Sat Nov 29, 2014 at 06:05 PM PST
How do you shoot a little girl named Liberty? By accident, of course. GunFAIL LXXXI
by David Waldman
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Six of 32 guns found by TSA agents at airports around the country last week.
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Accidentally shooting oneself still accounts for the most significant part of the GunFAIL incidents logged. This latest installment of 100 features 41 self-shootings. Likewise, child victims are also involved in a major chunk of our reports, with 20 such incidents involving kids from 15 months old through age 17. Seven of the kids were age 5 or younger. Eleven people were accidentally shot by their own family members, friends or significant others. Fifteen of our 100 incidents resulted in fatalities.
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All the usual categories of failure are represented, as we've come to expect. Twelve law enforcement or security guard accidents, 11 "home invasion" shootings or shootings that otherwise penetrated walls, seven accidents with guns people said they didn't think were loaded, five target or range shooting accidents, five gun-cleaning accidents, five hunting accidents, four holster accidents, three firearms training accidents (including one instructor), two accidents while out and about shopping or dining among the public (one at a convenience store and one at a Sonic restaurant), and our third teacher to accidentally discharge a weapon in school this academic year.
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Among the more notable incidents in this installment: No. 8, in which a Pennsylvania state trooper was shot and killed by a state police firearms instructor giving a demonstration in how to break down and clean a service weapon; No. 22, in which a bullet likely fired in the air ended up coming down through the roof and into a local school cafeteria; No. 28, the aforementioned third accidental discharge by an armed teacher; No. 63, in which a father demonstrating for his sons how to load a rifle accidentally fired through the walls and shot his 7-year-old daughter, named Liberty; No. 66, a rare gun-less GunFAIL, in which a woman claims to have been shot with a round placed on a table which rolled off, hit the floor and discharged; No. 84, in which a veteran cop and firearms trainer accidentally shot and killed himself when he slipped and fell at home after family members believe he may have thought he heard an intruder, and; No. 93, in which a woman was shot while doing laundry, after her husband's forgotten pistol fell out of the pocket of his pants. Thanks for protecting the family, pops!
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The full list of 100 GunFAILs appears below the fold.
ELKO, NV, 9/28/14: An accidental shooting early Sunday morning put one man in the hospital with a wound to his shoulder. Undersheriff Clair Morris said Johny Hernandez, 22, of Twin Falls and Jaymz Quintana, 20, of Elko were out shooting about five miles west of Bullion Road. As they were walking back to their car, Hernandez’s gun accidentally fired, hitting Quintana in the shoulder, Morris said. Hernandez took Quintana to the hospital, where Elko County sheriff’s deputies were notified of the shooting. Hernandez was not arrested because the shooting was determined to be an accident, Morris said.
JACKSONVILLE, NC, 9/28/14: One person was shot after a weapon is discharged at a Jacksonville gun shop on Sunday afternoon. The Jacksonville Police Department is calling it an accident. Police spokesperson Beth Purcell tells 9 On Your Side it happened at Guerrilla Armament, located at 300 Carmen Avenue around 3:30 PM. The person shot was transported to the hospital with serious injuries. Purcell says the incident is under investigation and more information will be released Monday morning.
BOONE, NC, 9/29/14: Investigators of the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office worked late into the night on the scene of an incident reported as an accidental gunshot wound. The call came in at 9:12 from 1150 Winklers Creek Road, with medics and first responders waiting for deputies to secure the scene and clear them into the residence to begin treatment of the woman injured. With fog forming across the region, no air ambulance service could respond into Boone, offering only a Hickory pickup or Advanced Life Support ambulance rendezvous in the Foothills as the victim was rushed to Watauga Medical Center, then transferred to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN, 9/29/14: A 3-year-old boy was shot in the hand Monday on the city’s northwest side. Officers responded to the 9000 block of E. 39th Place just after 3 PM on a report of a child shot. When officers arrived on the scene they located a child who had shot himself in his left hand. The child was taken to Riley Hospital to be treated. IMPD is currently investigating the incident.
MINOT, ND, 9/29/14: Law enforcement authorities in Minot say a man shot himself in the foot, prompting the response of police officers and emergency personnel. Capt. John Klug with the Minot Police Department says 26-year-old Jeffrey Bailey injured himself with a shotgun. Klug says police secured the scene at a trailer park and provided immediate medical attention until an ambulance and emergency staff arrived at the scene. The Minot man was transported to Trinity Hospital. His condition is unknown.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, 9/29/14: A man has died at the hospital after he accidentally shot himself at home late Monday night in southeast Oklahoma City. According to police, at about 11 PM, officers responded to the report of an accidental shooting at a house in the 300 block of S.E. Grand near Stiles. Police said a man was playing with his gun when he accidentally shot himself. He was transported to the hospital, where he later died. Police have not identified the victim. Officers said no criminal charges are expected to be filed. UPDATE: When police arrived, representatives from the Emergency Medical Services Authority were treating a man, identified as John Calk, 32.
WILLIAMSPORT, PA, 9/29/14: An 8-year-old boy is recovering after being accidentally shot in the hand in Williamsport. The question is: How did he get the gun and whose gun is it? It happened Monday night in Williamsport. Police say two boys found a gun wrapped up in a duffle bag behind their homes. They started playing with it and one of the boys ended up shooting himself in the hand. The boys tell police they thought the pistol was a BB gun. They started playing around with it and brought it closer to the sidewalk when it went off, shooting one of the boys in the hand. Friends of the victim say the boy is expected to be okay but may need reconstructive surgery on his hand. The other boy, a 9-year-old, was not hurt. Williamsport police say the owner of the gun is from out of the area. They are still investigating and say it’s too soon to say if charges will be filed.
PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP, PA, 9/30/14: A Pennsylvania state trooper was accidentally shot and killed during a training exercise in Montgomery County. The shooting happened around 4:40 PM at the Montgomery County Public Safety Training Center in the 1100 block of Conshohocken Road in Plymouth Township. The trooper was flown to Temple University Hospital. An official at the Montgomery County 911 call center said the call came in for a 25-year-old male shooting victim. According to WPVI, officials confirmed the trooper's death Tuesday night. At this point, the trooper's name has not been released. UPDATE: Pennsylvania State Police say a state trooper has died following an accidental shooting at a gun range in Montgomery County. "It’s with an extremely heavy heart and deep sorrow that I announce the tragic death of Trooper David Kedra of Troop K, Skippack station," State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan said in a statement Tuesday night. MORE: Sources say he was in a classroom for a demonstration of how to break down and clean his service weapon. They say an experienced state police firearms instructor was handling a gun that somehow misfired.
JACKSONVILLE, FL, 9/30/14: A man is at the hospital after an early-morning shooting in Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded around 3:15 AM to a shooting in the 1100 block of Withrop Street, near Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway. Officers arrived to find a man shot in the leg. The man was taken to UF Health Jacksonville with non-life-threatening injuries. Police said this is possibly an accidental shooting. No gun was recovered, but police are continuing to process the scene. JSO is continuing to investigate the incident.
CLAYMONT, DE, 9/30/14: A young child was shot in Claymont, Delaware Tuesday morning, and the incident appears to be the result of a terrible accident. Police and paramedics were called out around 10 AM to the unit block of Cliffside Court in the Valley Run Community for the report of a shooting. Sources tell Action News that a 2-year-old child was playing with a gun when the gun accidentally discharged, hitting the child in the head. There is no word on the child's condition at this time, but at last report paramedics were on the scene performing CPR.
VANDALIA, OH, 9/30/14: A father and daughter were rushed to the hospital Tuesday evening after an accidental shooting at their Dog Leg Road home. According to Vandalia police, the 14-year-old girl and her dad were on the back porch, and the girl was handling a 9 mm gun. She accidentally fired it, and the round hit her in her upper leg and then struck her 42-year-old father in the lower leg. Neither of the injuries are considered life-threatening.
BURLINGTON, KY, 9/30/14: A man was flown to UC Medical Center after he said he shot himself accidentally. Boone County dispatchers said the man called 911 shortly after 9 AM to say he was driving to a fire station. The man told dispatchers that he was cleaning a gun when it discharged, wounding him in the arm and chest. The man was directed to meet first responders and a medical helicopter at Kelly Elementary School in Burlington. No name or condition has been released so far.
WASHINGTON, DC, 9/30/14: A 13-year-old boy fatally shot in Northeast D.C. Tuesday evening was killed by his best friend, WUSA9's Bruce Johnson reports. The shooting, which happened in the 1400 block of Downing Street near 14th Street around 7:20 PM, appears to be unintentional, according to a police report. Officers found the boy suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. He was conscious when he was transported to Children's Hospital, but passed away around 9:28 PM, police said. The victim's identity has not been released. His father told Bruce Johnson that the two boys were being stupid, and he doesn't want the 14-year-old shooter to be charged. No one is in custody and the death investigation continues on Wednesday.
LUMBERTON, MS, 9/30/14: Two men were brought into the hospital each with a gunshot wound to the leg that were received during an alleged drug deal gone bad. Deputies with the Pearl River County Sheriff's Department were sent to the Hillside Motel on Tuesday just after 8 AM in reference to a shooting, said Chief Deputy Shane Tucker. When they arrived two men were found sitting on a bench, each with a tourniquet around one leg, Tucker said. An investigation into the incident determined that the two men, identified as 63-year-old Carl V. Myers and 39-year-old Jeffrey D. Hines, were allegedly engaged in a drug transaction around the side of the hotel, but at some point an argument ensued, Tucker said. Myers had his .22 caliber revolver with him at the time of the argument, Tucker said. "In his agitated state he accidentally shot himself in the leg," Tucker said. "Shortly after that he shot Jeffrey Hines in the leg."
KENOSHA, WI, 10/01/14: Kenosha police say a man accidentally fired his gun inside his apartment on Wednesday afternoon, October 1. It happened at the Wood Creek Apartments on 15th Street in Kenosha. Police were notified of the incident shortly before 1 PM. Police say a neighbor told police she heard a loud noise while she was in her bedroom. She later discovered a hole in her wall, and a hole in the hallway—and she realized a gun had been fired. That prompted her to call police. Police responded to the apartment, and found visible bullet fragments. Police spoke with the woman’s neighbor, and that man admitted to firing the gun. The man told police he was checking out the sights on his gun, and believed it wasn’t loaded. He was apparently aiming the gun at a light socket when he squeezed the trigger, causing the gun to go off. The bullet passed through the hallway and a nearby apartment wall. No one was injured. Police say the man who fired the gun is 54 years old—and while he was not taken into custody, they are referring a charge of endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon to the District Attorney’s Office.
MILWAUKEE, WI, 10/01/14: A 32-year-old Milwaukee man was shot Wednesday night, allegedly while his friend was showing him a gun—and while both men were drunk. Milwaukee police said the shooting happened at 9:20 PM in the 1500 block of S. 7th St. The victim told police that his friend was showing him the gun when it discharged. The friend corroborated that story but is in custody while the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office reviews the case. The victim was transported to the hospital and treated for a non-life-threatening injury.
LEXINGTON, SC, 10/01/14: A 13-year-old child was accidentally shot and killed on Wednesday at a home in Lexington, according to officials with the Lexington Police Department. Lt. Matt Davis, a department spokesman, said the child was at home with friends at 3 PM—after school was let out on for a half-day—when the gun was fired, fatally wounding the child. Davis said an investigation is currently being conducted, but investigators are ruling the incident an accidental shooting at this time. Davis said investigators found a gun safe in the home and it is unclear how the firearm was accessible. UPDATE: Lexington County Coroner Earl Wells says Ethan Payne, 13, was shot around 3 PM Wednesday at a home in Lexington's Willowbrooke neighborhood. He was pronounced dead a short time later at Lexington Medical Center.
RUTHERFORDTON, NC, 10/01/14: Rutherford County deputies said they are investigating an accidental shooting that sent a 7-year-old girl to the hospital on Wednesday. Investigators were called to a home on Helen's Lane about 3:45 PM where deputies said a group of kids found a backpack with a gun in the woods nearby. When one of the juveniles pulled a gun out of the bag, the girl was shot, deputies said. The girl was taken to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center with a gunshot wound to her buttock, deputies said. Deputies and the Department of Social Services are investigating the shooting.
ANTIS TOWNSHIP, PA, 10/01/14: An 18-year-old was transported Wednesday to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Altoona, after state police said he shot himself in the calf with a rifle during a hunting accident in Blair County. The male teen, who was not identified in a news release, is expected to survive the wound, state police said. A news release from troopers at the Hollidaysburg barracks said he was hunting groundhogs on his family farm off Ricotta Lane in Antis Township. He was walking with a loaded .22 caliber rifle with the gun's safety switch in the fire mode. The teen somehow lost his balance and gripped the rifle's trigger during his fall, which caused the weapon to fire one round, state police said. The gunshot went through his left calf. State police said they consider their investigation complete and do not plan to file any charges.
BRIDGEVILLE, CA, 10/01/14: Humboldt County Sheriff's Office detectives are continuing to investigate the shooting that occurred on Wednesday. During their investigation they learned the 31-year-old man who reported the crime drove the 18-year-old male victim to the hospital was actually the person who shot him. The 31-year-old male and 18-year-old male reluctantly told detectives after being questioned that the 31-year-old male shot the man by accident. The 31-year-old male told detectives they had been having their marijuana garden ripped off in the past. The employees that assisted them with taking care of their garden reported seeing people in the area in the last few weeks. The 18-year-old and 31-year-old decided to try to catch the suspects. Both admitted they recently used cocaine and armed themselves with .40 caliber semi-automatic handguns after believing they saw flashlights in the vicinity of their marijuana grow. The two men hid in one of the marijuana greenhouses on the property hoping to surprise the people trying to rip them off. After approximately one hour the men thought they saw flashlights approaching them so they exited the greenhouse. In an effort to catch the intruders, the 31-year-old male shot at them and stated the intruders returned fire. The 18-year-old male was accidentally shot by the 31-year-old male, during the gunfire exchange. The 18-year-old male was shot in the chest and shoulder. There is no evidence the 18-year-old fired his weapon and he denied firing his weapon. After accidentally shooting the 18-year-old male, the 31-year-old male called 911 and drove him in his 2004 black Cadillac Escalade to the hospital. The 31-year-old male was asked by detectives if he caught the people stealing from his marijuana garden, what he would do to them. The male told detectives he intended to "murder" them and not tell authorities.
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO, 10/01/14: The Steamboat Springs Police Department thinks it has solved the mystery of how a bullet recently got lodged in the back of a vehicle being driven by City Attorney Tony Lettunich. Police on Thursday arrested a man they suspect fired a gun in his home on October 1, sending a bullet through a bedroom wall and into the back of Lettunich’s vehicle as he and his wife were driving by the home on Clubhouse Drive on their way to dinner. It appears Lettunich’s vehicle was inadvertently hit by the bullet. The Lettunichs were not injured. Steamboat resident Scott Brooks turned himself in Thursday evening on suspicion of a felony charge of illegally discharging a firearm. He was released from jail after posting a $5,000 bond.
AVON PARK, FL, exact date unknown: A bullet found in the kitchen of the Avon Park High School cafeteria apparently was fired from off campus and penetrated the roof and the ceiling, according to a Highlands County Sheriff’s Office report. There are no witnesses or suspects in the incident, which occurred between Monday evening and early Tuesday morning, the report states. Avon Park High School Resource Deputy Charles Proctor reported that school facility worker Glen Floyd showed him a bullet, which he said was found Tuesday morning on the floor inside the school’s kitchen. Proctor compared the bullet to one of his .40 caliber duty rounds and their size appeared to match, according to the report. A white ceiling tile inside the school’s kitchen was partially removed from the ceiling and had a 3/4-inch hole in it, the report stated. White pieces of the ceiling tile were on the floor directly below the damaged tile. After removing the ceiling tile, Proctor saw a hole in the cafeteria’s metal roof and could clearly see outside light through the hole, according to the report. Floyd said he examined the hole in the roof’s 22-gauge metal and confirmed that the damage was caused by a projectile. The damage and bullet was initially discovered by cafeteria staff members at 6:30 AM Tuesday, the report stated. Proctor concluded it appeared the bullet was fired in the air from an unknown location off campus and then landed on the roof of the cafeteria.
BLYTHE, GA, 10/02/14: An Augusta Tech Police Academy Cadet is recovering from a gunshot wound, after Richmond County deputies said his firearm accidentally discharged during a training exercise. In a release, the sheriff's office said the cadets were taking part in a "night fire familiarization exercise" at the Sheriff's Office Training Center on Greenland Road in Blythe around 9 PM when the accident happened. The Sheriff's Office said 44-year-old cadet Billy Pendell sustained a minor gunshot wound to his right leg. He was taken to the hospital, but is expected to recover. The Sheriff's Office Internal Affairs Division and the Augusta Tech Police Academy Personnel are investigating the incident. The Sheriff's Office said the police academy training will continue normally. MORE: An Augusta Technical College Peace Officer Training Academy cadet shot himself in the leg late Thursday during a training exercise, Richmond County sheriff’s deputies said. The academy was conducting a “night fire familiarization” exercise at the Sheriff’s Office training center in Blythe about 9 PM when Cadet Billy Pendell, 44, accidentally discharged his firearm, wounding himself in his right leg, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.
WILMINGTON, NC, 10/02/14: The Wilmington man shot Thursday night is charged with filing a false police report. He initially told police he was shot by someone in a car, but further questioning revealed that he accidentally shot himself, according to a news release. Wilmington Police responded to a call around 9:20 PM Thursday to find Roy Milton, 54, with a gunshot wound. The incident occurred near 15th and Queen streets. Milton initially told police he was shot while outside in the front yard. Police searched the property and surrounding area. Milton later told officers he accidentally shot himself. Police retrieved the gun, which was confirmed stolen in Leland. Milton is also charged with possession of a stolen firearm.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI, 10/03/14: A court officer shot himself while cleaning his gun inside the U.S. Bankruptcy Court building, which is next to the Grand Rapids Police Department, early [Friday] afternoon, sources say. There is a large emergency responder presence outside the building, which is located at 1 Division N, as well as the Grand Rapids Police Department. Pedestrians are being kept away from the area. A forensics unit was called to the scene to investigate the situation. The severity of the court officer’s injuries are unknown.
GAINESVILLE, FL, 10/02/14: A Gainesville man was arrested early Thursday on multiple charges for allegedly fighting with his cousin and firing a weapon in his apartment, with the bullet going through the wall to the apartment next door, according to a police report. Khiry D. Robinson, 23, of 4455 SW 34th St., Apt. J52, was charged with domestic aggravated assault, domestic battery, shooting into an occupied home and criminal mischief, an arrest report by the Gainesville Police Department states. At about 3:08 AM, the men got into a fight. Robinson is accused of hitting his cousin several times with his fists. The report states Robinson got a .40-caliber Glock pistol from his room and fired one bullet into his bedroom wall. The bullet penetrated into the bedroom next door, which was occupied at the time. The bullet lodged in a television set. Robinson then left his room with the gun raised in the air and went to his cousin’s room, police allege. The cousin feared for his life and jumped over a balcony railing to flee. The report states Robinson admitting to hitting his cousin with his fists and shooting the pistol into the wall.
PORTSMOUTH, VA, 10/03/14: Portsmouth police [say] a man accidentally shot himself in the hand while driving Friday evening. A 911 call came in around 6 PM for a gunshot victim in the 800 block of London Boulevard, outside a McDonald’s restaurant, according to Detective Misty Holley. Officers arrived and discovered a man inside a silver Honda with a gunshot wound to his hand. The man told police he was moving his gun within his vehicle while waiting at a nearby stoplight. That’s when he said the firearm went off and struck him in the hand. The man was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital for treatment. Holley said the incident is considered completely accidental. Officers have filed no charges against he man, at this time.
ADDISON, IL, 10/03/14: A criminal justice instructor at Technology Center of DuPage in Addison accidentally discharged a handgun during class Friday afternoon, striking a file cabinet and hollow wall, officials said. The instructor, a retired FBI agent, wasn't authorized to have the gun on school property, said Jim Thorne, the school's director. "It's not part of the curriculum. It's nothing we knew he had," Thorne said. Three students were watching the instructor's demonstration about 1:30 PM in an office adjacent to a classroom, where other students were preparing for the start of class, Thorne said. No one was struck by the bullet, which ended up lodged in another classroom, he said. After the shooting, a school administrator came to the classroom and escorted the instructor from the building. He was sent home and has been placed on administrative leave until further notice. Whether the instructor faces termination or disciplinary action won't be determined until after an investigation into the incident is complete, Thorne said. Addison Police Department Director Tim Hayden said the instructor has been questioned by police, but it's too early to say whether he will face any criminal charges. Thorne declined to identify the teacher by name, but a directory on the school website lists only two criminal justice instructors -- one of whom is a former FBI agent. That teacher, James Whitmer, declined to discuss the shooting incident when reached by phone. The school offers career and technical education classes to DuPage County high school juniors and seniors as part of their regular high school curriculum. A school news release said officials contacted the parents of the students who were in the class to "express our sincere apology that their children's safety was put at risk today."
ASHBORO, IN, 10/03/14: An Ashboro area woman was treated for non-life threatening injuries after receiving a gunshot wound to her left arm on Friday. The Clay County Sheriff Department is still investigating the incident that occurred at 10:44 PM. A CCSD release states county dispatch received a call from a female needing an ambulance for an arm wound. Once deputies arrived, a male and female met them. The female told officials she accidentally shot herself when trying to take the firearm away from a male, the release states. Two juveniles who were also present at the time of the shooting told deputies that the male and female were arguing before the male exited and fired a weapon, the release states. The female followed and the arguing started again before another shot was heard, the juveniles reported. The female was transported to Regional Hospital in Terre Haute. A case report is being forwarded to the Clay County Prosecutor's Office for review.
GROVETOWN, GA, 10/03/14: A man called authorities Friday afternoon after he said he accidentally shot himself. The man said he was visiting his grandmother near Grovetown just before 2 PM It was raining, so he ran to his vehicle. His pistol fell out of his back pocket and into a mud puddle. He quickly picked up the gun and got into his vehicle. The man said he released the magazine to clean the pistol off. He said he went to lock the slide back and forgot a round was in the chamber. The firearm went off into the man’s right palm. He called 911 and was taken to an area hospital for treatment.
ST. LOUIS, MO, 10/04/14: Police say a man accidentally shot himself in the leg at a home on Lindenwood near Hampton in south St. Louis Saturday. Investigators say the man hit his gun against the wall around 10 am this morning, causing it to go off.
NASH, TX, 10/04/14: Nash, Texas Police were on scene of an accidental shooting on Dodd St. near Hickory St. Saturday night. According to radio traffic the elderly homeowner heard noises and went to investigate bringing her gun when she accidentally shot herself in the leg. Nash, Police Department and LifeNet were quickly on scene. No word on the condition of the woman at this time.
MANCHESTER, NH, 10/04/14: An investigation is underway after a teenager shot himself in the foot in Manchester, New Hampshire Saturday night. Police responded to the area of Amherst Street and Walnut Street at 9:30 PM for a report of a possible shooting. During investigation, officials determined that the 18-year-old male accidentally shot himself in the right foot with the gun he was carrying in his waistband. He was transported to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. The firearm was recovered by officers.
DERIDDER, LA, 10/04/14: A 15-year-old from Beauregard Parish died Saturday evening in an accidental shooting in DeRidder, authorities said. Beauregard Parish Sheriff's Office spokesman Joe Toler said the teen died after the shotgun he was carrying accidentally discharged. "Deputies responded to (a) report of an accidental shooting occurring at a residence near Kipling Corner (in DeRidder)," Toler said Monday. "No foul play is suspected." The deceased's name has not yet been released. MORE: An East Beauregard High School student who died Saturday was honored this week by his fellow students. Students led an initiative to wear school-approved blue shirts in honor of Cameron Carter, 15 and a freshman at EBHS, who was killed Oct. 4 in a shooting accident.
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, 10/04/14: Alcohol, an argument and a tussle over a gun all appear to be factors in a Saturday morning shooting that left a 43-year-old Colorado Springs woman dead, according to court documents. Linda Kochman was found dead inside a bedroom in a home at 3005 Michigan Ave. about 12:30 AM Saturday, according to an arrest affidavit. Her death has been ruled a homicide, Colorado Springs police said. Erik Dlouhy, 25,of Colorado Springs, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and remained in the El Paso County jail on $10,000 bond as of Monday evening. According to an arrest affidavit, Dlouhy initially told police that Kochman shot herself in the face. He later told police the gun was in his hands when the bullet fatally struck her. According to court documents, Kochman, Dlouhy and several other people were drinking when the couple began arguing about him not having a job. Dlouhy told investigators that he drank a pint of whiskey and after the argument, had gone for a walk to "cool off." After returning to the house, he went upstairs to the bedroom, court documents state. He told police that Kochman entered the room to continue the conversation and eventually pulled out a .40 semi-automatic handgun that she claimed was hers, he said. Dlouhy also told investigators that at one point, he took the gun and removed the magazine before also emptying live rounds on the floor. They were both "jacking around with it," as they sat on the bed, he said. She was lying on her back and he was sitting when they both reached for it, according court documents.
In the interview, Dlouhy repeatedly told investigators that he would never intentionally shoot Kochman; however he said it was possible that when he grabbed the gun it went off, sending a bullet into her head.
POMONA, CA, 10/04/14: A second gang member was arrested early Monday in a shooting at a restaurant in Pomona that left four people wounded, including one suspect, police said. An anonymous tip led police to an apartment complex in the 1800 block of West Orange Grove Avenue where they arrested Derek Sommer, 25, a Pomona resident. What police described as a “verbal disagreement” between the two suspects and a car full of customers in the drive-through at Alberto’s restaurant at 1925 W. Holt Ave. led to the shooting on Oct. 4. Christian Miranda, a 21-year-old Pomona resident, was accidentally shot by Sommer and arrested at a hospital the night of the shooting, police said. Sommer was booked on five counts of attempted murder with gang and weapon enhancements. He was on probation. Bail was set at $5 million. Miranda was charged with four counts of attempted murder.
SPOKANE, WA, 10/05/14: A teenage boy was transported to the hospital with potentially life threatening injuries Sunday afternoon after an accidental shooting. Spokane Police responded to a home in the 1700 block of E. Vanetta just after 2:30 PM in response to a report of a shooting. Several teens were at the home, and playing around with what they believed to be an unloaded handgun. It discharged, striking the 14 or 15-year-old in the chest. It's believed the injured teen was the one who brought the gun to the house. Police say there are no outstanding suspects and no danger to the public. MORE: Officers told KHQ one of the teens brought the gun over, they removed the clip, and started playing with it. "Messing around with something they shouldn't have been messing around with," said Lieutenant Rex Olsen with the Spokane Police Department. Olsen says the teenagers didn't realize there was still a bullet in the chamber.
RICHMOND, MN, 10/05/14: A 54-year-old Norwood Young America man is in the hospital after a hunting accident Sunday, according to the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office. On Oct. 5 at around 11:35 AM, the sheriff’s office received a report of a gunshot injury from the Carver County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities say the injured hunter, identified as Steven Grimm, was hunting at the Golden Meadows Hunting Preserve when he was shot. He was with a hunting party with seven other people walking in a line when a bird was flushed up. Several hunters fired at the bird and Grim was struck by pellets in the upper torso and head. Grim was then taken to the Ridgeview Hospital in Waconia. The incident is being investigated.
RAPID CITY, SD, 10/05/14: Rapid City police are investigating an accidental shooting that occurred in the 1200 block of Estes Park Court around 3:48 AM Sunday. Friends took a 20-year-old man to the hospital for treatment after he shot himself in the leg with his own handgun, according to a news release. No charges were filed, but the incident remains under investigation.
HOLLY, CO, 10/05/14: 12:43 AM - Deputy Ibarra responded to the 1000 Blk of W. Colorado St on a report of an accidental shooting. Deputies investigated the matter and determined it was an accidental shooting. A male juvenile was transported to PMC and later flown out due to his injuries, and PMC did not have a surgeon on call.
PIKE CO., MS, 10/05/14: Pike County officials say the case of a 4-year-old who was shot in the head by a six-year-old is still under investigation at this point. Chief Deputy Steve Rushing said the younger child has been treated and released, but that at this point he has not heard an update on the child's condition. Officials said on Sunday they got a call to the Southwest Mississippi Medical Center, where there was a bullet in the child's head. "The projectile was under the skin, and it was removed," he said. The call was originally reported as a drive-by shooting on Gradyville Road, Rushing said. "We determined quickly that it wasn't, then it was reported as an accidental shooting," he said. As it turns out, police determined the 6-year-old had gotten hold of a small-caliber weapon believed to be a .22-caliber weapon. According to Rushing, the family has been evasive about details on the gun. "The family has been somewhat uncooperative with investigators about where the gun may have come from or what happened to the gun after the shooting," he said. "Those are things we try to determine is how did the child come into possession of a gun. Those are all things you want to try and look at during your investigation." At this point, it's unclear if any charges will be pressed since the case is still under investigation, Rushing said. He said he's glad the child isn't badly hurt, however. "We're always glad anytime someone isn't hurt real bad when something like this occurs," he said.
SAN ANTONIO, TX, 10/06/14: Breaking up is hard to do, and that has been demonstrated again, this time in a bizarre incident early Monday in the parking lot of a northwest side strip club, Newsradio 1200 WOAI's Michael Main reports. Around midnight, police say a man got into a dispute with his former girlfriend outside the All Star Gentleman's Club' on Interstate 10 near Wurzbach Rd. He tried to drive away, but the ex girlfriend jumped into the back of his pickup. As he was driving away with the woman clinging to the vehicle, the man's current girlfriend fired a shot hoping to stop him from driving away. But the new girlfriend did manage to accidentally shoot the ex girlfriend in the shoulder. She was rushed to the hospital in serious condition. The gunwoman was taken into custody. The guy who was in the middle of this estrogen rage was not hurt.
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA, 10/06/14: A Council Bluffs man is recovering after accidentally shooting himself late Monday evening. Council Bluffs Police says 46-year-old Michael Heywood was wounded in the incident at 1729 6th Avenue. Police Sergeant Chad Meyers tells KMA News officers were dispatched to the residence at around 8:45 AM, and found Heywood wounded in the left thigh. "There were family members on scene when the shooting actually occurred," said Meyers. "They applied a tourniquet to the man's leg prior to our arrival." Heywood was taken to Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. Meyers says an investigation determined that Heywood had retrieved the gun from a safe, and was showing it to family members when it accidentally discharged. "The man legally owned the gun," he said, "had a permit to carry it. Alcohol was not a factor in this incident. No charges will be filed." Meyers says the round from the semi-automatic gun entered the man's left thigh in a downward trajectory, and did not exit his leg.
FRESNO, CA, 10/06/14: A 17 year old is now facing charges after Fresno police say he accidentally shot his friend and lied to police about what happened. Police say they were called to E. Belgravia near Church late Monday night. That's where they found a teen shot in the leg. He was taken to a hospital for treatment and is expected to recover. Officers say his 17-year old friend told them someone drove by and started shooting. Both teens later admitted they were inside a house playing with two guns. One of them went off and hit the 17 year old in the leg. Officials say the boys are gang members and that they lied about the shooting because they didn't want to get in trouble. One of them is now facing illegal gun charges and negligent discharge of a firearm.
MEMPHIS, TN, 10/06/14: Memphis police are searching for a gun stolen from one of their own officers. The department has not described exactly how the thief made off with the gun. The officer took his belt off to use the bathroom, and when he went to put it back on, the gun was missing. "Who got a hold of that gun? It could be a teenager with all of this teenage violence going on. It's pretty scary," Melanie Blakney said. This all happened at Oak Court Mall Monday night. The mall hires Memphis officers to work security when they are off-duty. This officer was working as private security. But the gun is still missing, and there's no suspect in custody. Oak Court shoppers are worried. "That's very scary, because that could have been a child or anybody who got that," said Martha Dancy-Daniel. "Who knows, you know, where that gun is going. Oh that's creepy." MPD says the officer could face administrative discipline, but that all depends on how the investigation turns out.
HOMESTEAD, FL, exact date unknown: City of Homestead Police responded to a report of a shooting at the AudubonPlaza at 1541 SW 12th Ave. According to police, a shopper who had recently had his home burglarized recognized another shopper from his home’s security footage as the burglar. When the burglary victim attempted to confront the burglar, a physical altercation broke out. The accused burglar then attempted to pull a pistol out of his waist band when he accidentally shot himself. Police have not released names of the shooting victim or the burglary victim due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.
MANSFIELD, AR, 10/07/14: A nonfatal shooting in Mansfield Tuesday appears to be accidental, according to an official with the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office. Investigator Philip Pevehouse said the Sheriff’s Office was notified around 6:30 PM about a hunting accident involving two men, a .22-caliber rifle and a nonfatal injury. Pevehouse said the wound was not life-threatening. Pevehouse added there was nothing to suggest the incident was anything but an accident and said he couldn’t immediately provide any additional information.
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, 10/07/14: The man accused of accidentally shooting a bullet through a wall into the next apartment has now been arrested. The bullet narrowly missed hitting a mother and her child. Twenty-six-year-old Justin Westerfield is now facing a felony charge of Illegal Discharge of a Firearm. Colorado Springs police were called to an apartment in the 3700-block of East San Miguel Street on the report of a firearm being discharged through an apartment wall. That's near the area of Palmer Park Boulevard and North Academy Boulevard. Police said a woman and her child were watching TV in their apartment when a round penetrated the wall in their living room. The bullet nearly struck the woman and child, police. No one was hurt. Westerfield was booked into the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center.
WALDORF, MD, 10/07/14: On Tuesday, October 7, 2014 at 9:16 PM, officers from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 1500 block of Nicholas Road in Waldorf for the report of an accidental shooting. Investigation showed a 21-year-old male was attempting to put the safety on his 22 rifle when he accidentally pulled the trigger and shot his friend – a 23-year-old male- in the right arm. The victim was transported to a hospital with injuries that do not appear to be life threatening. POI C. Gustafson is investigating.
ATHENS, GA, 10/08/14: Athens-Clarke police were dispatched about 11 AM to a unit in Cambridge Apartments on Picadilly Square after a man called 911 to report he had accidentally shot his .357-caliber pistol. The 26-year-old man said he was planning to sell the pistol and was unloading the bullets when it discharged into the wall and he was fearful it entered the next apartment, where a University of Georgia student lived, police said. An officer and apartment manager checked the adjacent apartment, but no one was home. The officer examined the path of the bullet and found it lodged in a stud board and did not penetrate into the next apartment.
PUEBLO, CO, 10/08/14: A police sergeant in Pueblo shot himself in the leg after a foot chase on Wednesday afternoon. The chase began after a suspect, who was riding as a passenger in a car stopped for speeding about 4 PM on the 700 block of East 8th Avenue , fled when an officer tried to arrest him. The man, later identified as Victor Gomez, 37, was taken into custody after a chase. The police sergeant was believed to have been holstering his weapon after the chase when his gun accidentally discharged into his leg. The sergeant was treated for his injuries and released. "No citizens were injured nor was there any property damage as a result of the incident," police said. Gomez, who was found to be a suspect in several pending cases, was taken to the Pueblo County jail on charges of criminal impersonation, resisting arrest, eluding and trespass.
NORMAN, OK, 10/08/14: An Oklahoma City man died late Wednesday, after an accidental shooting at 12733 Burr Oak Road in northeast Norman. Leon Walker, 48, died at about 10:40 PM, after being taken to Norman Regional Hospital. Norman police, fire and emergency workers responded to reports of the accidental shooting at about 8:22 PM. EMSStat paramedics at the scene attempted to resuscitate the victim, who suffered a gunshot wound to the head. The death is under investigation by the NPD Criminal Investigations Division.
FORT SMITH, AR, 10/10/14: A man was arrested early Friday after his girlfriend was shot in the face. About 1:44 AM Friday, Fort Smith police responded to the Stonewall Jackson Inn, 5715 Towson Ave., regarding a possible shooting, according to a news release from Sgt. Daniel Grubbs. Officers found Krystal Atkinson, 23, and her boyfriend, Ian Vaughn Beck, 28, in a hotel room. Atkinson had an apparent single gunshot wound below her right eye from a small caliber handgun, Grubbs’ release states. Atkinson told officers she had received her injury by falling and striking a dresser, the release states. She was transported to a local hospital and later transferred to a hospital in Little Rock. At this time, her injury is believed to be non-life threatening, the release states. Officers observed suspected drug paraphernalia inside the room in plain view, sought a search warrant and found hypodermic needles and other suspected drug paraphernalia, the found. The handgun believed to have been involved in the shooting was located in bushes on the property, along with other hypodermic needles, the release states. During an interview at the police department, Beck told officers he and Atkinson argued about tattoos he had given to other females. Beck told investigators that Atkinson retrieved her revolver and began waiving it around, the release states. He reported struggling over control of the handgun, and Atkinson was accidentally shot in the face, the release states. Beck was arrested on suspicion of first-degree battery, simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He is being held at the Sebastian County Detention Center without bond.
NEWARK, OH, 10/10/14: A local man could face charges after accidentally shooting himself in the leg early Friday morning, then giving police false information about what happened. Newark Detective Sgt. Scott Snow said the man was handling a firearm around 2:45 AM at a residence on South Sixth Street. The man was reportedly unfamiliar with the firearm that he’d recently purchased. “I assume he was too embarrassed to admit he shot himself,” Snow said. The man told police he had been approached by a man coming from the railroad and been shot in the leg. The “suspect” reportedly ran away. Snow said further investigation revealed the man had made up the story. “He tried to put it on someone else, and it was obvious that it wasn’t adding up,” Snow said. The man could potentially face charges for providing false information to police. Snow said the case will be reviewed by the law director’s office for a decision on charges. The man was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
WASHINGTON CO., MO, 10/10/14: A Jefferson County man was wounded Friday, Oct. 10, in a shooting accident southeast of Sullivan. The incident was reported to Franklin County deputies about 12:16 PM, Sheriff Gary Toelke said. Ronald Niel, 56, Arnold, told deputies he had been target shooting at a firing range off Highway 185 and Route A in Washington County. At one point, Niel said he lowered a handgun he had been shooting, thinking it was empty, and the gun discharged striking him in the upper leg. He then drove to an address in the 400 block of Highway 185 to seek medical attention, the sheriff’s office reported. He then was taken to Missouri Baptist Hospital, Sullivan, for treatment. His condition was not known as of Friday afternoon, Toelke said.
PHILADELPHIA, PA, 10/10/14: Police say a man accidentally shot himself after he robbed someone at gunpoint in Northeast Philadelphia.
BISMARCK, ND, 10/10/14: The second gun shot call occurred at 7:31 PM Friday. Buschena said police responded to the 1300 block of East Thayer Avenue for an accidental firearm discharge. Police contacted a 23-year-old Bismarck man who said the firearm was in his bedroom and believed to be unloaded. Police searched the residence and discovered a hole in the wall. Buschena declined to release the man’s name because he had not been cited and the incident was under investigation.
STATEN ISLAND, NY, 10/10/14: A Mariners Harbor man accidentally shot his friend in the foot while playing with his gun, law-enforcement sources said Wednesday. Nahjee Jefferson, 20, was hanging out with a 19-year-old friend in an apartment on Holland Avenue near Benjamin Place at around 10:20 PM Friday when he accidentally fired off one round from a revolver, striking his pal, a Criminal Court complaint states. The victim was taken to Richmond University Medical Center and is expected to recover, the sources said. Jefferson was charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon.
OCALA, FL, 10/10/14: Ocala police arrested a 16-year-old boy Thursday in connection with last week's shooting in which two 18-year-old men were injured. The younger teen, who turns 17 in less than a week, was arrested on culpable negligence and possession of a firearm by a juvenile — both misdemeanor charges — and taken to the county's juvenile center for processing. Officials said the boy will be held pending a detention hearing. One of those injured, Robert Thomas O'Connell, was taken to Ocala Regional Medical Center, where he has treated and released. O'Connell's wound was to his inner thigh. The other man, Colby Martinez, was shot in the stomach. He remains in stable condition at Ocala Regional. Last Friday, officers went to a residence in northeast Ocala in reference to the shooting. A police officer heard the teen, whose name was not released, crying and yelling to his mother, telling her, "It was an accident. It just went off," according to a police report. Detective Jeff Hurst asked for the gun, and people there pointed at a back bedroom. Hurst found a Bersa .38-caliber handgun and a shell casing lying on a mattress on the floor. The gun had been reported stolen last November. Hurst interviewed O'Connell, who said he was lying on a bed in the room and the teen was sitting on another bed playing with the gun. O'Connell said he told the boy to stop playing with the gun and was about to get up to walk out when the boy accidentally fired it. Martinez, he said, ran out of the room and collapsed just outside the bedroom. The 16-year-old was taken to the police station for questioning. He told Detective Mat Steckman he had stolen the gun from another boy four days earlier and was dry firing it while inserting a magazine. He said he didn't think there was a round in the chamber. But when he pulled the trigger, it went off. He told the detective he didn't intend to shoot anyone.
BENTON, LA, 10/11/14: An 8-year-old boy died Saturday afternoon from a single gunshot wound following an accidental discharge of a revolver by his brother at their residence in northern Bossier Parish. Just before 3 PM today, Bossier Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to the residence at the 200 block of Retha Lane off of Old Plain Dealing Road just north of Benton to investigate a shooting incident involving a young boy. The boy, Nathan Majors, was home alone with his 11-year-old brother when the two found a loaded .38 caliber revolver in the house. The older brother accidently discharged the revolver shooting Nathan. He was taken to University Health in Shreveport, where he was pronounced deceased from a single gunshot wound. Bossier Sheriff’s Office deputies have determined the shooting to be accidental, but they will continue with their investigation.
LEEPER, PA, 10/11/14: Authorities in Clarion County say a Leeper man was injured as a result of an accidental shooting last night in Farmington Township. Marienville-based State Police say the incident occurred around 8 PM when a 67-year-old man accidentally shot himself in the left shoulder with a 9mm pistol while attempting to shoo a skunk out of his yard. Police say the man drove himself to Clarion Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. No foul play is suspected.
JACKSONVILLE, NC, 10/11/14: Police say a Jacksonville man is facing charges after his 3-year-old son shot himself in the hand with a gun that was left unsecured. Kenneth Blake Anderson, 22, was arrested Sunday night, according to warrants from the Jacksonville Police Department. The warrants state that Anderson left a loaded .25-caliber semi-automatic pistol unsecured in a tackle box in the sunroom of the suspect's home on Northview Court. Anderson's 3-year-old son was playing in the sunroom when he found the gun, then accidentally shot himself in the hand, police said. A neighbor said the gunshot was heard at about 9 PM Saturday, followed by 20 seconds of the child's screams. A bone in the boy's hand was shattered, according to the warrants. The suspect's wife told NewsChannel 12 the 3-year-old did not lose any fingers. Instead, he was injured in the skin area between the pinky and ring finger, she said. The 3-year-old had surgery at a hospital, police said. Anderson was impaired at the time of the accidental shooting and has taken full responsibility for leaving the gun unsecured, said police. Anderson has been charged with felony child neglect causing serious bodily injury, misdemeanor failure to store a firearm to protect a minor, and misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile, said investigators. His bond was set at $25,000.
WINCHESTER, TN, 10/11/14: What started out as a tragedy when a little girl was accidentally shot by a high-powered rifle in her home Saturday has turned into what doctors and her family can only describe as a miracle. The day started normally for Winchester residents John and Sara Miller and their family. John was showing his two sons how to load a rifle in the basement of the family’s 45 Living Oak Lane residence, located between Winchester and Cowan, when the gun misfired, sending a .233 [sic] caliber bullet through a bedroom wall and an air hockey table before hitting 7-year-old Liberty Miller in the lower stomach. Liberty was immediately rushed to Southern Tennessee Medical Center and then airlifted to Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga in critical condition. She had a hole in her pelvic bone, bladder and intestine. In an emergency surgery, doctors repaired the holes in her bladder and intestine while the hole in the pelvic bone was left to heal on its own.
MOUNT PLEASANT, WI, 10/11/14: A man was taken to the hospital Saturday after reportedly shooting himself in the rear end, according to Mount Pleasant police. Police responded to a call at 6:01 PM in the 6000 block of Deerfield Road on Saturday. A man at one of the houses in the area had holstered his pistol and, upon doing so, a round was discharged into his rear, according to Mount Pleasant Police Sgt. Eric Relich. He was treated at the hospital, Relich said, although he did not know to what hospital the man was transported. His injuries were not considered critical, Relich said. “There was no crime involved with this activity,” Relich said in an email. “This case is being treated as an accident.”
IRVINGTON, NJ, 10/11/14: A 15-month-old girl was killed by a stray bullet that pierced the wall of an Ellis Avenue apartment while she was playing with her parents Saturday, authorities said. The girl’s parents rushed her to Newark Beth Israel Hospital where she was pronounced dead, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray and Irvington Police Director Tracy Bowers said in a statement. Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Chief o