Free idea: Gun range targets shaped like your own leg. GunFAIL CLXXVI
By David Waldman
Saturday Feb 27, 2016 · 9:33 PM EST
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The most popular thing to do by accident with your gun remains shooting yourself with it. By far. Another 21 people did it in the week of January 10th. Second-most popular: shooting kids. Eleven were accidentally shot that week. And 10 people were accidentally shot to death. Nine were accidentally shot by family members or significant others.
In other words: a routine week. Happens all the time.
Among the usual terrible tragedies of any given week, of course, are the terrible ironies. Like the man who accidentally shot himself during his gun training course. At Epping, New Hampshire’s Sig Sauer Academy, no less. There were also a few incidents that were otherwise routine, but the reports of which included some bizarre spin, as if those involved already knew they’d need to defend their gun passion in the face of facts that made them look, at minimum, pretty foolish. In Orchard Park, New York, where a man accidentally shot his four-year-old niece, officials apparently felt it was important to point out how unlikely the wounding was, since the girl was “nowhere near” the gun when it went off. But hey, that’s guns for you. They wound and kill at a distance. Which is why people buy them.
Then there was the accidental shooting at a gun range in Colorado Springs (quickly becoming the GunFAIL capital of America), after which the range owner felt compelled to remark to the press, "I wish we as a society could stop all accidents from happening, not just accidental discharges of a firearm." A beautiful sentiment, to be sure. But then, you don’t own an “all things range,” do you? It’s a gun range. You might as well own up to the fact that if there’s going to be an accident there, it’s going to be a firearms accident. And the sooner, the better. Nothing personal. It’s just (your) business.
Finally, I’ll note that this week’s compilation includes three incidents that made regional and national headlines at the time. You’ll likely recognize them when you see them: the 3-year-old who found his father’s gun behind the counter at his convenience store, the 12-year-old girl accidentally shot and killed when her father initiated an armed standoff with a Pennsylvania constable serving an eviction notice, and the Cincinnati father who killed his 14-year-old son when he mistook him for an intruder.
The week’s full accounting appears below the fold.
LUMBERTON, NC, 1/10/16: A 3-year-old died Sunday after accidentally shooting himself at a store in Lumberton, police said. Officers responded to the 2200 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at about 11 AM Sunday after receiving a report about an accidental shooting. The 3-year-old was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Authorities said the boy's father, 56-year-old Manal Abdelaziz, is the owner and manager of the store. The handgun had been stored behind the counter in the business, police said. The Robeson County District Attorney's Office is reviewing the incident to determine if charges will be filed.
WILMINGTON, NC, 1/10/16: Police are releasing new details about an incident Sunday night a Wilmington business. Wilmington Police responded to the Sam Food Mart on Princess Place Drive around 8:30 PM. They said William Mason II, 25, was shot in the face, and another man, Travis Crews, 36, was shot in the pelvis. Police said the shooting started as a domestic dispute between Crews and a woman in the business. They said as the woman left, Crews went after her and shot at a vehicle with Mason inside. Police said Crews then shot himself in the hip. The conditions of the men are not known at this time. Charges are pending against Crews. There’s no word on any connection between the woman and the two men.
ORCHARD PARK, NY, 1/10/16: An investigation is underway in Orchard Park after police said a man accidentally shot his four-year-old niece. Police said the girl was shot in the torso at a home on Sandpiper Court Sunday afternoon. She is in stable condition at Women and Children's hospital and could be released as early as Monday. There's no word yet if her uncle will face any charges. MORE: No one will be criminally charged in the accidental discharge of a gun in an Orchard Park home last Sunday that injured a four year-old girl. The girl’s uncle who has a gun permit was handling the gun at the time. The gun discharged and the bullet hit a kitchen counter and shattered. A fragment made a 90 degree turn and hit the girl who was nowhere near the gun, officials said. The girl has been released from the hospital and is recovering from injuries to her stomach. Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Flaherty Thursday said his office agreed with the Orchard Park Police that the incident was an accident and no one would be criminally charged. His deputies considered reckless endangerment and negligence charges. Flaherty said police interviewed everyone who was in the house on Sandpiper Court. “What happened is the gun accidentally discharged striking a counter shattering and one of the fragments hit the child. She’s been treated and as I understand it is recovering nicely. So Orchard Park police have determined there would be no charges filed because this was simply that, an accident,” Flaherty said. The incident was reported on Jan. 10 at 4:45 PM. Police have not released the address or the names of anyone involved.
NEW HAVEN, CT, 1/10/16: A New Haven man will face gun charges after police say he accidentally shot himself in the leg. New Haven police say 23-year-old Cameron Wright originally told officers he'd been shot at a bodega while trying to buy drugs. Police responded Sunday evening to Yale-New Haven Hospital after Wright was admitted for a gunshot wound. He told police he thought he'd heard fireworks and later realized he'd been shot. Witnesses told officers they hadn't heard any gunshots. Police say Wright eventually told them a gun in his pocket had gone off. Wright told police a friend disposed of the gun. Detectives haven't recovered it. Police say Wright will face charges of carrying a pistol without a permit, unlawful discharge of a firearm and reckless endangerment in the first degree.
MEDFORD, OR, 1/10/16: A man is recovering from a gunshot wound after being shot accidentally Sunday afternoon. Medford Police say the 30-year-old victim was sitting in a truck drinking on the 300 block of Chestnut Avenue when 24-year-old Daniel Delgado decided to show the victim his new 9 millimeter handgun. Both subjects were intoxicated when police say Delgado shot the gun through the roof of the truck and then struck the victim in the leg. The victim was treated and released from the hospital. Delgado is charged with assault and recklessly endangering another.
MARYSFIELD, OH, 1/10/16: A 26-year-old man was taken to Memorial Hospital after an accidental shooting. According to a report from the Union County Sheriff's Office, deputies and units from the Marysville and Union Township fire departments went to a residence on Greenfield Drive in Milford Center at 4:35 PM Jan. 10 for a person who had been accidentally shot in the leg. The man had an apparent minor injury, reports said.
BARDSTOWN, KY, 1/11/16: A man cleaning a 9mm handgun was injured early Monday morning when the gun accidentally discharged. Bardstown Police, Bardstown Fire and Nelson County EMS responded to the 200 block of Guthrie Drive for the accidental shooting at about 2:30 AM. EMS transported the victim, described as a 53-old-man with a lower leg wound, to Flaget Memorial Hospital for evaluation and treatment of his injury.
SILVER SPRINGS SHORES, FL, 1/11/16: The Marion County Sheriff’s Office investigated a case of possible squatters and an accidental shooting Sunday, both tied to the same address in a residential neighborhood just north of Belleview. According to first MCSO report, filed at 7:51 PM Sunday, a deputy responded to a home in the 100 block of Oak Circle due to reports of suspicious activity and an anonymous caller who claimed “squatters” were staying in the house. The report, which is heavily redacted, indicated the person or persons at the home said they had been there three weeks and remarks were made about “renting.” A check indicated the house was owned by someone who lives out of state and the deputy would follow up to get a “letter of authorization” from the homeowner, according to the report. No arrests are indicated in the report. In a report filed at 3:45 AM Monday, MCSO deputy detailed an “accidental shooting” at the same address. The report indicates that sometime between 12:01 AM and the time of the report, two men were in the garage moving items around when one picked up an “older rusted rifle and chambered in .22 caliber which was missing the butt stock” and handed it to another man. The gun discharged and hit the man in the “right leg above the knee cap” and he was taken by an individual to a hospital in The Villages, that report states. No arrests were noted in the report.
OCALA, FL, 1/11/16: The son of an elderly woman hospitalized earlier this week after she was shot in the abdomen wants to set the record straight: He was the one that shot his mother, not his father. And, he says, it was an accident. Gerald Nativo told a Star-Banner reporter by phone that he had the weapon, a 9 mm handgun, in his hand. The 57-year-old said he racked the firearm and as soon as the slide went forward, it went off. Nativo said when the gun fired, he was “shell shocked,” because he didn’t realize there was a magazine in the gun. “Every time I think about it, I want to throw up,” Nativo said. Nativo said he has notified the Marion County Sheriff’s Office telling them that he was the one that shot his mother, not his father. MCSO officials confirmed that Nativo has contacted them and told them that, but because it’s an ongoing investigation, wouldn't comment further. According to a Marion County Sheriff’s Office report, when deputies arrived at the southeast Ocala residence they were told 75-year-old Patricia Nativo had been accidentally shot by her husband, Jerry Nativo, 80, in the abdomen. She was taken to Ocala Regional Medical Center. Authorities recovered the 9 mm firearm, a magazine containing three rounds and a single 9 mm round a deputy was told was in the weapon. A deputy first talked with a woman who said she did not witness the incident. The same deputy then talked with Gerald Nativo who said while his father was sitting at the kitchen table across from his wife and in possession of the firearm, he was trying to move the firearm’s slide when the firearm went off in wife's direction. The son said the shooting was an accident and his father did not have his finger on the trigger. The deputy said he also talked with Mr. Nativo — the report did not say whether it was the father or son — who said the shooting was an accident. The deputy said the man told him he held the firearm and moved the slide. The slide slipped out of his hand and the firearm discharged. Continuing his interview with the paper, Nativo said “I really feel bad,” and that he “should’ve known better,” meaning he should’ve checked to see if the weapon was cleared and safe. Nativo said his parents bought the gun for protection. “It’s an accident,” he said. Nativo said his mother is doing “fine” and didn't need surgery.
DUNCANNON, PA, 1/11/16: Police have identified a 12-year-old girl as the victim of a fatal shooting during an apartment eviction Monday morning. Ciara Meyer was standing directly behind her father, 57-year-old Donald B. Meyer, when a constable shot Mr. Meyer in the arm, state police in Newport said Tuesday. The bullet passed through Donald Meyer’s left upper arm and struck his daughter. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Pennsylvania State Constable Clarke Steele was at the Pfautz Apartments on Rebecca Drive in Penn Township with an eviction order for Meyer and his family. Police said Meyer opened the door and shut it. He then reopened the door and exchanged words with the constable before leveling a loaded .223 caliber rifle that had been slung and concealed along his body, police said. With the rifle pointed directly at his chest, police said Steele, who was in uniform, unholstered his .40 caliber duty handgun and fired the single and fatal shot. Police said employees of the apartment complex were on scene for the eviction and witnessed the incident. Donald Meyer was flown to Penn State Hershey Medical Center. Police said his gun had a round in the chamber and a magazine with 30 rounds. He has been charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, terroristic threats, and reckless endangerment. Meyer was arraigned before District Judge Daniel McGuire by video. He is expected to be released from the hospital later today and tomorrow. Once he’s released, court papers show he’ll be held in Perry County Prison without bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled Jan. 15. Ciara Meyer’s uncle told ABC 27 News his niece was a student at Susquenita Middle School. He called her a “wonderful girl, full of life.” A neighbor told us her daughter and Ciara had played together. “Very kind, sweet kid,” she said. “Here’s a little girl that doesn’t even have a chance to grow up and live her life, and all because of this senseless act. It’s horrible, absolutely heartbreaking.” In a statement on the district’s website, Susquenita administrators said they’re working to address potential impacts of the incident on staff and students. Perry County Coroner Mike Shalonis said an autopsy is scheduled Wednesday.
MURFREESBORO, TN, 1/11/16: A Murfreesboro man accidentally shot himself in the foot after 6 PM Monday, according to the Murfreesboro Police Department police report provided to The Daily News Journal. Tytrone Tipton of Covington was at his girlfriend’s house on Hazelwood Street whe the incident occurred, the report stated. He told Murfreesboro Police Officer Derrick Bush he was getting ready to go pick up his girlfriend, and when he went to pick up the gun, it slipped out of his hand and he grabbed at it as it was falling. Tipton reported that when Covington grabbed the gun, it went off, and he shot himself in the foot.
SUTTONS BAY, MI, 1/11/16: Jaquan White hailed from Muskegon, but put down roots in northern Michigan. White, 25, of Fife Lake, married Heather White two months ago on the shore of Grand Traverse Bay. He still returned to his hometown church — Fountain of Love — on Sundays to play drums, but he mostly stayed north with Heather and their children. But a Monday shooting incident in a Suttons Bay village home cut short Jaquan White's life. Court documents added more details about what led to the event which is the subject of an investigation by Leelanau County sheriff's deputies. They state a child in the First Street home "bumped into" a gun White owned and caused it to fire a bullet struck him in the head. Sheriff Mike Borkovich said investigators aren't ruling out homicide, but evidence strongly points toward an accident. “The investigation is focused on the fact it discharged accidentally," he said. "There’s no reason to believe otherwise." Jaquan White's uncle, Steve White, — a detective with the Muskegon Heights Police Department — called him a caring, mathematically-gifted person, who he long hoped would find a career to match his talents. "He loved his family" Steve White said. "He had a spirit. If he believed in something, he would continue pursuing it." No criminal charges have been filed in the days following the incident, but it did cause repercussions for a woman, 31, who lived in the home. Authorities took the woman's children — ages 4, 6, and 8 — into state custody based on a petition filed with the 13th Circuit Court's family division. It states Children's Protective Services workers received a complaint Monday about the woman, who told a CPS worker she ran errands with White that day and returned home before her children were let out of school. White then took one child to a store with him to buy alcohol and energy drinks. It's after they ate dinner that the woman answered a phone and went into a bathroom. She heard the gun fire in a nearby bedroom, where White was with two children, the documents state. The woman told investigators her son "accidentally bumped" into an AK-47 in her bedroom, causing it to fire. "The bullet went through Jaquan White's hand and into his head, killing him," documents state.Authorities later found marijuana and cocaine on White's body. The court documents state the woman took a breath test two hours after the incident that showed her blood-alcohol content was 0.113 percent. Borkovich said he hopes toxicology results from an autopsy on White will arrive within 10 days.“Reasonably, there’s alcohol and if there’s drugs on his person it might be in his body,” he said. “It might explain why the careless use of a firearm." The gun — a short-barreled AK-47 — is classified as a pistol under Michigan law. White had a concealed pistol permit which allowed him to carry the weapon. Borkovich said state police crime lab technicians will measure how much pressure was needed to pull the trigger, whether it had any defects, and will examine fingerprints to see who last held the gun. He said it appears “multiple” safe firearm handling rules were broken. He said an unsecured, loaded gun has no business in home with children, or with alcohol and drugs. Heather White said investigators' description doesn't sound like her husband and left her with questions about what exactly happened. She said the couple recently experienced problems in their marriage over his drug use, but she didn't want that to define him. Instead, she remembered how Jaquan White — who had a son — accepted her three children as his own. He attended their sporting events and, beyond that, added northern Michigan activities like skiing and snowmobiling to his hobbies. He spoke about going to college to become an accountant. "Jaquan was happy, always happy," she said.
AMARILLO, TX, 1/11/16: An Amarillo man was arrested Monday after he accidently shot himself in the ankle during a domestic dispute, police said in a news release issued Tuesday. About 10:50 AM, officers were called to an argument between a man and a woman in the 1200 block of North Woodland Street. The dispute became serious when the man went into his pickup, got a handgun, and fired shots into the ground, police said. Either a bullet or a fragment of one struck the man in the left ankle and he fled the scene. Witnesses told officers the man left in a dark blue pickup. Later, about 4:30 PM, officers stopped a pickup matching that description and found Mack Anthony Black, 42, inside, bleeding from his leg. He was taken to a local hospital by ambulance where officers discovered Black was wanted on a parole revocation warrant that originally stemmed from a charge of burglary. After receiving medical treatment, Black was booked into Potter County jail for the parole warrant and the additional charge of discharging a firearm inside a city with a population over 100,000 people, a Class A misdemeanor. The punishment can carry up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.
SAN LEANDRO, CA, 1/11/16: San Leandro police said this week they have recovered three loaded firearms since last weekend, including one that someone used to accidentally shoot himself. The second incident occurred at 1:15 AM Monday when officers responded to reports of a man being treated at San Leandro Hospital for a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his leg. The man told police that he had recently been to a gun range and forgot that he left his loaded pistol in his car. Police said when the man retrieved his gun from its storage case, it fell and accidentally fired, striking him in the leg. The man was cooperative in the investigation and police determined the shooting was accidental and not criminal in nature. No charges will be sought against the man, who is recovering from his wound.
ROTHSCHILD, WI, 1/11/16: On Jan. 11, a 29-year-old man reported he accidentally discharged a firearm, and the bullet struck him in the upper leg at his home in the 600 block of Katherine Street.
SPRINGFIELD, GA, 1/11/16: A resident of Rogers Drive in the Springfield area said he was cleaning a .40-caliber handgun when the gun accidentally discharged, going through the wall of his house and hitting a neighbor’s house, stopping in a closet. The bullet went through mirrors in both houses.
COLUMBUS, OH, 1/11/16: Columbus Police said they are searching for a man accused of accidentally shooting a woman Jan. 11 in the 5600 block of Buena Vista Road. Roderick Moore of Columbus, the suspected shooter, is wanted on warrants for reckless conduct and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to police. Officers said they were called to the woman's residence Jan. 11 around 5:24 PM after the woman reported being shot in her bedroom by an unknown home invader who fled with property he stole from her vehicle. She was transported to Columbus Midtown Medical Center to be treated for a gunshot to the stomach but has since been released, Columbus Police Maj. Slouchick said. Further into the investigation, the woman told police that a guy she was dating was "messing" with his gun when he accidentally shot her in the stomach, according to police. No further details about the events that led up to the shooting are available at this time.
CINCINNATI, OH, 1/12/16: A father accidentally shot and killed his own 14-year-old son, thinking he was an intruder, Cincinnati police said early Tuesday. The teen died shortly after he was taken to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in "extreme critical condition," they said. Hamilton County coroner's officials identified the boy as Georta Mack. Officers responded to the 1200 block of Blanchard Avenue off Glenway Avenue about 6:30 AM. They said the son told his father he was going to school and walked down the street to catch a bus on Glenway Avenue. But he decided to skip class and sneaked back into the basement, where he planned to hide until his father went to work. His dad thought he was an intruder, got up out of bed, and went downstairs, according to police. The teen startled with his father, who had a gun in his hand and shot him in the neck, they said. The father immediately called 911 after the tragic accident, according to investigators. He is now undergoing police questioning. Investigators have said they believe the shooting was accidental.
CINCINNATI, OH, 1/12/16: Cincinnati police said an 18-year-old accidentally shot himself and intentionally shot two others in a drug deal gone wrong in West End on Tuesday night. Police said Antwan Johnson, 18, attempted to sell marijuana to two men at his home in the 800 block of Poplar Street and shot them. One man was found in the street with several gunshot wounds to the stomach and back just after 8 PM. He underwent surgery at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center overnight but remains in critical condition, police said. The second victim got to the hospital himself. He was treated and released. Johnson also arrived at the hospital later in the night with a gunshot wound to his wrist. Police said he accidentally shot himself as he was shooting at the two men. Johnson is accused of drug trafficking and two counts of felonious assault. He is scheduled to appear in court Monday.
SCIOTO TOWNSHIP, OH, 1/12/16: The Jackson County Sheriff's Office said it is investigating a shooting death after a man said he accidentally shot his friend. Investigators said Rowdy White, 22, of Scioto Township died Tuesday. The sheriff's office said the shooting happened about 8 AM in the 770 block of Spangenburg Road in the Scioto Township. Investigators said a 23-year-old man said he accidentally shot his friend in the chest. White was taken to Holzier Hospital where he was pronounced dead about 9 AM, investigators said. The sheriff's office said the case will be presented to the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office and then to a grand jury to determine if any charges will be filed. Investigators said both men were prison guards at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville.
DOVER, DE, 1/12/16: Police say a gun was fired in the restroom of a middle school in Delaware but no one was injured. Two male students, ages 12 and 13, are in custody. A police news release says officers were called to Central Middle School in Dover about 12:15 PM Tuesday after staff heard a gunshot in a boys restroom. Officers say officials reviewed video footage and identified a 13-year-old student as the only person in the restroom. Police took the boy into custody and found a Smith and Wesson .380-caliber handgun in another restroom. Investigators say the boy took the gun from a 12-year-old's locker. Police say the 12-year-old admitted to stealing his father's gun and bringing it to school. Police say both boys will be charged with weapons offenses.
BLACK CANYON CITY, AZ, 1/12/16: Yavapai County Sheriff's detectives have arrested a 47-year-old man in connection with a homicide in Black Canyon City, Ariz., ABC 15 reported. According to police, the man, Wayde Chaulklin, accidentally shot his girlfriend, Janine Appleford, on Tuesday morning. Chaulklin told detectives part of a rifle he was carrying hit the corner of a table and "went off." After Chaulklin saw Appleford fall to the floor, he covered her in a blanket. However, police said he never made an effort to contact 911. He later mentioned the incident to a neighbor who then called police. When deputies arrived, they said it was clear that Appleford had been dead for several hours. When questioned by police, Chaulklin remained adament that the shooting was an accident. Chaulklin was in possession of methamphetamine at the time of arrest, police said. He was booked into the Camp Verde Detention Center on Wednesday morning for one count of second degree murder.
SCHOOLCRAFT, MI, 1/13/16: A 22-year-old Constantine man who accidentally shot himself in the leg in a business parking lot Wednesday may have more than a gunshot wound to worry about. Because the accident happened inside the man's vehicle, the handgun is considered a concealed weapon, Schoolcraft police chief Bryan Campbell said. The man is not licensed to carry a concealed weapon, he said. "We will forward our findings to the prosecutor's office," Campbell said, including information about the gun's registration, which has not yet been determined. Campbell said the man called 911 at 6:44 PM Jan. 13 advising he had shot himself in the thigh while dissembling his gun in his vehicle in a parking lot in the 700 block of N. Grand Street. The victim was transported to Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo with non life threatening injuries.
BENTON, AR, 1/13/16: An 18-year-old student has been treated and released from the hospital after he was accidentally shot outside a Ouachita County high school Wednesday, authorities said. Ouachita County Sheriff David Norwood said it happened around 3 PM at Harmony Grove High School after the teen and a 17-year-old friend were dropped back off at the school. They had been attending a vocational tech program off-campus and returned by bus shortly before school dismissed for the day. Norwood said the older student had forgotten he had a pistol in his vehicle. The sheriff said the younger student found it and was "messing with it" when it went off, shot through the driver-side seat and struck the 18-year-old in the back. "It was nothing intentional, just friends and a little bit of stupidity mixed in," Norwood said. He said the bullet struck only "fatty tissue" and the student's injury didn't require surgery. The 17-year-old appeared in front of a juvenile magistrate Wednesday night, though Norwood said he could not discuss what, if any charges, that teen could face. The investigation was continuing, and the 18-year-old could face a charge of possessing a firearm on school property, Norwood added.
EPPING, NH, 1/13/16: A civilian student suffered an accidental gunshot wound to the leg during firearms training at Sig Sauer Academy Wednesday night, police said. Police Chief Michael Wallace said police were called to the facility on Route 27 around 7:15 PM after the student accidentally shot himself in the leg. Wallace described the injury as a superficial wound, but the student was transported to Exeter Hospital by Epping Ambulance. “Right now, we're trying to figure out how it occurred,” Wallace said. Wallace said no foul play was involved and that academy staff followed protocol after the incident and immediately contacted police and emergency personnel. Sig Sauer Academy provides firearms and tactics training and is often used by law enforcement and military personnel.
BRATTLEBORO, VT, 1/13/16: A Brattleboro man faces a reckless endangerment charge after he allegedly shot a handgun accidentally into a bathroom mirror at a residence on Western Avenue. Clinton Dejean, 36, was arrested by Brattleboro police Wednesday after police received a report of a firearm being fired, according to a news release from the department. Police believe that Dejean inadvertently shot a handgun into a bathroom mirror, and that the bullet crossed through an interior hallway before entering a neighboring apartment inside the building, the release said. The second apartment was occupied but no one was injured in the incident, according to police. Dejean will appear in the Windham Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Brattleboro Tuesday to answer to the charge, according to the release.
PORT GIBSON, MS, 1/13/16: A mom accidentally shot her daughter Wednesday night in Port Gibson. According to Chief Calvin Jackson, they went to the scene on Brady Avenue around 5 PM 48-year-old Dorine Truitt and her 46-year-old boyfriend, Tyrone McDonald got into a fight, police said. Truitt allegedly grabbed the gun and tried to shoot him, but the bullet went through the wall and hit her 13-year-old daughter. The bullet struck the teen in the shoulder. Truitt was arrested for aggravated assault, discharging a firearm within city limits, and domestic violence. McDonald was arrested for domestic violence. The 13-year-old was taken to the hospital and had surgery. She is scheduled to have another surgery at the end of the week.
ARCATA, CA, 1/13/16: A Humboldt State University police officer suffered minor injuries following the accidental discharge of a firearm this afternoon. The incident took place near the corner of Harpst and Rossow streets. A call came over the scanner shortly after 1:35 PM calling for an ambulance to respond to 1 Harpst Street on the HSU campus. University spokesman Jarad Petroske could only confirm a few details. “A firearm was accidentally discharged and a UPD officer suffered very minor injuries. We’ll have an official statement shortly,” he wrote in an email. UPDATE, 2:22 p.m.: Here’s the follow-up statement from HSU: At about 1:30 PM, Wednesday, Jan. 13, an officer in the University Police Department suffered minor injuries when his firearm was accidentally discharged. The officer was treated for injuries to his hand. There were no other injuries or damage related to this incident.
JERSEY CITY, NJ, 1/13/16: A Jersey City man shot two people and also shot himself in the leg during a large street fight on Wilkinson Avenue last night, Jersey City police said this afternoon. Saleem Sims, 34, who fled after the 8 PM shootings and drove himself to the Jersey City Medical Center-Barnabas Health, was charged at the hospital with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and multiple weapons possession offenses, Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said. According to the criminal complaint, Sims fired into a crowd of people who were attacking him and struck one man in the chest and another man in the right leg. The two victims, a 23-year-old Stegman Parkway man and a 23-year-old Van Nostrand Avenue man, also fled and were transported in a private vehicle to the JCMC, where they were treated for non-life threatening injuries, Morrill said. Sims appeared in Central Judicial Processing court this afternoon in a hospital gown and it was revealed that he has three prior arrests, one disorderly persons conviction and and criminal conviction for unlawful possession of a handgun.
HARRIS CO., TX, 1/13/16: A woman in Harris County, Texas, used the Find My iPhone app to track down her missing husband on Thursday, leading her right to his dead body. Carla Melendez says she grew concerned for her husband, 23-year-old Ramiro Acosta, and tried to use the app to find out where he was. The app uses GPS to plot where a phone is at any given moment, and Melendez says the dot indicated her husband's phone stopped moving early Thursday morning about 30 minutes from home. Following his death, Melendez reportedly told police that her husband was with friends Wednesday night to do a 'lick' - a robbery for drugs. Melendez initially didn't know what happened during the drug deal. Investigators tracked down Acosta's friends and discovered that he was actually shot by accident. Friend Tristain J Porter was arrested and charged with murder in his friend's death. He reportedly told police that they were planning to rob a drug dealer, but that a scuffle broke out and he accidentally shot his friend. It's unclear who dumped the body on the side of the road.
NEW ORLEANS, LA, 1/13/16: Police call him a street gang member and named him in the investigation of the shooting of a state trooper. Britteny Shaw knows her teenage brother in a different way: scarred by the death of his mother, terrified of the charges he faces. Early Wednesday morning, State Police stormed into the family’s Gentilly home and took 15-year-old Quincy Shaw into custody. Investigators said in a warrant that another youth had named him as the person who shot at a state trooper in a Dec. 11 incident in New Orleans East, sending shrapnel hurtling into the trooper’s chest but not seriously injuring him. Both Shaw and Robert Leblanc, 17, were arrested Wednesday after detectives scoured fingerprints, social media, Winn-Dixie receipts and even utility bill records in an extensive investigation that lasted weeks. [...] Last month, Quincy Shaw was involved in another shooting incident. New Orleans police reported on Jan. 13 that he accidentally shot himself in the leg.
BRADENTON, FL, 1/14/16: The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an accidental shooting that occurred Thursday afternoon in Bradenton. According to the sheriff’s office, the incident happened around 12:42 PM in the 3800 block of 10th St. Court E. Deputies say Rosalba Velazquez was playing with a gun someone dropped off at her home yesterday when the firearm accidentally discharged. Velazquez suffered a minor hand injury. The case remains under investigation with no other details being released at this time.
NEW BRITAIN, CT, 1/14/16: The city man who accidentally shot himself at a Lincoln Street address late Thursday has been identified as 36-year-old Kyle Gil. Police responded to 350 Lincoln St. on a report that a man had been shot and found Gil with a gunshot wound to the torso. Investigators determined Gil had accidentally shot himself. Police executing a search warrant at the address seized multiple guns and a variety of illegal drugs. The case is still under investigation, police said. Gil is expected to recover.
UPPER MARLBORO, MD, 1/14/16: A mother of two small children couldn’t believe her eyes after a shotgun blast ripped into the walls of her town house in Upper Marlboro last week. She says her 3-year-old daughter had just left the room where the blast struck. “I heard a loud noise and … it sounded like a blast,” says 30-year-old Uzma Khan. “I went into the bedroom and saw the bullet holes and I was shocked,” she says. A Prince George’s County police report says a neighbor cleaning a shotgun in his home in the 8800 block of Great Gorge Way in Upper Marlboro on the morning of Jan. 14 accidentally fired it. There’s a gaping hole in the wall of the master bathroom. The blast then punched multiple holes into the facing wall and passed into the bedroom splattering on the wall above the bed. “I cannot even go into my room because I cannot get the picture [out of my mind] of my kid standing there, because they could have been shot, especially my daughter who was there with me 10 minutes ago,” Khan says. The police report says the neighbor has apologized, moved the gun to his mother’s house and offered to pay for damages. On Monday, Prince George’s County police say no one is available to answer questions about the incident, which they say is being “handled” by detectives. Khan says the alarming incident has sharply raised her awareness of the dangers of firearms and the risk of deadly accidents.“You’re not a killer, you’re not a murderer, you don’t want to take anybody’s life, but you could have done that,” Khan says.
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, 1/15/16: A man is recovering after his wife accidentally shot him in the leg at an indoor firing range in north Colorado Springs. Kim Shugart, co-founder of the Magnum Shooting Center, says the woman shot her husband with a .22-caliber handgun just before noon Friday. The man was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Shugart tells The Gazette it was the first time an accidental shooting happened at the business, adding, "I wish we as a society could stop all accidents from happening, not just accidental discharges of a firearm." After the shooting, business at the range remained steady.
CYPRESS, CA, 1/15/16: A Cypress woman in her 80s accidentally shot herself inside her home on Friday, authorities said. Orange County Fire Authority officials were called at 7:30 PM to a home in the 11400 block of Culebra Street to reports of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, said OCFA Capt. Steve Concialdi. When they arrived, they found a woman in her 80s with a gunshot wound to her left thigh and knee area. She was taken to Long Beach Memorial Medical Center in moderate condition. Her wound is non-life-threatening, Concialdi said. Cypress police declined to comment on what she was doing when she was shot.
JACKSONVILLE, FL, 1/15/16: Police said a 17-year-old shot himself while trying to hide a gun during a traffic stop near Baymeadows Road and Philips Highway on Friday night. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said an officer initiated a traffic stop on an SUV that had no headlights and smelled an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. At the time of the traffic stop, the officer counted five adults and one infant in the vehicle. As the officer talked with the driver by his police cruiser, a single gunshot was heard in the SUV, JSO said. The officer drew his fir