By David Waldman
Tuesday Dec 01, 2015 9:22 PM EST
GunFail
As predicted, the hunting GunFAIL numbers continue to mount. Not that it’s a very difficult thing to predict, of course. All at once, thousands of people with thousands of guns converge on pretty much the same areas, trying to shoot the same things, from different hiding spots. There’s going to be GunFAIL. Two weeks ago, when we first took note of the approaching hunting season, there were five accidents to report. Then seven. This week, it’s up to eight, and the count is still rising, which you’ll see reflected in our next GunFAIL post.
Still, by far the biggest numbers come in from people accidentally shooting themselves, as is the case every week. This time around, self-inflicted gunshot wounds accounted for 23 of the 42 accidents originally listed, with family members and significant others responsible for another four accidents. Twelve kids were accidentally shot, and seven people accidentally fired guns they were cleaning, repairing, or loading/unloading.
There were two startling stories of bystanders accidentally shot during the week, one by a police officer in Washington, DC who was responding to a knife-wielding suspect in a stabbing, which is perhaps understandable, and one by a bail bondsman who decided to try to effect a capture at a McDonald’s drive-through, which is … less understandable. Yeah, you might have forgotten aboutthose “good guys with guns” roaming around: The bail bondsmen!
Also of some note: A Louisiana man insisted on arming himself while doing some household vacuuming. Do I really need to tell you the rest of the story?
Meanwhile, in Tennessee, it looks like all the rules of safe gun handling were broken at an estate sale at which a 62-year-old woman was accidentally shot in the face by one of the employees of the auctioneer running the sale. I’m sure the preference is for guns being offered for sale at auction to be unloaded, but for whatever reason, this one wasn’t. And even though it was correctly identified as such, it ended up getting passed between two people in such a way that the muzzle was pointed at the face of a patron when the employee handling it said it "just went off in my hands." Not good.
Lastly, there’s the incident inspiring this week’s post title. As fond as gun enthusiasts are of comparing guns to cars when it comes to accidents, and as much as I resist the comparison, I don’t think I’d be conceding any ground if I agreed that neither driving nor shooting are things you should intermingle with texting. But maybe that’s just me being a Nanny State-er, again. I would have thought such a rule would and could go without saying. And that may yet be the case, so long as I present this one example to you, and invite you to draw your own conclusions.
So we’ll let things lie there, and move on to presenting today’s full list.
CALVERTON, NY, 11/08/15: A 62-year old man was accidentally shot in the leg on the skeet and trap field at the Peconic River Sportsman’s Club in Calverton this morning, Riverhead Police said. The victim’s friend was cleaning his gun nearby when it discharged and struck him in the leg, according to emergency responders. The man was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital in stable condition. Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps responded to the hunting club on Connecticut Avenue at around 10:20 AM on the report of a gunshot wound. Manorville Fire Department secured the helicopter landing zone. Riverhead Police and a NY State DEC Environmental Conservation officer responded.
HUDSONVILLE, MI, 11/08/15: A Wyoming man suffered injuries in an accidental shooting while visiting a relative in Hudsonville, police say. Sheriff's deputies and medical workers were called at 7:41 PM Sunday, November 8, to Presidential Estates mobile homes, at 2800 New Holland St., to investigate the shooting and injuries involved. Investigators learned the man, who was not immediately identified, had been taking a walk with his girlfriend and had returned to the east entry of Presidential Estates. He was carrying a handgun and knew he needed to dismantle it before traveling anywhere because he did not have a valid concealed pistol license. As he reached down for the gun and was handling it, he accidentally shot himself in the leg, police say. He was treated at Metro Health Hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening.
LITCHFIELD TOWNSHIP, MN, 11/08/15: A 58-year-old man suffered non-life threatening injuries after being shot while hunting in central Minnesota Sunday afternoon, according to the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities received a report of a hunting accident at about 4:44 PM Sunday. The initial information was that a person had been shot in the leg while deer hunting in rural Litchfield Township. Officers responded to the 23200 block of County State Highway 1, and a Life Link Medical Helicopter was called to the scene as well. The man injured in the hunting accident was identified as Dale Verner Fenrich of Litchfield. Authorities say Fenrich is the 2nd District Commissioner of Meeker County. He was airlifted from the scene to Hennepin County Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. Authorities say the incident remains under investigation by the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Wright County Sheriff’s Office, but the shooting appears to be accidental.
HARTLAND, NY, 11/08/15: A 15-year-old was rushed by his mother to Medina Memorial Hospital on Sunday afternoon after he shot himself in the foot while target practicing at his home in the 9400 block of Townline Road. The boy spoke to Niagara County sheriff’s deputies at the hospital and admitted he was “not practicing good gun safety.” He said he was in his yard target practicing at 2:40 PM Sunday. He walked up the target and had the gun pointing at his right foot. He said the gun accidentally discharged and a round from the Remington 870 shotgun hit his foot. Medina Memorial Hospital staff confirmed has been shot in the right foot and the bullet struck between the third and fourth toe. The 15-year-old was transported to Women and Children’s Hospital in Buffalo for further treatment, according to the sheriff department report.
PURCELLVILLE, VA, 11/08/15: A Purcellville man suffered non-life-threatening injuries November 8 after he shot himself in the upper leg while trying to holster the firearm, according to reports from the Purcellville Police Department. The incident happened about 11:30 AM in the 600 block of South Maple Avenue. The man legally owned the firearm and was at his home when the incident occurred.
DETROIT, MI, 11/09/15: A 9-year-old boy accidentally shot himself on Detroit’s west side. It happened around 1:00 PM Monday at a home off Barton Street, near Livernois and Tireman. Neighbors, like Kim who spoke with 7 Action News, are very upset about the situation. "I cried because it's sad, you got a little child that's dead for no reason at all, why? Why wasn't the gun put up,” said Kim, who did not want to use her last name. Detroit Police are investigating. Chief James Craig said the boy, his father and at least one other sibling were at home when the shooting happened. Craig said the gun appears to belong to the father, but it’s still under investigation. Craig does not know how the boy got a hold of the shotgun. "We will conduct an investigation and again our hearts and prayers go out to the family, but in this situation, how does a 9-year-old get possession of a weapon?” said Craig. Police have not commented as to why the boy was not in school, but it’s a question many neighbors are wondering about. "If he would have been in school this wouldn't have happened at all. This would have been another child in school trying to learn something instead of being at home, and he lost his life,” said Kim. Chief Craig said there will be a very thorough investigation and it will be up the Wayne County Prosecutor if any charges are filed.
BALDWIN CITY, KS, 11/09/15: A 36-year-old Overland Park man was hunting Monday morning when his shotgun accidentally discharged and he was struck in the foot, Sgt. Kristen M. Dymacek, spokeswoman for the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, said. The man was bird hunting at Eckman's Hunting Preserve near Baldwin City when the accident occurred. He was taken to Overland Park Regional Medical Center, where he was being treated for nonlife-threatening injuries. No further information was immediately available, Dymacek said.
NEW ORLEANS, LA, 11/09/15: A female victim who had been accidentally shot in the leg came to New Orleans East Hospital at about 9:24 PM Monday, November 9, New Orleans Police Department spokesman Juan Barnes said. The victim arrived by private vehicle and officers are still investigating where she was shot. The injury is not fatal, Barnes said.
FORT CALHOUN, NE, 11/09/15: Clayton Bolen was walking to his deer stand on property south of Fort Calhoun when a bullet whizzed by his head. He immediately took cover. “I heard the gun go off and I heard that bullet coming through the tall grass and then it hit me in the leg,” Bolen said from his hospital room Tuesday. The 45-year-old Fort Calhoun man was shot by a stray bullet when two hunters were sighting a rifle Monday for the upcoming deer rifle season. Washington County sheriff's deputies and the Fort Calhoun Volunteer Fire Department responded to the incident around 4:15 PM. Bolen and a longtime friend were walking to tree stands to bow hunt in the area of 2992 County Road P51. Bolen, who has on the property for more than 15 years, said he was unaware anyone was target shooting nearby. “I heard somebody shooting, but that's kind of normal in the bottoms down there,” he said. “I just thought it was somebody on the bluffs sighting in their gun. I had no idea they were shooting right down where I was going to be sitting.” Bolen was about 200 yards from his tree stand when he was hit. The bullet struck his right leg below the knee, exited at the shin and entered his left leg below the knee. “I knew I was hit because when I heard the gun go off and that bullet come through the grass it hit me and it flipped my legs over,” Bolen said. “It almost tumbled me. It hurt instantly.” Bolen called his friend to tell him what happened. He then called 911. “But when I tried to call 911, it went to Council Bluffs (Iowa) 911 service,” he said. “They said, 'Sorry sir. We can't do anything about it. Can you call back?'” Bolen was in disbelief. He called the property owner, a family friend, who then called 911. The fire department transported Bolen to CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center. He was kept overnight and expected to be released Tuesday. “He's very lucky, extremely lucky,” Sheriff Mike Robinson said. Robinson said two men were sighting a .308-caliber rifle for the rifle season, which starts Saturday. They were shooting at a target mounted on a hollow-core door from a driveway. Bolen was around a half mile away from the men when he was hit. Robinson said the incident can serve as a reminder to those who are target shooting. “They need to make sure the target they are shooting at has a backstop that bullets won't go through,” he said. “Those bullets do travel far.” Bolen agreed. “People really need to pay attention to where those bullets travel,” he said. “They go a long way. I practice to that my kids. I tell that to people all the time. People do need to take note of that. Innocent people could get hurt severely.” The incident remains under investigation.
PITTSBURGH, PA, 11/09/15: A single mother of eight young children was shot to death by an ex-boyfriend during an argument over money for diapers and baby wipes, police said in a criminal complaint. Markese Reese, 20, of Penn Hills, was arrested late Tuesday and jailed without bond on a charge of criminal homicide in the death of 28-year-old Marqua Wilson, of Pittsburgh. Allegheny County court records show Wilson had obtained a protection-from-abuse order against Reese in 2013, identifying him as the father of one of her children and saying he had been physically abusive when they lived together in McKeesport, a Pittsburgh suburb. Reese was charged with violating that order in October 2014 by breaking into her home and throwing things, then stabbing her in the arm with a grill fork when she tried to leave. Online court records show burglary and other charges filed in the 2014 incident were withdrawn, but it wasn't clear why. Courts were closed Wednesday for Veterans Day, and the actual documents could not be accessed. Despite that history, Wilson allowed Reese to visit Sunday night into Monday, when he brought baby supplies and some marijuana to her home, authorities said. The complaint indicates a witness was drinking wine and vodka with Wilson before Reese arrived. Reese and Wilson argued Sunday night when he asked her to reimburse him for the baby supplies, saying the money was supposed to have been spent on marijuana, the complaint said. The adults went to bed at about 2 AM Monday after Wilson agreed to repay Reese, but the argument resumed after they woke up about 10 AM, the complaint said. According to the complaint, Reese choked Wilson, so the witness took Wilson's children downstairs while the argument raged on the second floor. The witness then heard a "loud 'boom'" and Reese ran down the stairs with a bloody shirt and hands, saying he and Wilson had been fighting, the complaint said. When the witness went next door to call 911, Reese ran away, police said. Police tried to track down Reese and even sought to negotiate his surrender over the phone. According to the complaint, Reese told police: "We were struggling over the gun and it accidentally went off and I ran." Wilson died of a gunshot wound to the head, police said. Reese denied killing Wilson as reporters peppered him with questions as he was led from police headquarters Tuesday. "I didn't kill the mother of my child," Reese said. "I loved her." Wilson's family has set up a gofundme.com page to raise money for her funeral expenses. Authorities have said Wilson's children are all younger than 13. Reese faces a preliminary hearing Nov. 20 and doesn't have an attorney listed in online court records.
WINDHAM, CT, 11/10/15: Troopers from the state police are currently investigating an accidental shooting in Windham that occurred on Tuesday evening. According to state police, troopers were sent to a home on Windham Center Road for a reported shooting around 10:15. An investigation by troopers discovered the victim, a 17-year-old, accidentally shot themselves in the head. The teen was taken to the hospital, and was reportedly conscious when troopers arrived. Troopers are currently looking at all aspects of the case, and have been interviewing witnesses as well.
YAKIMA, WA, 11/10/15: A 23-year-old Yakima man who police say accidentally shot himself in the leg during an alleged car burglary in the West Valley area has been ordered held in lieu of $250,000 bail. Bail was set Thursday in Yakima County Superior Court for Daniel Munson, along with Brandon Ervin, 20, also of Yakima, who police say refused to pull over for officers while driving Munson to a local hospital. The incident began in the 1000 block of South 51st Avenue about 3:15 PM Tuesday when a woman reported seeing a man in a neighbor’s vehicle and adjusting something in
his waistband when he got
out. A short time later, the men were spotted at a nearby parked Honda. After being confronted by another woman, they left in opposite directions. While they walked away, a shot rang out and the man identified as Munson started jumping up and down and limped to a Mitsubishi Galant and left with another man, later identified as Ervin, the affidavit said. Police spotted the Galant heading east in the 4200 block of Summitview Avenue, where it led police in a chase reaching speeds of up to 60 mph in residential neighborhoods and running multiple stop signs before pulling into Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, the affidavit said. Police Lt. Chad Stephens earlier said it appeared as though the driver was looking for the hospital. Ervin is being held on suspicion of eluding police, and his bail was also set at $250,000. Munson is being held on suspicion of first-degree unlawful firearms possession and second-degree vehicle prowling. Police said Munson has seven prior felony convictions and nine gross misdemeanors. Among those convictions are two counts of possessing a stolen vehicle and possession of a sawed-off shotgun in 2011, residential burglary in 2008 and taking a motor vehicle without permission in 2007.
STATEN ISLAND, NY, 11/10/15: An NYPD officer accidentally fired an AR-15 rifle inside the 121stPrecinct stationhouse after a weapons bust last week, the Advance has learned. The officer was vouchering the weapon into evidence Tuesday night, a law enforcement source said, when it discharged, firing a shot into the ceiling of the Graniteville stationhouse. The blast sent a spray of concrete into the officer's face, resulting in a trip to the hospital for evaluation, the source said. Any NYPD spokesman confirmed the incident took place but declined comment further, citing an Internal Affairs Bureau investigation. The weapon came from a stash confiscated from the New Springville home of Anthony Romano, 34, the source said. Romano was looking to sell an iPhone on Craigslist, but got into an argument with his would be buyer on Monday night, and displayed what looked like a black assault rifle while the buyer's 13-year-old daughter was present, authorities allege. That led to a call to police, and, a search of Romano's Bridgetown Street home, where over a two-day period, officers found two loaded AR-15 "assault rifles" and several air pistols, imitation rifles, ammunition, knives, and kung fu stars, according to a criminal court complaint.
SULPHUR ROCK, AR, 11/11/15: School officials in Batesville say a junior high student was shot in the leg when a gun accidentally discharged inside of a private vehicle parked at the Sulphur Rock Magnet Elementary campus. Batesville School District Superintendent Gary Anderson says the student was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. The incident occurred Wednesday morning in the campus parking lot where older students board school buses, before the younger students arrived, he said. The school's principal, Stacey Lindsey, says school resource officers responded at the school and Independence County Sheriff's officers responded to a nearby home where the student and another occupant of the car went after the shooting to call 911.
MIDLAND, TX, 11/11/15: A 16-year-old male was transported to Midland Memorial Hospital on Wednesday night with a gunshot wound to the torso after an accidental shooting, according to the city’s spokeswoman. The injury was believed not to be life threatening, Sara Bustilloz said.Midland police were called to a unit at Park Square Apartment Homes, off Neely Avenue, at about 6:30 PM. The incident is under investigation to determine if foul play was involved, Bustilloz said.
KILLEEN, TX, 11/11/15: Killeen Police are investigating an afternoon shooting of a teenager. Officers responded Wednesday afternoon to the 600 block of Bishop Drive after receiving a 911 reporting a shooting. Upon the officers’ arrival, they located a 15-year-old male with a gunshot wound to his chest. The victim was transported to the McLane’s Children’s Hospital in Temple and is in serious condition. The victim was unable to tell the officers where this shooting took place. UPDATE -- Police said Friday their investigation determined the shooting was accidental. According to a press release, a man inside a home on the 600 block of Bishop Dr. was not handling the loaded weapon safely, and accidentally fired it, hitting the 15-year-old in the chest.
JACKSON, GA, 11/11/15: A 2-year-old is dead after an apparent accidental shooting, according to police. Investigators said they were called out to a home on WW Carr Avenue in Jackson for a shots fired call. The mother heard a shot and discovered that one of her 2-year-old twins had been shot. Police said the child was shot near the upper lip with a .45 caliber. Investigators said it appears to be accidental. Jayden Jamar Clay was pronounced dead at the scene by the Butts County coroner, Jackson Police Chief James Morgan said. He was in the living room of the house with his twin when he was shot, Morgan said, while his mother, Choice Clay, was in the kitchen area. It’s believed they were the only three people in the house at the time the shooting occurred. No arrests have been made in the case and investigators are not sure who the gun belonged to at this time. MORE: A 2-year-old child died Wednesday night after accidentally shooting himself in the face. The incident occurred around 6 PM at a home in Jackson, Ga., which is about 50 miles southeast of Atlanta. The mother of the child told police she was putting away groceries when she heard the gun go off. Police said the child was playing with his twin brother in the living room, while their mom was in the kitchen. The toddler found a loaded .45 caliber Ruger pistol and accidentally shot himself.
DELTONA, FL, 11/11/15: A Deltona man shot himself in the hand Wednesday afternoon while working on a pistol, authorities said. The 67-year-old man whose identity was not immediately available, reported he was working on a 9 mm caliber handgun when it accidentally went off striking him the palm of the hand, according to a Sheriff’s Office dispatch log. The man, who said he was alone, was able to unload the gun after shooting himself, rendering it safe before deputies arrived at the home, the dispatch log states.The shooting reported at 1:37 PM occurred at a Bannock Terrace home, authorities said. The victim had the door open for law enforcement and said he felt like he was passing out, dispatchers noted in their log. He was airlifted to a hospital, authorities said.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL, 11/11/15: A takeout order at a St. Petersburg McDonalds turned into a drive-thru shooting. The sound of gun fire echoed through the parking lot of the restaurant on 34th Avenue South Wednesday afternoon. Police said a bail bondsman, who was after a felon, accidentally shot a woman, sending her to the hospital in critical condition. Crime scene investigators were staged in the McDonald's parking lot late into Wednesday night. Police tape blocked off the drive-thru to any customers. "You can not pick the location and time when you are going to do things. I would have picked a better location than this," said Chief Anthony Holloway. St. Pete police say Kyle's Kwik Bail Bonding had been tailing a white car all day. It had three people inside. The bail bondsmen were only after the guy in the back seat, Deveon Stokes. The 26-year-old had a felony warrant for intent to sell cocaine, driving with a license suspended or revoked, failure to appear, and he owed the company more than $20,000. As the car rolled up to the window, Holloway said, "One vehicle came in front of the suspect vehicle, the other vehicle came up on the side of the vehicle." The white car was blocked in. "The driver of the vehicle decided he was going to try to get out of there," Holloway said. "The bail bondsman has his gun in the vehicle. He said it went off as they were trying to pull away." Holloway said the single bullet hit a female passenger in the hand and grazed her head. She was rushed into surgery in critical condition, a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. "She was just the front passenger in the vehicle," Holloway said. According to Holloway, the department has a good working relationship with many local bail bondsmen. As for why this takedown happened the way it did, he has a lot of questions. "They are going to go through the same procedure if you shot off your weapon," Holloway said. "That's why we are interviewing them to see what happened. We are going through the crime scene right now, talking to everyone to see what exactly caused the shooting.” When we stopped by Kyle's Kwik Bail Bonding, they had no comment. No charges have been filed, but that could change. Police have not yet released the victim's name or given an update on her condition. As for Stokes, he was taken into custody. He has a lengthy criminal history in Pinellas County, including arrests for grand theft auto, domestic battery on a pregnant woman, and drug possession.
CHICAGO, IL, 11/12/15: A 10-year-old boy was accidentally shot in the side by his 8-year-old brother Thursday morning in the Brainerd neighborhood on the South Side, according to authorities. The boy was taken by his family to Little Company of Mary Hospital and he was transferred to Advocate Christ Medical Center in guarded condition with a gunshot wound near his left ribs, police said. The shooting happened about 9 AM in the 9000 block of South Bishop Street, authorities said. Police said the shooting appeared to be accidental.
BIRMINGHAM, AL, 11/12/15: Authorities say the 15-year-old victim accidentally shot himself while playing with friends. He is being treated at Children's of Alabama. Birmingham police are investigating a shooting in the Wylam area that sent a teenager to the hospital. Police said a 15-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to the left side of his chest in the 600 block of Cambridge Street. The victim was taken to Children's of Alabama. Their condition is unknown at this time. No arrests have been made.
LINCOLN, NE, 11/12/15: Lincoln Police are investigating an accidental shooting that happened late Thursday evening. The victim told police he found the gun in a bag while walking down an alley near 1st Street and Cornhusker Highway. Authorities say he accidentally shot himself once while examining the gun inside his home. The bullet went through his left hand and left thigh. He was transported to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries. Police say they're still investigating where the gun came from.
FAIRFAX, VA, 11/12/15: A 43-year-old man injured himself while attempting to unload a handgun in the 11200 block of Mobile Drive, Fairfax, on Thursday, Nov. 11, 2015 [sic], according to the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD). He was treated at the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Police are investigating an accidental discharge case. Possible charges are pending, according to FCPD.
OWLS HEAD, NY, 11/12/15: An Owls Head man remained in critical condition today at a Burlington hospital after apparently accidentally shooting himself while reaching for his rifle.Daniel M. Haskell, 56, sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen about 10:40 AM Thursday while starting what investigators believe was a hunting trip on Camp Road off County Route 27 in Owls Head, said State Police Public Affairs Officer Trooper Kyle Otis. Haskell was alone at the time, and Otis said an investigation into all aspects of the incident is continuing. Troopers had arrested Haskell a week ago, charging him with misdemeanor driving while intoxicated following a traffic stop on County Route 27, Otis confirmed. He said the initial investigation into the shooting appears to show that Haskell had stepped out of his truck and was reaching back into his vehicle to retrieve his 20-gauge shotgun when it went off. Neighbors reportedly heard the shot, found Haskell lying on the ground next to his truck, bleeding, and called for help, Otis said. Haskell was first taken to Alice Hyde Medical Center in Malone and then transferred to the University of Vermont Fletcher Allen Health Care Center in Burlington, where he was listed in critical condition this morning, Otis said. He said the Owls Head area is a popular hunting destination, with a lot of open space and seasonal camps and a few clusters of homes.
BRONX, NY, 11/12/15: A Bronx man with a long rap sheet is being sought after he fled with a gun that killed a 16-year-old girl, police sources said. The teen’s girlfriend, who was with victim Zion Willis when the gun went off, told police she saw the teen pick up the weapon with both hands and stare into the barrel when it “accidentally” discharged in her face. But police are not taking the girlfriend’s story as gospel, especially since the gun’s owner, Dale Weston, ran off with the weapon shortly afterward, sources said. Weston, 42, was last seen in his apartment at 306 E. 171st St. at 6:06 PM Thursday — less than 10 minutes before Willis was found dead from a gunshot wound at the same location, sources said. Cops found the Brooklyn girl lying on a bed bleeding from her face and mouth. Her teen friend told investigators that she had been hanging out in the bedroom with Willis when Weston walked in with the gun, sources said. Weston left the gun in the room after his girlfriend called him to dinner. Willis picked up the weapon and accidentally shot herself, her girlfriend told cops. Willis’ girlfriend said she screamed and that Weston left — and the gun was gone, sources said.
NORTH BABYLON, NY, 11/13/15: A North Babylon woman who accidentally shot herself Friday was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Suffolk County police said. The incident in which she "accidentally discharged a gun" while alone in her Greenwood Drive home occurred around 11 AM, police said. She was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip.
GREENWOOD, LA, 11/13/15: A Greenwood man ended up at the hospital after he accidentally shot himself while cleaning house. The man was wearing a small pistol while he vacuumed his home on Blue Nole Road this afternoon when the gun went off. The bullet went through the right side of the man's body. He was taken to University Health for treatment, police said.
ATLANTA, GA, 11/13/15: A suspect who police say was trying to break into employee's personal cars at a local business was shot in the leg on Marietta Road NW Friday morning. Atlanta police responded to the 1600 block of the street to a call of a person shot around 9:30 AM. Four men were were reportedly trying to break into the cars at Clark Truck Repair when the business' employees started chasing them. The suspects jumped a fence and one of them tried to fire a shot at the cars' owners using a gun stolen from one of the cars, but hit one of his accomplices instead. They were jumping up and down on the trucks trying to break into the trucks," said employee Bobby Peek. "We told them to stop. Two of the guys went over the fence and the third guy came, got back in the truck and we opened to door to get him out and he took out the passenger door. As he was going over the fence and we were trying to get him off the fence one of his friends turned and shot him in the leg. The employees were able to catch two of the suspects and held them in zip ties at gunpoint until police arrived. Those suspects are now in police custody. The shooter and another suspect are still on the run. Employees say this is not the first time something like this has happened, and they say their sick of it. "I don't think they intended to encounter what they encountered," said Tyler Waters. "They just came up on the wrong people on the wrong day." Police say the suspects arrived in a Champagne GMC terrain with a stolen plate on it. This car is linked to another crime, but it had a different tag. Police are checking to see if it was stolen.
GREENWOOD, SC, 11/13/15: The Greenwood County Sheriff's Office said a gun was discharged in a store Friday night. Deputies said the gun was accidentally discharged in the men's bathroom of the Walmart store on Highway 72. According to deputies, a man was questioned about the incident and had two guns in his possession, one of which was stolen. The sheriff's office is continuing to investigate the incident.
STOCKTON SPRINGS, ME, 11/13/15: On a day usually associated with bad luck, an 18-year-old Stockton Springs man was taken to the hospital after accidentally shooting himself in the leg. Shortly before 11 AM Friday, Nov. 13, Deputy Darrin Moody of Waldo County Sheriff’s Office went to a residence in Stockton Springs after it was reported that a man shot himself.
OLMSTEAD CO., MN, 11/13/15: A man accidentally shot himself while hunting in Olmsted County Friday, investigators said. The hunter had cocked his .50 caliber muzzleloader to shoot a deer, but then started reading a text message on his phone without decocking his weapon, according to the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office. As he was putting his phone back into his pocket, the gun discharged, hitting the hunter in the foot near his big toe. The man was being treated at Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus Friday evening, said the Sheriff's Office. He is expected to recover.
HOLDINGFORD, MN, 11/14/15: An Avon man is hurt after a hunting accident earlier this (Saturday) afternoon. The incident happened just before 1:00 PM near 14211 County Road 17 in Holdingford Township. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office says a 23-year-old man was hunting in a wooded area and sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his left calf from a .357 revolver. He was taken to St. Cloud Hospital for his injuries.
DETROIT LAKES, MN, 11/14/15: A hunter was seriously injured after his brother-in-law accidentally shot him in the leg on the outskirts of Detroit Lakes over the weekend, according to Detroit Lakes Police Chief Tim Eggebraaten. Donald Dorff, 57, of Moorhead was life flighted out of Detroit Lakes Saturday evening to Hennepin County Medical Center. The call for help came in shortly before 6 PM from hunting property on the southwest side of Long Lake. According to Eggebraaten, Dorff and his brother-in-law, Dennis Mahoney, 69, of Plymouth were attempting to unload a pistol when it malfunctioned. “The two men were looking at it and trying to clear the malfunction, and it discharged at that point,” said Eggebraaten. “The officers that responded and talked to the victim and the other gentleman (Mahoney), determined that there were no arguments or anything to indicate there was anything intentional at all.” Eggebraaten says the bullet went through Dorff’s leg and out the other side. “It looks like it did hit the artery, but he was conscious and alert and answering questions,” said Eggebraaten.
SUMMIT TOWNSHIP, MI, 11/14/15: A man accidentally shot himself in the leg while cleaning his gun Saturday on Horton Road in Summit Township, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office reported. The man took himself to Allegiance Health and the hospital notified authorities before 6 PM Nov. 14, Sgt. Lee Rose said. Rose said the shooting actually took place several hours earlier. A bullet hit the man in his knee; his injuries were not considered major or life-threatening.
WASHINGTON, DC, 11/14/15: A stabbing suspect and a woman have been shot by an off-duty police officer at Union Station in Washington, D.C., briefly causing fears of an active shooter, but authorities say the situation is under control. The incident happened just after 8:15 PM ET on Saturday on the escalators at Union Station, where a stabbing took place. The suspect, who was carrying a knife, was shot by an off-duty police officer and taken into custody, according to Metro Transit Police. A woman who was nearby, but not involved, was accidentally shot in the leg. The shooting briefly sparked fears of an active shooter, but the Metropolitan Police Department emphasized that there was no active shooter or terrorism incident. "Again, the situation is under control, a suspect is in custody regarding a stabbing," MPD said in a message on its Twitter account. The conditions of the stabbing victim and suspect were not immediately known, but the woman was said to be in a stable condition. Union Station's First Street entrance is closed due to the incident, but the Mass Ave entrance remains open. Bus service has been canceled.
STERLING, VA, 11/14/15: A Sterling man was charged Saturday with reckless handling of a firearm after it unintentionally discharged while he was cleaning it. The round went through a shared wall and entered a neighbor’s home in the 46300 block Monocacy Drive, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office.
No one was injured.
FALL BRANCH, TN, 11/14/15: A Hawkins County woman was shot in the face Saturday morning in what Greene County Sheriff Pat Hankins called a "freak accident." Julia Belle, 63, of Church Hill, was struck by a bullet from a .22-caliber rifle during an estate auction being held at 16675 Kingsport Highway near Fall Branch, according to officials with the Greene County Sheriff's Department. Belle was airlifted from the scene and transported to Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport. "It was just one of those very freak accidents that occurred," Hankins said Sunday morning. According to a report from Greene County Sheriff's Department Deputy John Stills, authorities were called to the Kingsport Highway address a little past 10 AM in reference to a shooting. Upon arrival, Stills wrote that he learned Brian Ward, 49, of Fodderstack Mountain Loop, Greeneville, was handling the firearm when it discharged. In his statement to authorities, Ward said an unidentified man handed him the gun and informed him that there were bullets in it. Ward said he had been informed that all the guns up for sale had been inspected and that none had ammunition in them. Ward said in his statement that the rifle "just went off in my hands." He told officers that he did not pull the trigger and does not know how the gun fired. "I thought someone lit a firecracker off," Ward wrote. "It seemed as soon as the gun touched my arm it went off." Still's report states the estate auction was being conducted by Slater Auction Company, which "did have Ward as an employee." A bullet struck Belle in the face. Hankins said Sunday morning that at last check, Belle, who had some of her teeth knocked out, was recovering. "The last report I had she was talking and doing OK," Hankins said. A statement was also taken from Tim Fugate, 57, a witness at the scene. Fugate said the gun had been cleared, as four rounds were ejected before the firearm's trigger was tied back. Fugate said the gun discharged after it was handed to Ward and, after the gun went off, he took it behind the home where the auction was being held. There, Fugate said he removed four more rounds lodged in the gun's tube. "A friend was standing with me when I took the last four rounds out," Fugate wrote. "It was a accident." Hankins said Sunday morning that he is not sure at this time if charges will be filed in the incident. He said the mater is still under investigation and information will be presented to the district attorney's office. "I don't foresee any charges, but I don't know all the details," Hankins said, "but I don't foresee any."Wellmont Health System Media Relations Manager Jim Wozniak said this morning that Belle remained in fair condition at Holston Valley Medical Center.
GROVE, OK, 11/14/15: A teenage girl is recovering in a hospital after she was shot by a 7-year-old boy playing "deer hunter" on Saturday, according to the Delaware County Sheriff's Office.Deputies were alerted to a shooting at a residence on East 310 Road near South 685 Road about 7:30 PM and found a 14-year-old girl wounded in the upper back. The shooter, who was visiting the family living at the home, had taken a .22-caliber rifle from a bedroom and said he was going to play "deer hunter," the Sheriff's Office reported. While playing, the gun accidentally discharged, striking the victim, according to a new release. The girl was taken to a hospital in Joplin, Missouri, and late Saturday underwent successful surgery, Capt. Gayle Wells said. "She is conscious, alert and doing well," he said. Adults were at home at the time of the shooting, the news release said. No charges were expected to be filed, the release said.
SEVIER CO., AR, 11/14/15: A 16-year-old boy died after he was accidentally shot by his 12-year-old brother Saturday in Sevier County, authorities said Monday. About noon Saturday, the two boys were shooting at crows near the Cossatot River, northwest of Lockesburg, when the younger brother accidentally shot his older sibling, Sevier County deputy Brian Hankins said. The teen was airlifted to Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock where he died, Hankins said. Hankins said the shooting was "clearly an accident" and that the investigation is closed. No criminal charges have been filed. The DeQueen superintendent's office said the 16-year-old boy was a DeQueen High School student.
JOHNSTOWN, PA, 11/14/15: There was another shooting in Johnstown early Saturday morning and this one happened in the Hornerstown neighborhood. The Johnstown Police Detectives say that the shooting is "not" connected to the one in Franklin Borough. They say that one person shot himself in the leg outside the Elk's Club on Horners Street. The Police are saying that man is Rudolph Davis. They also say they arrested him because when they searched the apartment he was living in they found heroin, a gun, and cash. The Police say that apartment was Davis' cousin's, Tresean Wiggins, who the Police say admitted the heroin belonged to him and that he was selling it. Both men remain in the Cambria County Jail on one hundred thousand dollars bond.
YANKTON, SD, 11/14/15: A Yankton man who died while hunting on the Yankton Sioux Reservation is believed to have accidentally shot himself. Yankton Sioux Law Enforcement Police Chief Chris Saunsoci says the 54-year-old man was found unresponsive behind his truck Saturday morning by other hunters passing through. Those hunters attempted first aid but were unsuccessful, and the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Saunsoci says authorities believe the man accidentally fired his gun, and his death does not appear to be suspicious. He was not immediately identified.
SALINE CO., MO, 11/14/15: On Saturday, Nov. 14, at approximately 12:43 PM, a Saline County Sheriff's deputy driving on Route 20 noticed a vehicle flashing its headlights behind him. After pulling to the side of the road, the driver of the approached the deputy and asked for directions to the nearest hospital. The deputy inquired as to the situation, and the subject informed him that his friend in the passenger seat of the vehicle had shot his right pinky finger off with a gun. The deputy met the two subjects at Fitzgibbon Hospital and spoke with each of them. Both men said they were loading up firewood on a four wheeler when the friend went to get a ratchet strap from the front of the vehicle. The man had to move the gun in order to reach the strap. The gun went off, shooting off most of the man's pinky finger. The deputies investigation determined it to be an accidental shooting.