A 17-year-old boy is injured after the sheriff says his grandfather accidentally shot him while turkey hunting in Reynolds County. Reynolds County Sheriff Tom Volner says a grandfather accidentally shot his 17-year-old grandson Sunday morning while the two were turkey hunting. The boy was hit in the chest and face. He has serious but non-life threatening injuries. He was flown to Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Sheriff Volner says the grandfather shot a turkey. The grandson retrieved a vehicle to pick up his grandfather. The boy was shot in the process.
10. MONROE CO., MO, 5/05/14: A Perry, Missouri, man was shot and killed Monday in a hunting accident. The Missouri Department of Conservation says Kevin Sanders and Richard Lawrence were hunting for turkeys off County Road 520 near Mark Twain Lake when Sanders said he shot what he thought was a turkey. It turned out to be Lawrence, who was pronounced dead at the scene. UPDATE: Richard Earl “Rick” Lawrence, 61, of Perry, died Monday, May 5, 2014, as the result of injuries sustained in a turkey hunting accident at Mark Twain Lake.
11. FORT WAYNE, IN, 5/05/14: An accidental shooting has occurred during a SWAT training conference at a shooting range on Adams Center Road. Investigators tell 21Alive News that one of the participants was accidentally shot in the leg while he was taking his firearm out of his holster. The gun accidentally discharged and the bullet grazed his leg. Authorities say the officer is from Charlestown, Indiana. The officer refused medical treatment.
12. BOULDER CO., CO, 5/05/14: The Peewink Fire—which was fully contained Monday after burning nearly four acres near Nederland—was started by a "homemade exploding target," according to the U.S. Forest Service. No other information was given about the device. Crews reached 100 percent containment on the 3.6-acre blaze Monday afternoon. The fire did not threaten any structures, according to Forest Service spokeswoman Elsha Kirby. The fire was first reported at 3:30 PM Sunday on Forest Service land one mile east of Sugarloaf Road off of Forest Service Road 332. Crews watched the fire overnight and continued to dig fire lines Monday. Mira Cucek, who lives on Sugarloaf Road, said she was in Boulder when she smelled the fire Sunday and rushed back to her home to find it filled with smoke. "When we drove up to the top of the mountain (the fire) looked really big," she said. Cucek said she is not surprised that the cause of the fire was possibly an exploding target used by shooters. She said that ever since Lefthand Canyon was closed, people looking to shoot guns have been coming up to Sugarloaf Road and in particular the Switzerland Trail area. Cucek said debris from targets and shot-up trees can be found all along the trail. "They like to shoot things that explode," she said. So many residents have expressed concern about the increase in shooting activity that the Boulder County Commissioners sent a letter dated April 28 to the National Forest Service asking them to close the area at the base of Sugarloaf Mountain Open Space and west along the Switzerland Trail to the Peak to Peak Highway. "Boulder County has been receiving an alarming number of reports of illegal shooting occurring in this area in violation of agency rules," the letter reads. "There is also a concern about the increased fire risk associated with shooting activity." Barb Halpin, a spokeswoman with Boulder County, said fires like the Peewink Fire are "exactly the reason" the letter was sent. "It is dangerous," Halpin said.
13. WICHITA FALLS, TX, 5/05/14: A 4-year-old is recovering from a minor head injury after police say the child found a handgun inside a vehicle in front of a church daycare and fired a round that hit the daycare. Officers say the injury came from the recoil of the gun, and no one else was injured. The bullet landed in the church wall. Police say the handgun was placed under the driver's seat. When the child's father went inside to drop off another child, the 4-year-old found the gun and fired it.
14. CUERO, TX, 5/05/14: Three men were arrested on drugs and weapons charges after Cuero Police Department officers responded Monday to a disturbance in the 1000 block of West Church Street. The caller, a 77-year-old woman, said she heard a loud explosion while sitting in her living room when she saw a projectile come into her house, according to a news release from the Cuero Police Department. The woman was not injured. The projectile entered the home near the kitchen, traveled through the kitchen cabinet, exited the cabinets and then struck and shattered a window, according to the news release. During the investigation, officers noticed a projectile hole in the east wall of the adjacent home, also in the 1000 block of West Church Street. It was visible from the woman's house. Officers determined the hole in the second house appeared to be fresh because the wood did not appear weathered, according to the news release. Contact was made with the three men inside the home: Anthony Austin, 23; Quenton Mathis, 23, and Dedrick Griffin, 19, all of Cuero. After gaining a search warrant through Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1, Peggy Mayer, officers searched the home and found numerous weapons, including a Remington 700 rifle with scope, loaded with a live round in the chamber; a Remington 20-gauge shotgun; a Remington model 35; Smith and Wesson M&P AR-15 rifle with magazine; a 9mm Ruger P85 pistol with a full clip and a round in the chamber; and a high point 9mm pistol. The four long guns had been reported stolen from a location in rural DeWitt County, according to the news release. Drugs, narcotics and paraphernalia were also seized during the search. Drugs including crack cocaine, marijuana appearing to be packaged for sale and distribution, alprazolam, hydrocodone, synthetic marijuana. About $1,080 in cash also was found. The men were arrested and transported to DeWitt County Jail.
15. YONA, GU, 5/05/14: A man accidentally shot his hand while cleaning his gun and was taken Guam Memorial Hospital for treatment yesterday afternoon. At 1 PM, officers from the Guam Police Department responded to a report of an injured person in Yona, according to GPD spokesman Officer A.J. Balajadia. The 40-year-old man accidentally discharged his firearm and injured his left hand. Balajadia said he was conscious and alert when he was brought to GMH. At 5:30 PM, GMH Nursing Supervisor Bill Toves said the man was undergoing surgery for his hand, but he was in stable condition. Balajadia said the incident still is being investigated by police.
16. BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP, NJ, 5/06/14: Authorities say the police chief of a central New Jersey town was shot in the leg when his service weapon accidentally discharged inside the town’s municipal building. The shooting occurred around 3:45 p.m. Tuesday in the tax collector’s office in the Bordentown Township municipal building. According to a spokesman for the Burlington County prosecutor's office, a juvenile is responsible for the weapon's discharge, injuring police Chief Frank Nucera in the leg with a single shot. The minor was accompanied at the time by a parent who was conducting business at the tax collector's office, the spokesman said. Nucera, who is also the township administrator, was taken to an area hospital. His wound is not considered life-threatening, according to officials. The shooting is considered to be accidental, and is currently under further investigation by police.
17. SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP, OH, 5/06/14: A northeast Ohio sheriff says a 79-year-old man accidentally shot and killed one of his farmhands after mistaking her for a groundhog as she lay in tall grass. Twenty-two-year-old Natasha Stover of New Philadelphia was shot once in the head Monday afternoon in Sugar Creek Township south of Canton. She died Tuesday at a hospital. Stark County Sheriff George Maier (MEYE'-er) says Stover was shooting at targets with a BB gun when her boss, Ralph Adams Jr., spotted what he thought was a groundhog in one of his fields. The sheriff says Adams shot Stover with a rifle from a distance of 165 feet. No charges have been filed. Maier said Wednesday that the investigation will be given to the Stark County prosecutor's office for review.
18. INDIANAPOLIS, IN, 5/06/14: An Indianapolis man was taken to the hospital Monday night after he shot himself while trying to conceal a gun during a traffic stop, according to police. WTHR reports that 22-year-old Paden Moody was a passenger in a vehicle traveling on 38th Street in Indianapolis, when he shot himself in the foot during a traffic stop. Moody, who is not licensed to carry a handgun, was trying to hide the gun in his pants when he accidentally fired the gun.
19. YOUNGSTOWN, OH, 5/06/14: A loaded handgun found in the parking lot of East High School on Monday belongs to a former city councilman, reports said. City police working school security were called to the school at 474 Bennington Ave. about 8:25 AM, where a woman gave them a case that had a loaded .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun inside that she found next to a car in the parking lot. Police said the car belongs to former 2nd Ward Councilman Rufus Hudson, who is a substitute teacher at the school. Reports said Hudson told officers the gun was his, and it must have fallen out of his car. The gun was taken by police, reports said, pending the results of an investigation. William Morvay, head of security for the school district, said it is against Ohio law and school board policy to take a gun on school property, even if the person has a permit or keeps it locked in a vehicle. The offense is a fifth-degree felony in the Ohio Revised Code and carries a penalty of six months to a year in jail. Hudson had not been charged as of Tuesday afternoon. District spokeswoman Yvonne Mathis said there is an investigation. School Human Resources Director Karen Green said Hudson will not be allowed to teach in the district until the investigation is complete. Hudson has a concealed weapon permit through the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, according to information provided by the sheriff’s office. Hudson served two terms on the city council, from 1999-2007.
20. BUSHNELL, FL, 5/06/14: A 37-year-old Sumter County woman has been arrested on a number of charges after allegedly covering up an accidental shooting in her home. According to officials with the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, an unidentified 23-year-old woman victim showed up on Tuesday at Citrus Memorial Hospital in Inverness with a gunshot wound, explaining she was at a large gathering in the Croom area of Sumter County when an argument erupted and she was shot in the leg. Sheriff’s officials said deputies conducted an “exhaustive search” for other potential victims and evidence before learning the actual shooter was one of two young men that Christina Lynn Baxter had brought to her Bushnell home. They had been drinking alcohol when one of the men pulled out a gun and it went off accidentally. According to Capt. Kevin Hofecker, sheriff’s spokesman, the victim’s story began to unravel and the investigation eventually led detectives to Baxter’s home. Hofecker said people in the home initially told false stories, including Baxter, who allegedly lied for eight hours before detectives learned the truth.
21. SMITHVILLE, MO, 5/07/14: Authorities are investigating after an 18-year-old high school student said she was shot while turkey hunting at a northwest Missouri lake, and the shooter left without helping. The Missouri Department of Conservation and Clinton County Sheriff’s Office are investigating Wednesday’s shooting at Smithville Lake. The woman told authorities told authorities she was hunting turkeys at the lake by herself when she was shot. KMBC-TV reports that she yelled for help but the shooter left. The girl was shot in the leg but was able to drive herself to the hospital, where she might need surgery. It is the first hunting-related shooting reported at Smithville Lake in 14 years.
22. GREAT BEND, KS, 5/07/14: A 21-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his hand was at the Emergency Room at 5:21 PM. He reported accidentally shooting his hand while cleaning a gun.
23. PRESCOTT, AZ, 5/07/14: Malcolm Barrett Jr. was cleaning his gun last week when a round fired, striking him in the left hand, but causing no serious damage, a Prescott police report said. Barrett, 58, is a past chairman of the Yavapai County Republican Party, a high-profile role that cast him as moderator of many GOP forums and debates. On Wednesday at about 10 PM, he was at home, practicing disassembling his .45-caliber Colt handgun, the report said. Barrett told officers that he had removed the retaining pin from the gun and was trying to take the slide off, but it became stuck, the report said. He was pulling on the slide when the gun went off, shooting him in the left hand, the report said. "Barrett said he must have accidentally chambered a round, but was almost positive that he did not have his finger on the trigger," the report said. The bullet entered his palm just below and between his index finger and middle finger, then exited. He went to Yavapai Regional Medical Center, where he was told that the round had missed the bones, ligaments and tendons of his hand, and that he would need only stitches. The officer said he was in good spirits and that "he was more embarrassed than anything," the report said. Barrett told police that he thought the bullet had struck a couch and then may have gone through a window after piercing his hand, but he said, there are no homes nearby along the trajectory of the bullet. In an interview with The Daily Courier, Barrett said, "If I were doing everything the way I should have been doing it, it would not have happened. It was 100 percent preventable." He said he was lucky not to have permanently damaged his hand. "It's one of those things where, when it happens to someone else, you think, 'How stupid can they be?'" he said. "And then you do it yourself."
24. GEORGETOWN, KY, 5/08/14: A 24-year-old Georgetown College student is charged with first-degree wanton endangerment following what officials say was an accidental shooting early Thursday on the east side of the campus that wounded another student. Terrence Jamal Boyd, who college officials say is from Oklahoma, was arrested about 4:33 AM, about three hours after the shooting, records show. Georgetown police Capt. Robert Swanigan said two students were walking back to their residences from a party about 1:30 AM when one of the students drew a semi-automatic pistol and began working the handgun's slide. The gun fired, striking the other student in the upper thigh and causing a through-and-through wound, Swanigan said. When police arrived on the scene, the student with the weapon had fled, Swanigan said. College Associate Vice President for Campus Relations Jim Allison said the college's code of student conduct prohibits firearms on campus and in residence halls, but not in cars parked at the campus. He and Swanigan said the investigation has not determined where the gun had been kept prior to the incident.
25. VALLEJO, CA, 5/08/14: A 29-year-old Vallejo man was arrested Thursday morning after accidentally shooting himself in the leg, police said. At about 5:30 AM, Ronnie Williams drove himself to Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center on Sereno Drive with a gunshot wound to his left leg, Lt. Herman Robinson said. He initially said he was shot during an attempted robbery, but the trajectory of the wound made it look self-inflicted, Robinson said. Police also found a firearm in plain view in William's car which they believed he had used to accidentally shoot himself, Robinson said. The gun turned out to be loaded and unregistered, he added. Williams was arrested on suspicion of possessing a loaded firearm in a vehicle. He was booked into Solano County jail after being treated and released.
26. COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, 5/08/14: It was a scary close call for a guest at the Value Place Hotel Thursday night after police say someone fired a shot from a fourth-floor room into a second room. A woman was inside when a bullet went through the wall and into her hotel room, but she was unharmed. Springs police were called shortly after, at 7:20 PM, but when they got to the Airport Creek Point, the suspect had left the hotel. An officer on nearby Airport Road saw someone matching the suspect's description at a Loaf 'n Jug and tried to contact him. The suspect allegedly sped off, but police say he was quickly caught and arrested. He has been identified as Clinton Dansby, 25, and faces charges of illegal discharge of a firearm. Police say they detained a second person, 30-year-old Laura Mounts, and charged her with false reporting. She was then released.
27. YPSILANTI, MI, 5/08/14: An Ypsilanti Township man was transported to the hospital about 7:30 PM Thursday after shooting himself in the hand in the 1400 block of Melvin Street, officials said. The man had been cleaning his gun at the time and accidentally shot himself, according to the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office. Deputies were called to the scene to assist Huron Valley Ambulance in transporting the man to the hospital. The man's wife alerted first responders to the incident.
28. DENTON, TX, 5/08/14: 9900 block of Interstate 35E—A deputy constable accidentally shot himself in the left hand during firearms training at the Denton County Gun Range, officials said. The incident occurred at about 1 PM Thursday, according to Denton County sheriff’s reports.
29. REISTERSTOWN, MD, 5/08/14: A 17-year-old girl who reported being shot Thursday in a robbery in Reisterstown made the story up, Baltimore County police said Friday. The teen was shot in the head, and remains in serious condition with non-life-threatening injuries. But her account of the shooting was not accurate, police now say. She told police on Thursday that she had been shot in a robbery of her cell phone, but police have determined she was accidentally struck during a fight with a male friend over a handgun, which occurred in the basement of a home in the 100 block of Danbury Road.
30. RICHMOND, VA, 5/08/14: A Virginia Department of Corrections sergeant accidentally shot an officer in a parking lot near VCU Medical Center Thursday morning. The sergeant's gun accidentally went off around 8:15 AM Thursday, according to the Department of Corrections. The wounded officer was taken to VCU Medical Center. VCU police say there was no threat to public safety. The two officers had just finished taking an inmate to the secure medical ward and handed him over to other corrections officers, when the incident took place in the parking lot. Right now, there is no update to the officer's condition. Richmond police are investigating the incident.
31. NEWPORT NEWS, VA, 5/09/14: Police believe it was stray bullet that hit a 77-year-old man inside his home late Friday night, according to a statement from Newport News Police. Around 11:20 PM, an officer working near 24th Street and Chestnut Avenue reporting hearing several shots fired. He immediately notified police communications, which has also received several emergency calls reporting shots in the area and a victim inside a residence in the 2400 block of Chestnut Avenue. Officers and medics responded to the home found a 77-year-old who had been shot in the thigh, the statement said. The man was transported to a local hospital with what appeared to be a non-life threatening injury. "Police do not believe the victim was the intended target," said Lou Thurston, a spokesman for the Newport News department. "It appears as though the bullet came through a wall and struck the victim. At this time, officers have not located damage to other homes or cars in the immediate area."
32. CHATTANOOGA, TN, 5/09/14: The Chattanooga Police Department reported that it responded to 124 South Moss Ave. today where a woman had been shot accidentally in her foot by a friend trying to unload a handgun. The woman had a single gunshot wound to her foot, but refused emergency transportation to a hospital. She, however, was taken to a local hospital by a family member, a police department news release said. Police said they are ruling the shooting accidental.
33. LAKEWOOD, OH, 5/09/14: A Parma man was charged with negligent assault and failure to secure a dangerous weapon after police said he accidentally shot someone in the leg. Erik Espinoza, 25, brought a handgun to a friend's Richland Avenue home Friday evening and his friend asked to be shown how to take it apart and put it back together, police said. While Espinosa was handling the handgun it went off and a bullet went through his friend's leg. "There was nothing malicious about it," Capt. Ed Hassing of the Lakewood police department said. The injured man's brother called paramedics and an ambulance and police arrived on the scene to provide medical attention and secure the handgun. The injured man spent two days in the hospital and Espinoza spent a night in jail, police said. Espinoza was released on bond on Saturday.
34. BRIDGEPORT, CT, 5/09/14: Police in Bridgeport are investigating after a [16-year-old] was struck by a bullet inside his first-floor bedroom. The shooting occurred on Connecticut Avenue at around 11:45 PM Friday. Relatives say the boy was in his bed when a bullet came through the window and hit him in the head. Tina Young says she and her family live upstairs and were at home when her nephew was shot. She says people were fighting outside the home at around 11:30 PM. "Whoever they were, they got in their vehicles and as they were taking off they shot up the house," she says. Young adds that her nephew had nothing to do with the fight. Police say the unidentified teen is in the hospital in critical but stable condition.
35. NORTH COVENTRY TOWNSHIP, PA, 5/09/14: An 8-year-old boy is home with his family two days after he was struck by a stray bullet. Police apprehended a suspect who they say randomly fired a gun from his front porch and struck the 8-year-old boy on Friday. Authorities arrested 55-year-old Wayne Snowden of the 300 block of South Hanover Street, North Coventry Township and charged him for aggravated assault for allegedly shooting the child, 8-year-old AJ Hanger, as he rode his bike with a friend around 5 PM Friday. Police say Snowden was standing on his porch speaking with individuals inside the residence when he raised a handgun and fired a single shot in the direction of Coyne Alley. The bullet struck Hanger in the leg as he passed the Pottstown Dance Theatre near the intersection of West Main Street and Coyne Alley, North Coventry Township.
36. DALE, PA, 5/10/14: A makeshift memorial has been set up in front of the Dale Borough home where authorities said a woman was shot dead by her boyfriend over the weekend. It happened just hours before Mother's Day. That man has been charged with criminal homicide as the woman's friends and family question what happened. Linsey Wolfe's parents spoke to 6 News Monday about Kyle Rodgers, the man who's accused of taking their daughter's life. He's a man they said just got out of the military in November, a man who never showed any violent tendencies and a man they can't believe meant to kill her. Rodgers was charged with criminal homicide and has been staying in the Cambria County Prison since Saturday night, when, police said, he shot and killed Wolfe inside their Bloom Street apartment. A criminal complaint released on Monday said when police arrived to the home, Wolfe's own mother was performing CPR as Rodgers watched. When police walked through the door, they said, Rodgers immediately told them he shot her and that he was sorry. By the time paramedics arrived, it was too late; the coroner had pronounced her dead with a gunshot wound to the head. When questioned, police said, Rodgers told them the couple had been in a verbal argument in their bedroom upstairs. When it became physical, police said, he grabbed a gun from beneath his pillow and headed downstairs. But that's when, Rodgers allegedly said, Wolfe pushed him and the gun went off, shooting her and causing her body to fall down the stairs.
37. WEST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, PA, 5/10/14: Kevin R. Angert, 45, of Fenelton accidentally shot himself in the hand with a pistol while preparing to target shoot at the Buffalo Valley Sportsmen's Club on Yellow Dog Road in West Franklin Township. Angert, who did not immediately seek medical treatment, went to Butler Memorial Hospital on Monday. He was treated for an undisclosed injury and released.
38. DUNBARTON, NH, 5/10/14: A Hooksett man was injured Saturday when he was accidentally shot by his hunting partner, according to a release from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. Glen Ranfos, 58, was hunting in Dunbarton shortly before 7:30 AM Saturday when the shooting happened, the release said. He was sitting in "a brushy area" waiting for his hunting companion, Kenneth Ranfos. The release did not say if the men are related. Kenneth Ranfos saw movement in the brush that he believed to be a turkey—it was Glen Ranfos removing his hat—and fired one shot from his 12 gauge shotgun that struck Glen Ranfos, the release said. Kenneth drove Glen to a Manchester hospital, where he was treated for his injuries and released, the release said.
39. CHICAGO, IL, 5/10/14: In a separate shooting about 1:30 PM in the city's Grand Crossing neighborhood, a 16-year-old boy shot himself in the leg in the 7800 block of South Drexel Avenue, said Pacheco. He was taken to Jackson Park Hospital in good condition and charges are possibly pending. Area South detectives are investigating the Drexel incident.
40. HARLETON, TX, 5/10/14: Harrison County 911 dispatchers received a call for and ambulance and deputies at approximately 11:45 PM Saturday to 1097 Ragon Rd. in northwest Harrison County. The caller stated that a shot had been fired and one person had been injured. Upon the arrival of deputies and EMS, a single victim, Ivan Dolley, W/M/11-07-1988 was found to have a gunshot to his upper abdomen. Deputies found a witness doing CPR compressions on the victim and he was then transported to Good Shepherd Hospital in Longview where he was pronounced deceased from the gunshot wound at approximately 12:40 AM, May 11. Investigators are currently discussing and interviewing witnesses who are giving statements. The incident appears to have occurred when the loaded weapon was being handed to the victim, barrel first.
41. SHELBY, NC, 5/10/14: Police say the boyfriend of Hannah Carol Bickley, 17, told police the two were robbed before the teen was found shot to death. “We later determined he was actually the shooter and the one doing the robbery," Shelby Police Chief Jeff Ledford said Sunday. Police say Aaron Rashun Byers, 19, shot Bickley early Saturday. Both have a listed address of 1675 N. Lafayette St. in Shelby. Bickley was killed by a single gunshot wound by Byers in an attempted robbery, according to police. “Byers was charged with the robbery. His original story he told police was that he and Hannah were the victims,” Ledford said. Byers is charged with murder, possession of a firearm by felon and attempted armed robbery. He currently has no bond, according to police. “There are no other suspects at this time, but we are continuing to interview witnesses,” Ledford said. At 2:38 AM Saturday, Shelby Police were responding to Holder Drive in Shelby in reference to a possible armed robbery where someone was shot. On their way to the scene, Byers reportedly flagged down officers on Broad Street and said Bickley was inside his vehicle on Holder Drive and had been shot. Bickley was pronounced dead on the scene, according to police. “The shot was fired unintentionally, from what we've learned,” Ledford said. “It is unfortunate and sad. A young life shouldn't be taken like this.” Byers is scheduled to appear in Cleveland County Court on Monday.
42. LONGMONT, CO, 5/10/14: Police arrested a 16-year-old Longmont boy Saturday night on suspicion of accidentally shooting his friend in the buttocks. Eighteen-year-old David Williamson was also arrested on several charges, including being an accessory to the theft of the gun used in the shooting. Longmont Police said Monday that Williamson and the 16-year-old were the same two arrested in February on felony charges stemming from a series of vehicle break-ins. Officers responded to the 100 block of Merideth Lane at about 9:15 PM Saturday on a report of a shooting. When officers arrived they found several young people who had gathered at the house for a party. They also found an underage boy in the house holding his right hand over his right buttock, with blood dripping out between his fingers. The boy was taken away in an ambulance, according to police reports. Because police did not provide the underaged boy's name, Longmont United Hospital declined to give any information on his condition. According to police reports of the shooting, Williamson and the juvenile had shown up at the party and gone into a back bedroom where several other youths were gathered playing a video game. At some point the boy reportedly pulled out a silver handgun that he boasted as having stolen. According to the boy's arrest report, "He pulled the magazine out of the handgun and set it down. He continued to hold onto the gun. He began to tell his friends he 'can't wait to sell it,' when he suddenly fired the gun." Other witnesses who did not see the shot reported hearing a loud pop and then screaming. The bullet reportedly struck a juvenile who was sitting in front of the boy with the gun. Accounts say the injured boy immediately stood up and grasped his buttock with his right hand. The boy with the gun reportedly gathered up the magazine and the other items he had arrived there with and fled the scene. Just minutes later police caught up with the boy near the railroad tracks at 17th Avenue and Lamplighter Drive. They located two guns, one near the railroad tracks and one in the Oligarchy Ditch. The boy's charges include illegal discharge of a firearm, tampering with evidence and second-degree burglary, all felonies; and reckless endangerment, possession of a handgun by a juvenile, theft of between $750 and $2,000, and criminal mischief, all misdemeanors.
43. AKRON, OH, 5/10/14: A 17-year-old Goodyear Heights female was charged with carrying concealed weapons, discharging firearms and possession of drug paraphernalia May 10 when officers went to the 500 block of Storer Avenue to investigate a report of a fight with a gun. The caller told officers the female was getting into a car and attempting to leave the address, and reporting officers were able to block the driveway before the female, who was a passenger in a car her mother was driving, could leave. The girl admitted to having the gun on her, which was found in her waistband, according to officers. Officers also found a box of ammunition and a digital scale. The girl reported she became angry at her friends while arguing with them over some property, causing her to pull out the gun and point it into the air. The gun accidentally went off, according to her report.
44. ANCHOR POINT, AK, 5/10/14: A 43-year-old Anchor Point man is expected to make a full recovery after initially treating a gunshot wound to the head for five days with an antibiotic ointment. Alaska State Troopers say the gun went off as James Doppler was handling it last weekend. Troopers say his girlfriend urged him to go the hospital but he refused, believing at the time he didn't need outside help to tend the wound. However, in the following days, troopers say he began experiencing symptoms associated with a head wound. 'Investigation revealed (the man) had shot himself in the head on (Saturday) while negligently handling a firearm,' AST troopers said in a statement. '(He) did not seek medical attention until (Thursday). The gun the man accidentally used on himself was a .22 long rifle. 'He was playing around with it when he shot himself,' AST spokesperson Beth Ipsen told KTUU. 'Nobody else (was) there at the time.' 'No treatment before today other than he put Neosporin on the wounds.' Agency spokeswoman Beth Ipsen in an email declined to detail the symptoms, because of health privacy laws, but said it was a 'serious, but non-life threatening' wound. The symptoms prompted him to seek treatment Thursday at the Homer hospital, where troopers took a report.
45. ALBUQUERQUE, NM, exact date unknown: Two officers who saved the life of a man shot in the leg attribute the heroic act to proper training. Officers Michael Engh and Jacob Stuyvesant were sent to Lowe’s Hardware Store in northwest Albuquerque when a call came in that a man had suffered a gunshot wound. "He was on his back in the parking lot. We could see there was a fair amount of blood both in the vehicle and down around where he was laying down,” said Stuyvesant. The officers knew they had to get a tourniquet on the wound. "He was bleeding quite a bit, so I was able to get his leg stabilized and Officer Engh was able to get his leg stabilized, and I was able to get the tourniquet wrapped around leg, we were able to snitch it up, control the bleeding. It worked very well,” said Stuyvesant. According to the police report, the man was shot accidentally by his friend.