Man unintentionally shoots his uncle while showing off his Glock handgun

A 27-year-old Pearland, Texas man wanted to show his uncle his Glock semi-automatic handgun so they went into the bedroom where the gun was stored. The gun was loaded and the owner removed the magazine. However, he didn't realize that there was still a bullet in the chamber. As he pulled back the slide the gun discharged. The bullet went into his uncle's thigh, passed through his leg and continued into a bedroom dresser.
The gun was reportedly loaded with hollow-tip bullets but fortunately the bullet didn't expand when it passed through the victim's leg.
The victim was taken to the hospital where he was treated and released. Police classified the incident as an accident and said no charges will be filed.
Ohh shoot.

Gun in purse of 17-year-old unintentionally discharged inside Wyoming Starbucks

A 17-year-old Cheyenne, Wyoming girl's father gave her a double-barrel .38 special Derringer pistol and encouraged her to carry it for protection. However, he neglected to also give her any kind of formal firearms training. Her mother knew her daughter had the gun and even though she doesn't particularly like guns, she told the girl to "point it at a bad person" if she was ever in trouble.
The girl was planning to visit friends in Laramie so she stuck the loaded pistol, with the safety off, in her purse.
Early Monday morning while at a local Starbucks, the teen dropped her purse and the gun inside discharged. The bullet narrowly missed a customer, hit the west wall of the store, bounced back to the east and rolled under the coffee counter.
Two Cheyenne police officers were in the store at the time and drew their pistols when they heard the gunshot. They arrested the teen for possession of a firearm by a juvenile. There is no state law prohibiting giving a handgun to a minor. The gun was returned to the teen's parents.
Ohh shoot.

Intoxicated woman unintentionally shoots husband while investigating noise outside house

54-year-old Connie Tolbert and her husband, 52-year-old Darryl Tolbert of Three Rivers, Michigan had both been drinking at their home when they heard a suspicious noise outside their home.
Darryl told Connie to get her gun, a .380-caliber handgun, and the two went outside to investigate. While the couple was standing about three feet apart Darryl made a motion toward his wife that prompted her to fire her gun. Darryl was wounded in the right shoulder. He was treated and released at a local hospital.
Connie was arrested and charged with use of a firearm while under the influence of alcohol, careless discharge of a firearm causing injury and three other firearm charges.
"I think alcohol is definitely the main factor," said a police spokesperson.
Ohh shoot.

Teen posing for picture with shotgun unintentionally shot

Several teens were passing around a 12-gauge shotgun, posing for pictures, Christmas Eve inside a house in Moline, Illinois when the gun unintentionally discharged. 18-year-old Zachary Inman of Rock Island, IL was shot in the lower right leg and ankle.
Inman was taken to the hospital where he underwent surgery for his injuries. The injuries were not considered life-threatening.
Also at the gathering was 18-year-old Matthew Nazari who has been taken into police custody and charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Ohh shoot.

Man cleaning high-powered rifle unintentionally shoots and kills girl across the street

23-year-old James Blackwell, of Chadbourn, North Carolina was cleaning his high-powered rifle when he unintentionally discharged the weapon. The bullet traveled across the street and struck three people who were standing in the driveway, preparing to go on a trip to Myrtle Beach.
First the bullet hit 16-year-old Jahmesha McMillan, passing through her and continuing on into her cousin, 16-year-old Jasmine Thar. Bullet fragments also hit the girls' aunt, 42-year-old Treka McMillan. Jasmine was pronounced dead at the hospital. Jahmesha is listed in critical condition after undergoing surgery. Treka was treated for her injuries and released.
Police took Blackwell into custody but released him later in the day. He has not been charged, but police are continuing to investigate.
"At this point, it appears accidental, but we're investigating, not taking anything for granted," said the Chadbourn police chief. "No mater what, it's tragic, that's all I can say."

Hunting instructor brings loaded handgun to class, student unintentionally shoots it

A hunter education instructor in Soda Springs, Idaho brought a 9mm handgun and ammunition to his class to use as a teaching tool. After the demonstration one of the students picked up the gun. Unaware the gun was loaded, the student discharged the weapon. The bullet struck a deer head mounted on the wall.
Idaho Department of Fish and Game prohibits live ammunition in a hunter education classroom. The instructor has been dismissed.
Ohh shoot.

Man shoots at mouse, misses, hits roommate. Police investigate, arrest 3rd roommate on sex charges

To quote from www.mediatite.com - "Paul Klunzer's four-month relationship with a 13 year-old girl ended like many of these illegal relationships do: with his roommate shooting at a mouse with a handgun, missing, hitting a third roommate in the chest, and having police find the girl hiding in a closet in the course of the investigation."
It all started around 2 a.m. when a 27-year-old Taylorsville, Utah man saw a mouse in the kitchen. He took a 9mm handgun and shot at the mouse. He missed the mouse and the bullet went through the wall and into the bathroom. His 28-year-old roommate was in the bathroom at the time and the bullet struck him directly in the chest.
While police were conducting a routine search of the house they came across a 13-year-old girl hiding in a basement closet. Turns out the girl was having a relationship with a third roommate, 34-year-old Paul Klunzer.
Because the girl was underage, Klunzer was arrested on suspicion of multiple counts of rape, sodomy and aggravated sexual abuse.
The roommate who was shot was taken to the hospital, initially in serious condition but later upgraded to fair condition.
The roommate who did the shooting was not charged with any crime. Police said that alcohol was a factor in the shooting.
Ohh shoot.

Amish girl killed by stray bullet fired by man cleaning his rifle

15-year-old Rachel Yoder of Wayne County, Ohio was traveling home after attending a Christmas party when she was struck in the head by a stray bullet. Rachel, who is Amish, was driving a horse-drawn buggy. The Holmes County Sheriff believes the bullet was shot by a man cleaning his muzzle-loading rifle more than a mile away.
Rachel's brother found her when he saw the horse walking in circles. Rachel died of her injuries.
The sheriff's department began an intensive investigation and after four days a local family went to the sheriff to say a member of their family had been cleaning his rifle and had fired it into the air around the time Rachel was shot.
State investigators are checking the rifle for a ballistics match. "In all probability, it looks like an accidental shooting," said the sheriff. No charges have,as yet, been filed.

Man shot in the neck by neighbors shooting at pumpkins and paper targets

William Vance, of Bowie County, Texas was on the back side of his property when he was shot in the neck. The bullet came from a nearby wooded area.
Police investigated and found a group of 11 people, ages 12 to 52, taking turns shooting a 12 gauge shotgun, a .22 rifle, a .380 pistol, and a 9mm pistol. They were shooting at pumpkins, paper targets on a tree, and a board.
Police are still determining if criminal charges will be filed. Vance is in the hospital in stable condition.
Ohh shoot.

After being unintentionally shot hunter reevaluates the idea of killing animals

53-year-old Thomas Mech was deer hunting with his brother in Monkton, Maryland. After climbing down from a tree stand, Mech reached for his shotgun and unintentionally shot himself above his left knee. Mech was flown to the hospital in Baltimore where he spent 11 days and underwent a number of surgeries to help save his leg. He still faces more surgery and expects to be in rehabilitation for six months to a year.
Mech says that the accident has given him a new perspective on hunting. "I always believed that as long as I made a good clean kill, the deer didn't suffer. I believe now they do suffer. They feel what I felt. The difference is that I got picked up and taken to the hospital."
"I remember everything," he added. "It was immense pain. I looked down and saw big chunks of bone and muscle tore up and I yelled for my brother. I reached down in my fanny pack and I took out my hoodie and shoved it in the hole in my pants leg and waited for him."
Mech considers himself lucky he wasn't shot int he femoral artery which could have led to his bleeding out in minutes. He is reevaluating how and if he continues hunting.
"I'm not rushing to get back into the woods," he said.
Ohh shoot.

Albuquerque woman warns of defect with Taurus gun after unintentional shooting

Judy Price, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, bought a Taurus PT Millenium handgun for protection. One day, while taking off her sweatshirt her concealed weapons waistband holster fell. When the gun hit the floor it discharged. The bullet went into her thigh, through her colon and intestines and lodged in her liver. Judy suffered months of complications and surgeries.
She is now on a crusade to warn people about this defect with the Taurus handgun. She says she knows of at least five other cases where a similar thing happened. Judy has made fliers that she distributes at concealed weapon carry classes and plans to pass them out a gun shows.
Because guns are not regulated for safety by the Consumer Product Safety Commission there is no mechanism in place to force gun manufacturers to recall defective guns or to demand that safety features be incorporated into the design of new guns. A gun that fires when it is dropped would clearly not meet product safety standards.
Ohh shoot.

Toy fund in memory of boy killed at machine gun shoot makes 2nd annual donation

In October 2008, 8-year-old Christopher Bizilj went with his father and older brother to a Machine Gun Shoot and Firearms Expo held at the Westfield Sportsman's Club in Massachusetts. While firing a fully automatic 9mm micro-Uzi submachine gun Christopher lost control of the weapon. The gun recoiled and he was shot in the head. Christopher was taken to Baystate Children's Hospital where he died of his injuries.
Last year Christopher's aunt, Lisa Wargo, helped found the Christopher Bizilj Memorial Fund. The Fund collects toys which are then donated to the children who are patients at Baystate hospital.
"Baystate Children's Hospital was so good to us at that tragic time," said Wargo. "The goal of this memorial fund is to provide toys for its patients and to help continue the hospital's bereavement box program to help parents deal with their loss."

The Fund has just completed their 2nd annual toy drive and will soon be delivering toys to Baystate hospital. The family hopes that one benefit of the memorial fund will be to associate Christopher's memory with something positive instead of the tragic way he died.

Another dog shoots hunter

78-year-old Billy Brown of Pasco County, Florida was returning from an early morning deer hunting outing with his friend and his bulldog, Eli. They were driving down a bumpy road when the dog knocked over a high-powered Browning .308-caliber rifle.
The gun discharged and the bullet hit Brown in the right leg. It struck his bone and damaged the femoral artery. Brown lost a lot of blood and is currently in the hospital in critical condition.
Brown's sister said he loves his dog, Eli. "His prized possession is this dog and it was totally an accident what happened," she said. "If Eli could talk he would say 'I'm so sorry.'"

Two men target practicing questioned in middle school students' shooting

Two middle school students, ages 13 and 14, at Harwell Middle School in Edinburg, Texas were trying out for the basketball team when they were shot in the school's parking lot. One student was hit in his right armpit and the other was struck in the right side of his upper torso.
"This seems like a freak accident," said a spokesperson for the school district.
Two men who were target practicing on an adjacent ranch were questioned by police.
"We feel certain that the shots came from afar," said the local sheriff.
The men target practicing were in the right line of fire to hit the students, but the bullets would have traveled almost half a mile.
Also questioned was a man who was hunting nearby with an assault rifle. He remains in custody and could be charged with trespassing, weapons violations, and immigration charges.
The student who was shot under the arm was going for a layup at the time. He is in stable condition at the hospital. The other student was shot in the back while waiting to try out and is in critical condition with a bullet embedded in an organ.
Ohh shoot.

Man injured in unintentional shooting has leg amputated on his birthday

27-year-old Joseph Bingham and his older brother Seth, 31, of Juneau, Alaska had just finished a "fun day at the gun range." As they were driving home Seth was riding in the front seat of the pickup truck attempting to unload his pistol when he unintentionally discharged the weapon. The bullet hit Joseph in the leg.
Seth made a tourniquet for his brother's leg out of materials in the truck. According to their father, "Even though his brother shot him, it's also his brother that saved his life."
Seth was medavaced to a hospital in Seattle, Washington were doctors removed Joseph's right leg below the knee. A few days later, on Joseph's birthday, doctors were forced to remove the rest of his leg, about six inches above the knee.
The family has set up an account to help retrofit Joseph's home in Juneau for his new disability.

Employee at gun shop unintentionally discharges weapon, wounds man in business next door

40-year-old John Luebano, an employee of The Bullet Hole gun shop in Jourdanton, Texas, was unloading a 9mm handgun when he unintentionally discharged the weapon. The bullet went through the wall and into the business next door, Revolution Gymnastics. The bullet then ricocheted off a wall and struck a gymnastics coach in the eye. The coach, 31-year-old Joe Gonzalez, was treated and released at a local hospital.
A woman whose two daughters attend class at the gymnastics studio said Gonzalez was teaching tumbling lessons when he suddenly grabbed his eye, which was bleeding, and said he couldn't see.
Parents were concerned when the gun shop recently opened up next door to the studio. "It could have been one of our kids," said one mother. "Someone could have ended up dead."
Police said the gun shop employee would probably not face any charges, calling the incident an accident. Adding that there have been no other problems or incidents at the shop in the short time it's been opened.
Ohh shoot.

Police officer unintentionally discharges gun during drug raid, another officer fires back

Baltimore, Maryland city and county police were working together to arrest 38-year-old Vernon Jackson on marijuana possession and distribution charges. When they entered the residence where Jackson worked as a caretaker a Baltimore County police officer unintentionally discharged his weapon. The bullet hit a Baltimore City officer in the arm. Investigators believe that the city officer shot back, believing he was in danger.
According to the police investigating the incident, "Preliminarily, the investigation would indicate the Baltimore Police Department detective fired several rounds in response to the perceived threat."
A local television station reported finding at least five bullet holes inside the residence. No one else was injured in the gunfire and the city officer was taken to the hospital for treatment. The county officer was placed on paid administrative leave, pending the completion of the investigation.
The homeowner said she had no idea her caretaker had drugs. She was also upset because the police told her they would not pay for the damage the gunfire caused to her home.
Ohh shoot.

Three injured over the weekend in separate Iowa hunting accidents

Three people were shot and injured in separate hunting accidents this weekend in Iowa.
35-year-old Benjamin Parker, of Grinnell, IA, shot himself in the foot when his gun became tangled in some bags he was carrying. Parker had just finished hunting for the day and while trying to free the gun Parker unintentionally discharged the weapon. He was taken to a hospital in Des Moines with a non-life threatening injury.
25-year-old Ryan Mills, from Altoona, IA was shot when a deer ran between him and other hunters in his group. The bullet passed through the deer and hit Mills in the thigh. Mills was airlifted to the hospital in Des Moines where he was treated for his injury.
38-year-old Thomas Burns, of Waterloo, IA, was shot in the midsection when one of the people he was hunting with went to shoot a running deer. The bullet missed the deer and struck Burns instead. Burns was hunting with 21 other people when the incident occurred. He was airlifted to the hospital in Des Moines where he is in stable condition.
"Hunters need to plan the hunt and then hunt the plan so that all of the hunters know where the other members of their party will be," said Iowa Department of Natural Resources Safety Officer. "Shooting at deer running between members of a hunting party is the number one cause of shooting related injuries during shotgun deer season."
Ohh shoot.

He told the police he thought the gun wasn't loaded

19-year-old Brandon Willis of Dallas, Texas, told police he didn't think the .38 caliber handgun was loaded when he pointed the gun at his roommate and pulled the trigger. Willis said he was talking with his roommate, 18-year-old Daveon Johnson, explaining "how he'd been shot in the past" when he pointed the gun and pulled the trigger several times. The gun discharged, striking Johnson in the upper right side of his back. Johnson was taken to the hospital where he died of his injuries.
Willis has been charged with manslaughter. Police are investigating other elements which may have contributed to the incident, including the possible use of drugs or alcohol.
Ohh shoot.

Man who liked to scare girlfriend with gun unintentionally shoots and kills himself

When 26-year-old Nathan Grasa of Middletown, Ohio starts drinking he likes to get his gun out and scare his live-in girlfriend. In February he was arrested for "inducing panic" after one such incident. But Sunday things didn't go quite the way Grasa had planned.
While his girlfriend, his 4-year-old daughter, and another women were in the apartment, Grasa got out his gun. Thinking the safety was on he put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. Unfortunately, for Grasa, the safety wasn't on and he shot himself. He died at the scene.
Police have ruled the fatal shooting an accident.
Ohh shoot.