Friday, December 31, 2010

Newlywed airman preparing to go to gun range unintentionally shot and killed

19-year-old Steven C. and 21-year-old Nicholas R. were eating dinner at Steven's apartment in Minot, North Dakota, getting ready to go to the shooting range. Nicholas picked up a handgun he thought was empty and unintentionally shot Steven in the stomach. Later that night, Steven died of his injuries.
Both men were active duty members of the Air Force, stationed at Minot Air Force Base.
Just five days earlier, Steven had married his high school sweetheart.
Nicholas has been charged with negligent homicide.
Ohh shoot.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Teen involved in armed robbery shoots and kills partner by mistake

19-year-old Marquis Greenwood and 18-year-old Tiekarian Troutman of Sacramento, California set out to rob a business at gunpoint. A 16-year-old girl also went with them. During the robbery a struggle took place between the robbers and an employee of the business. At some point, Greenwood attempted to shoot the employee. Instead he shoot his partner, Troutman.
Greenwood fled the scene. The girl remained with Troutman who was taken to the hospital but later died from his injuries.
Greenwood and the girl have been arrested and charged with murder and attempted robbery.
Ohh shoot.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

14-year-old girl unintentionally shot and killed at slumber party

14-year-old Megan Reppond of Joplin, Missouri went to a slumber party Monday night with three of her friends at the home of Scott Arkle. Arkle had gotten a new concealed weapons holster for Christmas and was trying it out with his .38-caliber handgun. He left the gun, loaded, unlocked, with no safety on, in the holster on top of a piano in one of the rooms of the house.
When the girls went into the room one of the young teenagers picked up the gun, assuming it wasn't loaded, jokingly pointed the gun at Megan and pulled the trigger. Megan was flown to a hospital in Springfield and was taken off life support Tuesday morning and subsequently died.
The county prosecutor said that while it is never a good idea to leave a loaded gun out in a home where there are children, he does not anticipate filing any charge in the case. Missouri does not have any CAP (Child Access Prevention) laws that require guns be stored locked and unloaded and impose criminal liability on adults who negligently leave firearms accessible to children.
Ohh shoot.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Man accidentally shoots mother then turns gun on self

Sunday night there was a party at the Ussery home in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri. Neighbors say the party ended around 2 a.m. and it went downhill from there.

64-year-old Lana Ussery was attempting to take a gun away from her son, 45-year-old Charlie Ussery, to he wouldn't shoot himself. In the struggle the gun discharged, striking Lana in the torso. Charlie then turned the gun on himself and shot and killed himself.
Lana was taken to an area hospital where she had surgery. She is listed in stable condition.
"It's pretty clear on what happened," said police, "But we are going to have toxicology reports done."
Another person who was at the party ran outside and fired three shots into the air from a different gun, trying to get help for the situation. That person is a convicted felon and is not allowed to possess a firearm. He was arrested for being in possession of a gun and was released pending charges.
Ohh shoot.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Man unintentionally shoots himself in parking lot

21-year-old Joshua Allen, of Lynn, Indiana was getting ready to go to the movies on Christmas Eve. He was in his car in the parking lot of AMC Theaters when he decided his concealed weapon holster needed adjusting. He took his Glock handgun out of the holster to make the adjustment and when he went to pick the gun back up he unintentionally fired it. The bullet went through the muscle in his lower calf.
He was taken to the hospital and treated for non life-threatening injuries.
Allen has a license to carry a concealed weapon. News reports did not mention what movie Allen was seeing that he felt the need to enter the public theater with a loaded, hidden handgun.
Ohh shoot.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Man shoots himself in buttocks after threatening his girlfriend with a gun

27-year-old Johnathan Hartman of Missoula, Montana was fighting with his girlfriend about his upcoming sentencing for writing bad checks (just one of his four felony convictions). As the two of them were standing on Main Street, Hartman began drinking a bottle of whiskey, took his handgun from his waistband and fired the gun into the roof of their car.

He then stuck the gun in his girlfriend's mouth and threatened to kill her.

He removed the gun, fired a shot by her ear, and pushed her into the car. Hartman then got into the car and drove away. As he went to put the gun into the back of his pants the gun discharged, shooting him in the buttocks.

Hartman was arrested after his release from the hospital and charged with felony assault with a weapon. Newspaper reports did not detail how Hartman, a convicted felon, obtained the handgun. However, it should be noted that Montana allows for the private sale of firearms where there is no criminal background check run on the purchaser.

Ohh shoot.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Man in fight with teens gets his gun, shoots and kills wife by mistake

24-year-old Breonna Roberts of Happy Camp, California was in a bar with friends when they discovered her truck had been stolen. She called her husband, 30-year-old James Roberts, for help and they went in search of the truck. They found the truck abandoned about a mile away but decided to keep driving looking for who might have stolen the truck. They came upon a group of teenagers and confronted them.
While Breonna got into a physical altercation with one of the teens, her husband went and got a gun from his truck.

James retrieved a Saiga semi-automatic .223-caliber assault rifle.

At some point during the fight James fired the gun and unintentionally shot and killed his wife Breonna.
James faces charges of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of discharging a firearm in a grossly negligent manner and one count of possessing an assault weapon.
He has pleaded not guilty but remains in jail on $250,000 bail.
Ohh shoot.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Man napping by side of highway shoots self in leg

30-year-old Mahmoud Ajaj of Dearborn, Michigan grew sleepy while driving on the Ohio Turnpike around one o'clock in the morning. He decided to pull over on the side of a westbound lane near Fremont and take a nap. In the car with him were his wife and two children, ages 3 and 7.
While preparing for sleep, Ajaj took a gun out of the glove compartment. He had the gun for protection, in case someone tried to rob them. Ajaj went to sleep, holding the gun on his chest. At some point he unintentionally pulled the trigger. The gun discharged, shooting Ajaj in the leg. The bullet entered his upper left thigh and exited out of his lower thigh.
Ajaj was flown to a hospital in Toledo for treatment.
Ohh shoot.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Customer injured when gun unintentionally discharges in pawn shop.

62-year-old Raymond Hesterlee of Thornfield, Missouri was in West Plains Pawn and Fine Jewelry store when an employee of the store dropped a gun. The gun discharged and the bullet struck Raymond, hitting him in the left hip and groin area. Raymond was flown by air ambulance to the hospital in Springfield.
News reports failed to mention what the employee was doing with a loaded gun or why the gun wasn't equipped with safety features that would have prevented it from discharging simply by being dropped.
Ohh shoot.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Father shoots self, son while trying out new holster

A 27-year-old Menifee, California man was trying out his new holster with his .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun when he unintentionally discharged the gun. The bullet passed through his leg and into the left hand of his 2-year-old son who was playing nearby.
Both the father and son were taken to the local hospital and treated for their injuries.
Police declined to disclose the man's name. They also didn't say if the holster was for concealing the weapon and whether or not the man had a concealed weapons permit.
Ohh shoot.

Friday, December 17, 2010

He didn't think the gun was loaded when he pulled the trigger

30-year-old Marcus Raynor of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania was playing with his 9mm handgun. He didn't think the gun was loaded when he pulled the trigger. Unfortunately, it was. His live-in girlfriend, 32-year-old Simone Cox was shot in the head. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Raynor called 911 immediately and said the shooting was accidental. Raynor has been charged with involuntary manslaughter.
In addition to the 9mm gun, police also found a 38-caliber revolver in the house. One gun was reported stolen in Maryland and one was stolen in Virginia.
Ohh shoot.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Mother, father, one-month old baby injured when shotgun pellets come through wall

19-year-old Michael Southerland was unloading a shotgun at a home in Harlan, Kentucky when the gun unintentionally discharged. The shotgun pellets penetrated the wall into the next room and struck three people.
Injured were 25-year-old Jason Maggard, his wife, 25-year-old Carrie and their one-month-old baby Ashley. Ashely was flown to University Tennessee Hospital in Knoxville, Jason was flown to University of Kentucky Hospital and Carrie was treated locally at Harlan Hospital. All three victims have been released from the hospitals.
The average cost of an air ambulance service is $10,000.
Ohh shoot.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Young mother killed when caught in crossfire of shootout at California barbershop

30-year-old Monique Nelson took her 2-year-old son, Jayden, to a photo shop at a strip mall in Sacramento, California. As she was strapping Jayden into his car seat a gun fight broke out at a barber shop located in the shopping center.
Police aren't sure how many men took part in the shootout. They could say definitively only that two men exchanged bullets but hadn't ruled out a greater number of shooters.
One of the bullets hit Monique and she crumpled to the ground.  Monique was pronounced dead at the scene.  
Six men were also injured in the shooting. Five of them were somehow involved in the violence. The sixth, the barber, was another innocent bystander. He suffered a wound to the ankle.
Police said the fact that more people were not hurt in the volley of shots was remarkable. "This is crazy. This time of the day, with holiday shopping going on, he number of victims we have could've risen quickly."
Ohh shoot.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Man killed when young family member knocks over rifle

30-year-old Bobby Parker of Yuma, Tennessee was shot and killed in his home. Police did not want to release the age or the relation of the child who unintentionally shot Bobby. "It was a tragic accident - I don't want to give any information that would identify him," said the sheriff.
It appears that the child knocked over a high-powered rifle that was leaning against a wall and then went to pick up the gun. As he was handling the gun, it discharged, shooting Bobby once in the shoulder.
Emergency medical technicians arrived on the scene within 10 minutes and transported Bobby to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Ohh shoot.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Neighbor shot by stray bullet when fight over dominoes game turns violent

Two 23-year-old men were playing dominoes in an Auburn, Washington apartment when an argument over the game turned violent and shots were fired. One of the men suffered a gunshot wound to his cheek. The injury was not life threatening.
A 48-year-old woman who lives next door was also injured when a bullet came through her wall from the duplex next door. She was shot in the upper shoulder and taken to the local hospital. Her injured was not left threatening.
Police are still searching for a man in connection with the shootings.
Ohh shoot.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Father unintentionally shoots teenage son while deer hunting

Doug Gess of Bloomington, Minnesota was with his 16-year-old son, Jesse, on opening day of deer hunting season. As he was loading his gun it unintentionally discharged. The 12-gauge slug plowed through the metal box of the truck, then the metal cab, through the backseat and into Jesse's back. Seconds later, he watched his only son climb out of his truck, drop on all fours, and saw the half-inch hole in his back.
Jesse was flown to a hospital in South Dakota. The slug hit his lung, diaphragm and liver but the injuries were not life-threatening.
There have been two fatal and 23 nonfatal hunting incidents in Minnesota this year. There's an average of 32 hunting incidents in South Dakota each year.
Ohh shoot.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Man in line at McDonalds unintentionally shoots self in the leg

44-year-old Rafael Ubeda was waiting in line for breakfast at a McDonalds in Tavernier, Florida. Ubeda has a concealed weapons permit from the state of Florida. He also had a .22-caliber Derringer handgun in his coat pocket.
Ubeda told police that his hands were cold so he put them in his pockets. While doing this, he said, he must have hit the trigger and the gun fired, shooting him in the leg.
Ubeda will not be charged in connection with the accidental discharge of his firearm because Florida law specifically requires the discharge of a firearm must be done "knowingly" in order for someone to be charged with an "accidental" discharge.
Ohh shoot.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Teen wounded in unintentional shooting while illegally night hunting

18-year-old James Clark and 17-year-old Tyler Jones of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana where attempting to illegally night hunt. Jones was holding a spotlight while Clark was trying to shoot over the cab of their truck at what they thought was a deer. While attempting the shot Clark's .270-caliber rifle unintentionally discharged inside the truck. The bullet ricocheted and struck Jones in the head. Jones was treated at the emergency room and released.
Clark and Jones were cited for hunting deer during illegal hours, hunting from a public road and hunting from a moving vehicle. Clark was also cited for discharging a firearm from a public road.
Ohh shoot.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Father's videotape of son's unintentional shooting death key evidence in upcoming trial

As jury selection is set to begin in the trial of Edward Flery, charged with manslaughter in the unintentional shooting death of 8-year-old Christopher Bizilj, prosecutors and defense attorneys are fighting over a horrific piece of evidence: a videotape of the shooting taken by the boy's father.
Dr. Charles Bizilj took his two sons to a machine gun shoot at the Westfield Sportsman's Club in October of 2008. 8-year-old Christopher was firing a 9mm micro-Uzi submachine gun, in fully automatic mode, when he lost control of the gun. The gun recoiled and Christopher was shot in the head.
Flery's lawyers have asked the judge to keep the videotape out of the trial saying the video is graphic and gruesome and is likely to elicit an emotional reaction from jurors and preduice them against their client.
The prosecution want the videotape shown because it depicts the gun in operation and could help the jury make a determination as to whether or not allowing such a young boy to fire an Uzi was a reckless thing to do.
Ohh shoot.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Trail begins in boy's death at Massachusetts machine gun shoot

In October, 2008 the Westfield Sportsman's Club held a machine gun shoot that was billed as "Cocked, Locked, and Ready to Rock." Children under 16 were admitted for free and there was no age limit required to shoot a machine gun.
A tragedy occurred when 8-year-old Christopher Bizilj unintentionally shot himself in the head. The boy was allowed to shoot a fully automatic Uzi machine gun and according to the police statement "the force of the weapon made it travel up and back toward his head, where he suffered the injury." Christopher died at the local hospital.
The average 8-year-old stands just a little over four feet tall and weighs a scant 55 pounds. Even with two hands such a child would not have enough strength to control the recoil of an Uzi.
Watch this YouTube video taken at the same event by another father who also brought his son to shoot machine guns.
The former police chief from Pelham, Massachusetts owned the company that co-sponsored the Westfield event. He has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and four counts of furnishing a machine gun to a minor. He pleaded not guilty. Jury selection begins this week.
Ohh shoot.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Baby unintentionally shot with AK-47 during parents' argument

Justin Satterfield, 25, and Brady Lee Purvis, 24, were staying in a Super 8 motel in Jacksonville, Florida with their 7-month-old son. Around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, Justin and Brady were fighting over possession of an AK-47. The gun went off and stuck the baby in the arm and the chest The boy was transported to the hospital where he is listed in serious but stable condition.

The parents were arrested and charged with child abuse. Justin was also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
A Department of Children and Families spokesman said the child will be given to protective services after he is released from the hospital.
Ohh shoot.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

4-year-old police officer's son shoots, kills self with father's service weapon

4-year-old Gavin Thompson of Liberty, Pennsylvania, was at home with his father, a police officer, and two of his four siblings. Gavin found his father's service weapon which was being kept in a closet. Gavin fatally shot himself in the head.
The Allegheny County District Attorney's office will determine if charges will be filed against Officer Thompson. In 2009, the office brought charges of involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment against Michael Lanese after he left his twin 9-year-old sons alone with a rifle and told them to clean the gun and put it away. Instead, the boys took out ammunition, played with the loaded gun and while unloading the rifle one twin unintentionally shot and killed the other.
Ohh shoot.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Louisiana man who unintentionally shot and killed teenage son gets probation

39-year-old Dennis Bragg of Metairie, Louisiana was battling depression and alcoholism following the breakup of his marriage. On September 23, 2007, he was at his sister's house when he decided to take his life.
Bragg had his pistol loaded when his 14-year-old son Riley found him and tried to intervene. In the struggle that followed Riley was shot in the face. He died two days later.
Bragg was charged with negligent homicide. Riley's mother told the court she did not want to see Bragg serve time in jail and asked that instead he be confined to house arrest and ordered to give lectures to youth on gun safety. Last week, the judge sentenced Bragg to five years of probation.
Ohh shoot.