Dog shoots duck hunter in the buttocks

46-year-old Robert Cottingham of Brigham City, Utah was duck hunting with his friend. The two were sitting in a boat while a hunting dog jumped in and out of the boat, retrieving birds. As the dog climbed back into the boat his paw caught the trigger of a 12-gauge shotgun, unintentionally discharging the gun. The pellets hit Cottingham in the buttocks.
He was taken to the local hospital where 27 pellets were removed.
Ohh shoot.

Woman unintentionally discharges gun in shopping bag, dies

35-year-old Elizabeth Moorehead of Port St. Lucie, Florida was bringing her husband's gun inside their home for him. He was going out and didn't want to take his .38-caliber derringer handgun so he gave the loaded, unlocked gun to Elizabeth. She put it inside a canvas shopping bag and went inside the house. While she was in the kitchen with her daughter she went to take the gun out of the canvas bag. She unintentionally discharged the weapon and was shot in the mid chest area.
She was rushed to the local hospital in critical condition but died of her injuries. Police say the incident appears to be an accidental shooting.
News reports do not give the age of the daughter who witnessed her mother being shot.

Man unintentionally shoots and kills friend while hunting, then takes his own life

Friends Benjamin Birch, 39, and Timothy Bolognani, 49, of Readsboro, Vermont were deer hunting with another friend on Saturday. They were chasing a deer that Birch had shot. Bolognani fired again at the deer when he heard Birch shout out. He came across his friend, dead on the ground. According to police, "a distraught Bolognani used his rifle to take his own life."
Birch's mother told reporters that the two were "best friends and professional hunters." She also said she is satisfied that her son's shooting was accidental.
Police continue to investigate and an autopsy will be performed this week but police say foul play is not suspected.

Man unintentionally shoots co-worker while showing off handgun

21-year-old Byron Bigelow of Bridgeport, Connecticut, brought a .40-caliber handgun to work at a Fairfield motorcycle repair shop. While he was showing the gun to a coworker another employee walked into the room and told Bigelow to put the gun away. According to police, the man had just warned Bigelow to be careful when Bigelow unintentionally discharged the weapon, striking the man in the chest and right arm.
Bigelow drove the victim to the hospital where he underwent surgery. He was listed in stable condition.
Bigelow told police he had found the gun near where he lives. The gun was reported lost in March 2010. Bigelow was charged with assault and illegal possession of a handgun.
"We're just thankful the victim survived," said a police spokesperson. "This is a clear reminder how dangerous guns are."
Ohh shoot.

Man unintentionally shoots girlfriend while putting handgun away

An unidentified San Antonio, Texas man in his 20s was concerned when he heard someone knocking on the door of his apartment Friday night. He responded by getting out his 9mm handgun and "racked it so it would fire if he pulled the trigger." He went to bed that night, leaving the loaded gun, with the bullet in the chamber, on the coffee table next to the living room futon. The next afternoon he was watching television and decided to put the gun away. According to police, he grabbed the gun and "didn't realize it was loaded and accidentally pulled the trigger."
The bullet hit his girlfriend, also in her 20s, as she came walking around the corner in the apartment. She was struck in the stomach. When medical help arrived the woman was barely conscious but did manage to say she couldn't feel her left leg. She was taken to the hospital where she was listed in critical condition. Police said the man will not face charges because "everything came together and it was an accident."
Ohh shoot.

Criminal justice professor unintentionally shoots himself before class

72-year-old Jack Carney is a retired New York City police officer and currently a criminal justice teacher at the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University. Last week, while getting ready to give a test to his class, he went into the hallway and was attempting "to safeguard his handgun." During this process he unintentionally discharged the gun, shooting himself in the leg. According to reports "the round entered and remained in his right leg."
Carney's students came to his aid, calling 911 and stayed with him until the ambulance arrived. He is expected to make a full recovery.
According to campus officials the school has a strict no weapons policy. As a former police officer Carney is legally allowed to carry a loaded, hidden gun in public. But it is still unclear if he was allowed to have the gun on campus.
Students told the newspaper they had no idea why Carney would be carrying a gun on campus. "He would be more careful, you would think," said one of his students.
Ohh shoot.

15-year-old steals assault rifle, unintentionally shoots himself in the head

Three teenagers from Houlton, Maine, ages 13, 15, and 18, broke into Mac's Trading Post on Tuesday night. They used a rock to break the glass in the front door and then used a hunting rifle from the store to break the glass in the display case. They stole two assault rifles and two .40-caliber semiautomatic handguns from the display case, and also took 100 rounds of ammunition for the assault rifles.
According to police the boys stole the guns because they planned to use them to rob a bank. While the 15-year-old was loading one of the assault rifles in preparation for an armed confrontation with police, he unintentionally discharged the gun, shooting himself in the head. The bullet grazed his forehead and scalp area. When police arrived they found him conscious but bleeding profusely from his injury. He was taken to local hospital and then transferred to a regional medical center for treatment.
Police were able to recover all the guns and ammunition. The 13-year-old and 18-year-old have been taken into custody and charged in the burglary. The 15-year-old is still in the hospital and hasn't yet been charged.
Ohh shoot.

Gun owner in teen's fatal shooting said he didn't know gun was loaded

16-year-old Zachary Blanchard of Watertown, New York was holding a .30-06 rifle by its barrel when the gun unintentionally discharged, shooting him in the head. Zachary died of his injuries. The owner of the gun, 18-year-old Douglas Patridge, was arraigned Wednesday on a misdemeanor charge of possessing a loaded firearm in a vehicle.
According to Patridge and other witnesses, the teenagers were making room for another passenger in the backseat of an extended cab pickup truck. Patridge asked Zachary to pass him the rifle. As Zachary picked up the gun by the barrel, which was pointed at this head, the gun discharged.
Police speculate that a protruding object in the back seat could have snagged the trigger and caused it to discharge. The gun was equipped with a safety, but the safety was not engaged. Patridge told police he had been hunting two days before the shooting, which is why the rifle and a shot gun were in the truck. But he thought the rifle was not loaded when he put the gun on the floor of the back seat.

Father unintentionally shoots son at indoor shooting range

An unidentified Taylosville, Utah man was with his 16-year-old son at Doug's Shoot 'n Sports indoor shooting range. The father was trying to put a loaded handgun away in a case. According to the store manager, "As he was securing the gun in his case, he attached the strap around the hand and the gun went off."
The bullet hit the teen's pinkie and then struck his abdomen. The teen is expected to make a full recovery.
"The guy learned an easy lesson the hard way," said the manager. "He became, I believe, a little complacent or a little mistaken in his practices, and his gun accidentally went off and hit his son."
The man called his wife on the phone and apologized profusely, he also called his son in the hospital and apologized. Police say the shooting was accidental and don't plan to file any charges.

Man watching gun training video unintentionally shoots friend

Two friends, ages 22 and 23, of Mesa, Arizona were watching a gun training video on how to properly field strip (take apart, clean, lubricate, reassemble)a Glock handgun. The 23-year-old decided to try and remove the slide, but didn't realize there was a round in the chamber. When he pulled the trigger to disengage the slide the firearm discharged, shooting his friend in the back of the leg.
The man was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Police consider the shooting an accident and don't plan on pressing any charges.
Ohh shoot.

Man unintentionally shoots himself in front of his children, dies from injuries.

An unidentified 45-year-old Spotsylvania County, Virginia man was sitting in his minivan with his children waiting for his wife to return a DVD to the local Giant Food Store. The wife hear a pop and ran back to the minivan where her husband told her he thought he'd shot himself. By the time emergency personnel arrived on the scene the man had lost a significant amount of blood and was already unconscious. He was pronounced dead at the local hospital.
The initial police investigation indicated that when the man tried to unbuckle his seat belt he hit the trigger of his .40-caliber Glock handgun and unintentionally shot himself in the hip. It is not clear if the gun was in his pocket or in a holster.
Reports do not indicate the ages of the children who were in the minivan when their father shot himself.

17-year-old buys handgun, unintentionally shoots self in head

An unidentified 17-year-old Clearlake Oaks, California boy purchased a .22-caliber handgun. He told his stepfather about the purchase but allegedly did not give further information. A few weeks after the purchase the boy was in his bedroom handling the gun when he dropped it. When the handgun hit the floor it discharged, striking the boy in the top of the head.
When police arrived the boy was conscious and alert and able to tell them what happened. The boy's parents and a friend who were also in the home corroborated the account. Police secured the handgun and two boxes of ammunition from the teen's room. The teen was flown by rescue helicopter to the hospital where he was reported in stable condition.
Police are investigating whether to file charges against the stepfather for neglect and criminal storage of a firearm. They are also looking into charges against the teen for purchase and possession of the handgun.
Ohh shoot.

Off-duty police officer unintentionally discharges handgun inside Milwaukee mall

An unidentified off-duty police officer was shopping at the Southridge Mall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Wednesday afternoon. As he reached into his pocket looking for money to make a purchase he knocked a handgun that he had stuck in his waistband. Ultimately, he lost control of the weapon and it discharged. The bullet hit the marble floor and shattered. No one was injured.
As local newsradio WTMJ points out "the incident is also raising questions about the new concealed carry law." One shopper commented, "If you've got a police officer who can't handle it, and you put all these people with concealed carry and weapons in their pockets can you imagine the danger and the safety issues that are going to come about through this."
The mall manager says the no concealed weapons are allowed in Southridge Mall, even after the recent change in Wisconsin law.
Police are investigating the incident and report that the officer in question is getting "a review of proper safety protocol."
Ohh shoot.

Two injured, one killed in Maine hunting accidents

46-year-old Peter Kolofsky, or Sebago, Maine, was hunting alone not far from his house when he was shot and killed by another hunter, 61-year-old William Briggs of Windham, Maine. Kolofsky, who was shot in the chest, was wearing state required hunter orange hat and vest. The shooting was reportedly from a significant distance and Kolofsky was pronounced dead at the scene.
Maine law requires a person responsible for a hunting fatality must provide a blood sample to check for alcohol or drugs. Police have not released the results of Briggs' test. Kolofsky is survived by his wife and two children, ages 15 and 9.
Two other hunting accidents were reported on Friday. A 60-year-old man was target practicing in the woods in Casco when he was shot in the stomach by a 29-year-old man who was hunting in the area. The man was transported to the local hospital where he was listed in critical condition.
In the second incident, a 26-year-old man was shot in the lower leg by his 47-year-old hunting companion. The man was taken into surgery at a local hospital, his condition was not known.
In another hunting mishap, a Magalloway man was walking in the woods with his German shepherd when a Dixfield hunter who was deer hunting shot the dog thinking it was a coyote. A spokesperson for the Warden Service says this was a case of a hunter not practicing 100 percent identification.
Ohh shoot.

Concealed weapons permit holder unintentionally shoots himself in parking lot at Patriots game

An unidentified 50-year-old man was on his way into a Patriots game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts when he read on the back of his ticket that firearms are not allowed inside the stadium. The man is a Massachusetts resident and holds a valid permit to carry a loaded, hidden gun in public. At the time he was carrying a handgun. He returned to his car to leave the gun there.
While sitting in his car attempting to unload the gun he unintentionally discharged the weapon, shooting himself in the leg. The bullet went through his leg near the knee. The man was taken to the local hospital where he was listed in stable condition. Police secured the gun.
While firearms are not allowed in the stadium there is no official rule against having them in the parking lot. According to a spokesman for the Patriots, "There is not a security checkpoint that would prohibit that from being in your vehicle, and we don't have anything written up in terms of what is allowed or what isn't allowed in the parking lot."
Foxborough police would not confirm or deny whether alcohol was involved in the incident.
Ohh shoot.

Teen shot at sleepover when friend takes loaded shotgun off wall rack.

A 14-year-old Phoenix, Arizona boy was having a sleepover at a friend's house with two other boys. While his friend was in the kitchen helping his mother with dinner, the two other boys went into one of the bedrooms and closed the door. The room had a gun rack on the wall and one of the boys took a shotgun down. Thinking it was not loaded, he racked the slide and pulled the trigger.
The gun fired, striking the other boy in the leg, hitting a major artery. The boy was rushed to the hospital where he is in critical condition.
Police continue to investigate the incident.
Ohh shoot.

Father charged in unintentional shooting for allowing teenage son to take handguns to cabin in the woods

57-year-old Patrick Donofrio of Union Township, PA has been charged with providing firearms to a minor, endangering the welfare of children and reckless endangerment. The charges stem from an unintentional shooting of then 14-year-old Russell Callen in June of 2010. Donofrio allowed his then 17-year-old son to take two handguns to a hunting cabin with two other boys. Despite the fact that it was a violation of Pennsylvania law to provide a juvenile with a weapon, Donofrio told police he trusted his son with the guns.
Around 3 o'clock in the morning Russell was unintentionally shot in the head, the bullet entered his forehead and exited through the base of his head. Russell survived the shooting but suffered a long treatment process on his road to recovery.
Police determined that Russell was shot with a .32-caliber pistol that belonged to Donofrio. A .40-caliber handgun belonging to Donofrio was also found in the cabin. According to court documents emergency response was delayed because of the frantic nature of the initial 911 phone call. The boys "were constantly screaming and crying during the entire conversation, making it difficult to determine their location so ambulance crews could attend to the victim."

Mother talks of double grief after son unintentionally shoots and kills daughter

Olivia Pruitt, of Birmingham, Alabama, received a call at work saying her 18-year-old daughter Malehia had been shot. When Olivia arrived home she found multiple police cars outside her house. "Everyone was screaming," she said. Olivia soon learned that her daughter was dead and her 20-year-old son had been handcuffed and taken into custody.
"I saw my son in the back of the police car," Olivia said. "He was crying and banging on the window, 'I'm sorry Mom.' He could only scream."
Police have yet to charge the unidentified youth, but witnesses say the shooting was unintended. "I know it was an accident because I know how they feel about each other," Olivia said. She said her son went on a rampage after the shooting. "My other son and his girlfriend got there, and he was on the floor rolling around and banging his fists. He flipped the table and put holes in the walls."
Malehia was a senior at Huffman High School. She was in the government club and was an honor roll student.
"I'm having all kinds of feelings because I lost my daughter, my baby won't be with me," said Olivia. "But also for my son. He is alone, and I can't see him."

Mother waits six weeks to seek medical treatment for son injured in unintentional shooting

26-year-old Quinisha Edwards and her boyfriend, 25-year-old Vincent Massey, both of Fayetteville, North Carolina, have been arrested and charged with felony child abuse, failure to store a firearm to protect a child, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Charges stem from an incident at the end of August when Quinisha's 4-year-old son found a loaded, unlocked gun in the house and unintentionally shot himself in the hip. Quinisha failed to get medical treatment for her son until mid-October when the child developed difficulty walking. Doctors who were treating the boy found a bullet lodged in his hip.
Bail was set at $100,000 for Quinisha and $185,000 for Massey. Massey also faces charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Ohh shoot.

Grandfather unintentionally shoots grandson in the head while unloading rifle

An unidentified Kansas City, KS man set out for a day of fun with his 10-year-old grandson. They stopped at a Cabela's sporting goods store so the grandfather could get an antique .22-caliber rifle appraised. He was in the back of his SUV, unloading the weapon when he unintentionally discharged the gun. The bullet went through the side of the vehicle and struck his grandson who was standing outside.
The boy was struck in the head and taken to Children's Mercy Hospital were he was listed in serious condition. Police said charges will probably not be filed against the grandfather. "He's pretty upset as one would expect," said a police spokesperson. "Thoughts and prayers are with the family we hope everything turns out OK."