Fight tyranny and shoot ISIS? I thought you said fight deer and shootthighs-es! GunFAIL CLXXXVIII
By David Waldman
Monday Jul 11, 2016 · 9:46 PM EDT
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Hey, guess what? People are still accidentally shooting themselves pretty routinely. For yet another week, we’ve got upwards of 20 of them. I don’t think we’ve seen less than 20 for two weeks in a row since I’ve been counting. But any day now, everyone’s going to start following all those safety rules, and we’ll be living in an armed & polite utopia. Hopefully a clean and well-maintained one, though, since eight people accidentally discharged their guns while cleaning them. So we’ve still got work to do there, even with the very basic rule of making sure your gun is properly cleared before you clean it. It’s the thought that counts, though. Minus the blood, bone fragments, and rehabilitation.
In other regular occurrences, eight kids were accidentally shot during the week of April 3rd. Four gun accidents resulted in fatalities. Three people accidentally fired their weapons while out and about in stores, shopping malls and restaurants. Three people accidentally shot family members or significant others. Two were accidentally shot while practicing at the range, two while hunting, and two more accidentally fired into their neighbor’s homes. Mighty generous of you, folks!
This week’s standout incidents include the first “I’ve never seen that before” in quite some time: An Ohio man accidentally shot himself in the leg, which I see every few hours or so, and there was a dog involved, which I see perhaps every two months. But this time, it wasn’t a man trying to shoot a dog he thought was attacking him, but rather a deer who he thought was attacking his dog! Apparently, it was a whole gang of deer (Where are the fathers?), because another one allegedly charged at him after he retrieved his gun to come to his dog’s defense! Anyway, this Twin Peaks Shootout II between rival gangs ended with no deer hit, but a bullet in this Ohio man’s thigh. No word on the dog.
The other two events come as a pair, though they had nothing to do with one another, besides happening in the regional GunFAIL capitals of Rock Hill, SC and Phoenix, AZ. Two different Responsible Gun Owners were robbed at Responsible Gunpoint of the Responsible Guns they had currently been Owning. And in neither case did the thief arrive armed with a gun, responsible or otherwise. Both robberies were effected with the very guns the Responsible Gun Owners had previously been carrying. In Rock Hill, it was a man meeting a prospective buyer for his gun in a nearby parking lot. (“Can I see the gun? OK, thanks. Now, hands up and get lost.”) In Phoenix, it was a man standing in line at McDonald’s with a gun responsibly tucked in his back pocket. (“Dude, you haveno gun. Yoink!”)
I don’t know how you top that, given what we’ve got to work with for this week. So let’s just leave it at that and move on. As always, the full list of the week’s failures appears below the fold.
SUMMERVILLE, SC, 4/03/16: A 28-year-old woman was taken to the hospital Sunday night after a 40-year-old man shot her, according to the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies responded just after 8:30 PM to Trident Medical Center, where North Charleston police were talking with a man who said he accidentally shot the woman, according to an incident report. The man, who does not appear to have been arrested according to online records, said he and the woman went on a motorcycle ride together earlier in the day and returned to his residence on Jedburg Road in Summerville. He told police he was cleaning out his Beretta 9 mm while the woman was outside cooking food on the grill when a round was discharged and went through the wall. The woman was struck in her left-side midsection and the man took her to the hospital, the report states. Her condition is unknown. No other information was released and Berkeley County Chief Deputy Mike Cochran said the case remains under investigation.
LEHIGH ACRES, FL, 4/03/16: The state Department of Children and Families is investigating an incident where a 28-year-old man said his gun accidentally discharged, shooting his 4-year-old daughter in the arm. The incident happened at about 10:22 PM Sunday inside David Valle’s home on Southwest 25th Street, a report from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said. Valle told deputies he was cleaning a .40 caliber pistol when it discharged. Valle performed first aid on his daughter until first responders arrived, the report said. The girl was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital, then transferred to Health Park Hospital. Her condition was not immediately known. As of Monday evening, Valle has not been charged in connection with the incident.
INDIAN HEAD, MD, 4/03/16: An Indian Head man, 26, was severely injured on Sunday morning after it appears he accidentally shot himself in his groin area while sitting in a truck in the parking lot of a Dollar General store, police report. Had it not been for the quick action of a shopper, an unknown woman, who ran outside and tied a belt as a tourniquet and continued to render first-aid to the man before EMS personnel arrived, the man may have died, according to witnesses. The man, who has not been identified, is now in stable condition. On April 3 around 9:18 AM, officers of the Charles County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the Dollar General parking lot, located in the 4300 block of Indian Head Highway, according to authorities. Investigation showed that the man remained in the truck while he wife was shopping inside of the store, and when she returned, she discovered him bleeding heavily from an apparent gunshot wound. “… investigation showed the victim kept a loaded handgun in his car and it appears he was looking at it when he accidentally shot himself,” a sheriff's office press release states. “She [the wife] was yelling, 'call 911,'” said Whitney Washington, a cashier at the Dollar General. “The lady [who applied the tourniquet] started taking him out of the car, rushing, trying to get his pants off, trying to figure out where the wound was.” “I didn't even know he was shot, he just looked like he was passed out at first,” Washington continued. “He shot through one of his main arteries in his thigh,” she said, adding that a detective came by Monday morning to inform them of his condition. “I was like, 'oh my gosh,'” Washington said of the incident. “It was overwhelming.” Washington's co-worker, Lekeivia Swann, wasn't there when it happened, but she said she also spoke with a detective on Monday. “What she was saying this morning was … if [the customer] never went out there when she did, then he probably wouldn't have made it.” Det. C. Gilroy is continuing the investigation.
AURORA, IL, 4/03/16: A 39-year-old Chicago man has been charged with several firearms violations after Aurora police said he fired a rifle inside a home last weekend on the city's far east side. Christopher M. Carlson of the 4500 block of North Kenneth Avenue faces charges of reckless discharge of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm, and possession of a firearm with a revoked FOID card, authorities said. He is being held on $150,000 bail in DuPage County jail. Police said Carlson fired the weapon around 12:30 AM April 3 inside a friend's home on the 1600 block of Edinburg Lane; Carlson said he was cleaning the gun when it accidentally discharged. The bullet ended up striking the kitchen floor on the first floor of the home. No one was injured. During their investigation, police said they discovered the rifle had been reported stolen in Zion. At the time the gun went off, Carlson's friend, a 34-year-old woman, and her two children, a 6-year-old boy and 12-year-old girl, along with two other adults, a 41-year-old man and 31-year-old woman, were inside the home. Reports indicate the children were in a different bedroom at the time. No one else was charged, but police say the investigation is continuing.
SOUTH EUCLID, OH, 4/03/16: A man reported April 3 he shot himself in the thigh while he was trying to a shoot a deer that was attacking his dog. He said one of several deer charged at him too after he got his gun and came to the dog's defense. He was taken to the hospital for treatment. Officers believe the gun malfunctioned when fired or was not being held securely.
MANHATTAN, KS, 4/03/16: Law enforcement authorities in Riley County are investigating a pair of weekend accidental shootings, according to a media release. Just before 4 PM on Sunday, it was reported to police that Kevin L. Worrell, 59, was manipulating a handgun at his residence in the 4200 Block of Kaw in Manhattan when it accidentally discharged. The bullet struck his son Travis J. Worrell, 33, in the left leg, who was standing nearby. Travis was transported to Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan and then later transferred to a medical center in Wichita. His injuries are considered to be serious, but non life-threatening.
GETTYSBURG, PA, 4/03/16: A Gettysburg man was hospitalized Sunday morning after a self-inflicted gun shot wound, according to Gettysburg Borough Police. The man, born in 1955, accidentally shot himself in the foot in his residence in the first block of York Street, according to Police Chief Joseph Dougherty. He was transported to Gettysburg Hospital for treatment around 11:17 AM before being transferred to York Hospital. Dougherty said he does not know if the man has been released. Doughtery said there was "no indication of criminal activity," but police plan to interview another person as part of the investigation.
NORTH CORNWALL, PA, 4/04/16: A 19-year-old North Cornwall Township man is in jail after shooting another 19-year-old in the chest early Monday morning. Dajour Harrison of 1807 Chestnut St. is accused of unintentionally wounding Devin Evans of 42 N. College St., Palmyra, with a single gunshot to the chest while playing with a handgun inside 1912 Chestnut St. at 12:56 AM, North Cornwall Township police said. Evans is in critical condition in Hershey Medical Center, police said. Police were alerted to the shooting after Evans was initially taken to WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital by three residents of 1912 Chestnut St. — Rashaan Bennett, Kelly Bennett and Devon Gerena, according to the criminal complaint. When police officers spoke to the three, they claimed Evans was already wounded when he came to their house seeking help. However, when Evans was later questioned by police at Hershey Medical Center, he told them that he was shot in the house when Harrison was playing with a pistol that fired, hitting him in the chest, narrowly missing his heart, according to the complaint. The bullet lodged near Evans's shoulder causing paralysis to his left arm. When police questioned Rashaan Bennett a second time, he corroborated Evans' version, stating that Harrison was pointing the pistol at both of them when the gun went off, according to the criminal complaint. Harrison then fled with the gun, Bennett told police. Harrison eventually turned himself in voluntarily and was arraigned by District Judge Kim Wolfe on charges of criminal attempted involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person, police said. He is being held in Lebanon County Correctional Facility on bail of $250,000.
KENNETT, MO, 4/04/16: A Kennett resident is recovering after shooting himself while practicing with his gun. According to the Kennett Police Department, the incident happened just after 9 AM in the 1000 block of Vine Street. An investigation showed, the victim was practicing loading and unloading his gun when it accidentally went off. The man suffered injuries to both of his legs. Police say the victim was flown to a hospital in Jonesboro, Ark. No word yet on his current condition.
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX, 4/04/16: An employee of the Stripes Store in the 6900 block of SPID was cleaning just before 1 AM Monday when she found a loaded gun in the parking lot. Corpus Christi police were called and when they arrived they were told that a clerk was emptying a mop bucket in the parking lot at the front of the store when she observed a black handgun on the ground. She did not notice the handgun in the parking lot when she emptied the bucket, but did see it once she flipped the bucket back up. After touching it to determine if it was real, the employee called police. Officers recovered the 9 millimeter caliber handgun. They are looking at store surveillance images to see where the gun may have come from.
RUTHERFORDTON, NC, 4/04/16: Rutherford Co. Sheriff Chris Francis says an 11-year-old boy shot himself in the head Monday night around 9:30 on Hope Drive in Rutherfordton. He says the shooting was an immature act and not a suicide attempt. The boy’s brother found him. Francis says the boy had surgery overnight at Memorial Mission Hospital and is in the neurointensive care unit. A small caliber handgun was used and the wound was above the boy’s temple, according to Francis. He says evidence has been turned to the district attorney to see if charges will be filed. Francis says, “Secure your firearms if there are minors in the residence.”
ELKINS, WV, 4/04/16: The Elkins Police Department is investigating an apparent shooting early Monday morning. Police say it happened just after 5:30 AM. Officials say one person was shot, but there was no information available to how badly that person was injured. There is also no word on any suspects at this time. Police say more information will be released shortly. UPDATE: Elkins Police Chief Craig Cross says according to the victim's statements to police, Monday morning's shooting was an accidental, self-inflicted incident. Chief Cross says the gun was stolen from a car earlier in the night. Police say the man shot himself in the groin, and injuries are not life threatening.
DYERSBURG, TN, 4/04/16: Two men are facing charges after police say one of them lied about an accidental shooting. Officers responded April 4 to a local hospital where Steven Cogdell, 29, was being treated for a gunshot wound to the leg. Cogdell told police he was walking earlier that day in the Bruce Community of east Dyersburg. He told police he heard gunshots and then realized he’d been hit. He also told them an older man had given him a ride to the emergency room for treatment. Investigators later found that Cogdell had accidentally shot himself in the leg while riding in a car driven by Christopher Lee, 24, according to a release from the department. They also say the incident did not occur in the Bruce community as Cogdell had first reported. Investigators located the car and found two bullet holes in the interior. They also recovered the gun. Cogdell is charged with possession of a weapon with the intent to go armed. He is set to appear at 4 PM April 26 in Dyersburg City Court. Lee is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
CHANTILLY, VA, 4/04/16: A 51-year-old man injured himself while attempting to holster his handgun in Chantilly on April 4 at 4:52 PM, according to the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD). Police say that the accidental discharge occurred at a residence located in the 14700 block of Flint Lee Road. He was treated at the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Possible charges are pending, according to the FCPD.
NEWPORT NEWS, VA, 4/05/16: Police are investigating an accidental shooting that took place in Newport News Tuesday night, landing one person in the hospital. Sgt. Bailey with Newport News police says this happened in the 500 block of Coral Key Place around 8 PM. Authorities tell us a man was cleaning his gun when it accidentally went off and struck his girlfriend in the abdomen. Medics rushed her to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. No charges have been filed at this time.
LEXINGTON, KY, 4/05/16: Lexington Police say they think an overnight shooting was an accident. Officers responded to a home on Venetian Circle just minutes after midnight Tuesday. They found a man with a gunshot wound to the neck. That man was rushed to UK Hospital with life-threatening injuries. Lexington police have since told WKYT they believe the man likely shot himself by accident.
EL PASO CO., CO, 4/05/16: A gun cleaning gone very wrong left two men hospitalized. According to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, the man cleaning the gun didn't realize there was still a round in it until the weapon discharged. The bullet went through the man's hand and then through his friend's hand and abdomen. The El Paso County Sheriff's Office responded to Secret Glen Grove in the Gleneagle area shortly before 11 AM. A spokesperson for the sheriff's office says the accidental shooter's injuries are not life-threatening, but she did not know about the bystander. The sheriff's office hasn't determined if any citations will be issued.
MACCLENNY, FL, 4/05/16: A hunter was hospitalized Tuesday morning after he was hit by shotgun pellets during a hunting accident in a wooded area north of Sanderson, according to the Baker County Sheriff Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Joey Baker said he was shot by another hunter while out turkey hunting. The man, who from out of state, was struck in the head by bird-shot pellets. He was taken to Ed Fraser Memorial Hospital and expected to be OK.
NAPOLEON, OH, 4/05/16: A law enforcement student is in critical condition after being shot in the back during training on Tuesday. The Henry County Sheriff's Office says deputies were called to the City of Napoleon's Shooting Range around 8:15 PM on a report of an accidental shooting. When they arrived, they found the Northwest State Law Enforcement Academy were at the range performing training. During the training exercises, a student was shot in the back by another student. The injured student was transported to the Henry County Hospital and was later air-lifted by Life Flight to another facility. The student is listed in critical condition. No other details have been given. The incident remains under investigation. MORE: “There were at least three firearms instructors there. My understanding is they were on break during the time it happened,” [Henry County Sheriff Michael] Bodenbender said. “All the indications we have is that it was an accident. We have not spoken to the victim yet. But the rest of the cadets and instructors that were there, that’s the impression that we got -- that it was an accident.” The shooter was either cleaning or oiling his gun, according to Mr. Bodenbender, and thought the firearm was empty when it discharged, striking the victim who was sitting at a picnic table. No charges are expected to be filed. “[The shooter] was very, very, very emotional and upset,” Mr. Bodenbender said. “He was very distraught.” “Was there a breakdown in protocol? I don’t know,” Mr. Bodenbender said. “I don’t know if everything was followed to a T.”
FRESNO, CA, 4/05/16: Fresno police are searching for a teenage suspect and a gun after an accidental shooting left a 17-year old in critical condition. "Five or six, seven of them in front of my yard-- they are all panicking," said one neighbor. People along East Grant Avenue watched on Tuesday afternoon. Alarmed by the police light, the tape-- but most of all the shooting just minutes before. "I don't know what to think. when you talk about someone getting shot in the head. I'm going inside." This neighbor says he heard the initial shot. It came from a garage next to his house. Police said, at least, three kids, in their late teens, were playing around with a gun. It went off and hit a 17-year-old in the head. "They didn't know whether to take off running or to help their friend, and I didn't know what was going on," he said. Officers said one of teenagers ran and he is the one who accidentally fired the shot. "The person who did the shooting-- the info we are getting is he took off from the scene. He has a white collared shirt and black shorts," said Lt. Joe Gomez, Fresno Police Department. At the scene Tuesday afternoon police tried to recover the gun. While at the hospital the victim struggled to overcome life-threatening injuries. "Somebody pulled the trigger at the wrong time and the wrong place, somebody paid for it," said a neighbor. Where the gun came from is still a mystery but officers said they believe this was accidental. A case of curiosity gone wrong.
RAVINIA, SD, 4/05/16: A Ravinia woman was airlifted to a Sioux Falls hospital after being shot in the abdomen with a gun Tuesday morning that could possibly involve criminal activity. Karissa Vasek, 25, was taken to the Wagner Community Hospital in far south-central South Dakota to be treated for a gunshot wound to the abdomen around 9:12 AM, according to the Charles Mix County Sheriff's Office. Vasek was later airlifted to Sioux Falls. The incident happened at 304 Elm St., in Ravinia, which is the residence of Vasek and Jesse Rivas, 26. The shooting was reported as accidental, but is being investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and Charles Mix County Sheriff's Office to rule out criminal activity. No other information was immediately available.
MILWAUKEE, WI, 4/05/16: Authorities are investigating three overnight shootings, including two in which the victims claimed to have shot themselves accidentally, Milwaukee police said Wednesday. The first shooting occurred about 9 PM Tuesday in the 3100 block of W. Courtland Ave. where a 27-year-old man told police he shot himself during circumstances police say are still under investigation. The man was taken to a hospital and is expected to recover from his injuries, according to a news release.
MILWAUKEE, WI, 4/06/16: Shortly after 1:30 AM Wednesday, a shooting was reported in the 4200 block of W. North Ave. A 25-year-old man told police he accidentally shot himself. The circumstances remain under investigation, and the man was taken to a hospital with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening, according to police.
WICHITA, KS, 4/06/15: Crews are on scene of a shooting in Northeast Wichita. Sedgwick County Emergency Dispatch says a man accidentally shot himself near the intersection of 13th and Woodlawn. The man was originally triaged as critical condition, but has since been upgraded to serious.
FARMINGDALE, ME, 4/06/16: A report that a bullet had been fired inside one house and pierced walls and the woods before entering a second house led to the arrest of a Farmingdale man. Dylan Dehetre, 23, was arrested Wednesday afternoon and taken to the Kennebec County jail on charges of reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon. Bail was set at $5,000 cash, and Dehetre remained behind bars on Thursday. According to Maine State Police, troopers went to 48 Pleasant Ridge Road, Farmingdale, just before 11 AM Wednesday to investigate a report that a bullet was fired from within that residence. “According to the Maine State Police Evidence Response team, it appears the path of the bullet traveled from inside 48 Pleasant, through the wall, crossing approximately 100 feet through the woods and piercing into the neighboring residence at 50 Pleasant Ridge Drive. Fragments of a bullet were found in the neighboring residence,” said the news release from Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety. He indicated Thursday that it remains unclear whether the bullet was fired intentionally. “Dehetre gave no explanation to troopers,” McCausland said in an email. The 48 Pleasant Ridge Road was rented to Joseph Ingalls, 24, who reported the incident, said police, and Ingalls told them he sublets the home to Dehetre, who was at the scene. Police said Dehetre told them at that time he believed the bullet entered his residence, indicating his residence had been shot at. Police said Dehetre was legally allowed to possess firearms but also told them he had recently removed all his firearms from the residence, refusing to let troopers look in his bedroom. After obtaining a search warrant, police reported finding a 30.30 lever-action rifle hidden in Dehetre’s room. Dehetre was arrested about 4:30 PM Wednesday at his workplace in Augusta.
GRANITEVILLE, SC, 4/06/16: A man is dead after a hunting accident in Graniteville, SC , according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. Investigators say Charles Reed was turkey hunting when he was maneuvering the gun to put it in the case, the trigger snagged on something , and it went off. Investigators say a round hit Reed in the head. The safety was off, according to DNR. Investigators say he was apparently getting up to leave, had his soft gun case in his left hand and picked the gun up with his right hand by the barrel. DNR officials also say Reed had a round in the chamber of his gun and two in the magazine. The accident was being investigated by DNR officers, the Aiken County Sheriff's Department and a deputy coroner. Reed's death is ruled an accidental death and no foul play is suspected.
DICKINSON TOWNSHIP, PA, 4/06/16: A 21-year-old man Cumberland County man accidentally shot himself in the hand while cleaning his gun early Wednesday morning, state police said. The accident occurred just after 11 AM along the first block of Rapuano Way in Dickinson Township, police said. The man, identified as Tyler Steven Smeltz, "negligently discharged his firearm while cleaning it, striking himself in the left hand," according to a press release from the police. Smelt was taken to the Hershey Medical Center for treatment. Police did not provided further information about the incident.
PHILADELPHIA, PA, 4/07/16: The gun involved in a 9-year-old Grays Ferry boy's accidental self-inflicted shooting Thursday night was legally purchased, Philadelphia police said Friday. The boy was wounded when he found the handgun in his parents' bedroom and accidentally shot himself in the left ring finger, police said. The incident happened at the family's home on the 1500 block of South 32nd Street just before 10 PM Thursday. The child was taken to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for treatment and has been released, police said Friday. Police said the gun was legally purchased but didn't disclose who owned it. Authorities said the incident, including why the firearm was accessible to the child, remains under investigation.
ALLENTOWN, PA, 4/07/16: As if accidentally shooting yourself wasn’t bad enough, a Lehigh County man now faces charges after shooting himself with someone else’s gun. Authorities in Allentown charged Ramael A. Myers with a single felony count of possession of a firearm in connection to last month’s accidental shooting. Police responded to the 2000 block of Livingston Street just after midnight April 7 for reports of a shooting. While en route, officers were diverted to Lehigh Valley Hospital at 17th and Chew streets, where a gunshot victim was being taken. That’s where police found Myers, who was suffering from what appeared to be entrance and exit wounds to his torso, according to court records. The 33-year-old was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest for surgery. Police later found Myers’ Mercury Montego with a large amount of blood on the driver and rear seats, a pistol and magazine in plain sight. Based on the bullet hole through the front seat, investigators determined that the shot was fired from inside the vehicle, and powder burns on Myers’ clothing meant it came at close range. Police interviewed Myers at the hospital about a week after the shooting, and he allegedly admitted to accidentally shooting himself with a gun he had taken from a friend. A felony 2010 drug conviction in New York prevents him from possessing a firearm. District Judge Jacob Hammond arraigned Myers Tuesday night, setting bail at $20,000. He has since posted bail, and his next court date is a preliminary hearing tentatively scheduled for May 10.
MANHATTAN, KS, 4/07/16: A 24-year-old man shot himself in the leg while cleaning his gun in Manhattan on Thursday night. Riley County police officers arrived to the 600 block Highland Ridge Drive last night around 7:20. Officers say the handgun fired as Mickey Clarke was attempting to clean it. He suffered a non-life-threatening injury to his leg. The incident was the third accidental shooting in Riley County this week. A 29-year-old man shot himself over the weekend and, in a separate incident, a father shot his 33-year-old son. Their injuries also were not life-threatening.
ROCK HILL, SC, 4/07/16: A man was robbed with his own gun, which he had planned to sell to the suspected robber in a Rock Hill parking lot, according to police. The robbery happened Thursday night outside the Subway in the 2200 block of Cherry Road, according to a Rock Hill police report. The victims reported the crime about 45 minutes later. The victim told police he posted an ad on Facebook to sell guns in York County and received a message from someone interested in buying his Smith & Wesson .40-caliber pistol. They agreed to meet at the restaurant, police said, and the victim was in the car with his girlfriend and their child in the backseat. The suspect pulled into a parking spot near the restaurant and approached the driver’s side window, at which point the victim handed him the gun, police said. The victim told officers the gun “was not loaded but did have a magazine with 10 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition.” The suspect looked at the pistol, racked the slide back and chambered a round, at which point he pointed it at the victim and fled on foot, police said. The victims said they waited to call police because they were scared and needed to get the serial number for the gun. The victim’s girlfriend corroborated his story, and the victim positively identified the suspect from a photo lineup, police said. Detectives obtained warrants for the suspect for armed robbery and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. The robber has not been apprehended, and was not identified in the report.
LAFAYETTE, LA, 4/07/16: A Baton Rouge man has died from his injuries in a reported accidental shooting overnight in Lafayette, KATC-TV reported, identifying the victim as Colin Norwood, 21. At 12:30 AM Thursday, Lafayette police responded to reports of an accidental shooting at an apartment complex in the 1400 block of Bertrand Drive. When officers arrived, they found the victim with a single gunshot wound to the chest. The victim was transported to a hospital, where he was in critical condition. Detectives were interviewing a second 21-year-old man who was in the apartment at the time of the shooting. The shooting remains under investigation.
DETROIT, MI, 4/07/16: An 11-year-old boy shot himself by accident Thursday morning with a rifle that his father allegedly left him home alone with, Detroit police said. The shooting happened at about 8:30 AM in the 3900 block of W. Vernor Highway. The boy suffered a gunshot wound to his buttocks, and is in stable condition at Children’s Hospital. Capt. Whitney Walton said that the rifle was for personal protection reasons, but the father could be charged for leaving the boy alone with it. “As of right now, we’re investigating neglect of leaving an 11-year-old alone with a rifle,” Walton said. The boy’s father was at work when the shooting happened. Police are questioning him.
STAMFORD, CT, 4/07/16: A city man cleaning his revolver Thursday night was charged with reckless endangerment after the gun accidentally went off and blew a hole through his apartment wall, police said. Capt. Richard Conklin said Hadrian Gardner, 24, was in his Tresser Boulevard apartment cleaning the revolver when he pulled the trigger, thinking there were no bullets in the chamber, about 8 PM Thursday. The bullet went through the wall and entered the adjacent apartment where his neighbor dove to the floor for cover, Conklin said. Gardner checked on his neighbor and found him unharmed and then reported the shot to police. Gardner was charged with illegal discharge of a weapon within city limits and two counts of reckless endangerment. Conklin said Gardner’s pistol permit was seized and will be sent to state police, who will hold a hearing to consider revoking his license to carry the gun. Two other handguns were also seized from Gardner.
SPRINGFIELD, MA, 4/07/16: A 15-year-old girl who was shot Thursday night at an apartment at 212 Plainfield Street has reportedly died of her injuries. Western Mass News, the TV partner of The Republican and Masslive, is reporting the girl died Friday of her injuries. Her name has not been disclosed to the press. The station cites Springfield police spokesman Sgt. John Delaney as its source. The shooting is believed to have been accidental. Police said Thursday night that the girl was with a group of friends when she was shot. MORE: A Springfield teenager police say apparently accidentally shot his 15-year-old girlfriend to death has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder. Seventeen-year-old Anthony Diaz was held without bail at his arraignment Monday in Hampden Superior Court. His name has been made public because he is charged as an adult. Authorities think the April 8 shooting death of Daneyshkalis (DAY'-nish-kuh-lees) Davila was accidental. Police say the girl's 13-year-old brother witnessed the shooting and told investigators that Diaz was spinning the loaded chamber of a revolver when the cylinder snapped shut and the gun went off. The victim, a high school freshman, was struck in the abdomen. The suspect fled the scene but was arrested at a relative's home. Diaz's lawyer did not comment.
FAIRFAX, VA, 4/07/16: Fairfax County police dispatched officers to the 11700 block of Rockaway Lane in the Fair Oaks area on April 7 at 5 AM after receiving a report about an accidental weapon discharge. A 28-year-old man accidentally discharged one round after mishandling his pistol, police said. No one was injured and charges are pending, authorities said.
MEMPHIS, TN, 4/07/16: Memphis Police were called to a local Walgreen’s after a gun was fired Thursday evening. The incident reportedly happened at the store in the 2400 block of Jackson just before 8:30 PM. At this point it’s unclear if the gun went off inside the store or outside in the parking lot, but we do know the woman who called 911 told dispatch her son accidentally shot himself. He was taken to the Regional Medical Center, but is expected to be okay.
PHOENIX, AZ, 4/07/16: Silent Witness is looking to the public for help identifying a man who stole a gun from a man in line at a Phoenix McDonalds, officials said. On April 7, at Southern and Central Avenues the suspect approached a man ordering from behind before taking the pistol from the man's back pocket and running from the restaurant, according to Silent Witness spokesman Sgt. Jamie Rothschild. The victim then chased the suspect in an attempt to retrieve his stolen gun but the thief turned around and pointed the pistol at the victim before fleeing, according to Rothschild.
BOWLING GREEN, KY, 4/08/16: The Bowling Green Poli