Man kills masked burglar, then discovers it's his 15-year-old son

44-year-old Jeffrey Giuliano, of New Fairfield, Connecticut, got a call from his sister who lives next door about 1 a.m. Thursday. She told him she thought someone was trying to break into her house. So Giuliano grabbed a gun and went outside.
According to reports, when he got outside he found a man dressed in black with a black ski mask covering his face. The man was holding a knife. Giuliano told police that a confrontation occurred, that the man approached him in a "threatening manner" and he was afraid he was about to be assaulted with the knife, so he opened fire.
Giuliano shot the man multiple times, including shooting him in the head.
Police arrived just moments later and found Giuliano sitting on the grass, dressed in a t-shirt and shorts. The man he shot lay dead in the driveway, the knife still in his hand.
A state police spokesperson said the identity of the dead man was not determined until some time after the shooting when detectives removed the mask and discovered it was Giuliano's 15-year-old son, Tyler. "All in all it's a tragedy," he said.
A town official told reporters, "You certainly don't expect it to happen in your own small hometown where there's very little crime."
Giuliano is a fifth-grade teacher at the local school. Tyler was a student in his class and after learning his grandmother was too ill to care for him, Giuliano adopted the boy.
According to a classmate of Tyler's, "He's a great student. He got straight A's. He barely did anything wrong in high school. He was one of the nicest kids you would ever meet."
Detectives are working to figure out exactly what happened. They say the investigation will take weeks.

"Extremely disoriented" hospital patient finds gun in wife's purse, shoots it

68-year-old Kyle Bragg of Glynco, Georgia was a patient in a hospital in Jacksonville, Florida. His wife, 64-year-old Linda Bragg, who has a concealed weapons permit, was visiting Kyle. Linda forgot she had a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun in her purse.
According to a hospital spokesperson, Kyle "who is a patient at the hospital who does appear to be extremely disoriented went into his wife's purse where there was a gun. A that time he did fire off a round. It did go into a wall."
Florida allows individuals with a permit to carry loaded, hidden guns into hospitals. The public can only hope that those with a concealed weapons permit can at the very least remember where their guns are.

Woman attending New Mexico State University football game shot by stray bullet

57-year-old Patsy Beljarano of Las Cruces, New Mexico was attending her first college home football game at Aggie Memorial Stadium at New Mexico State University. She was sitting in the general admission section, eating candy when she felt something sting her left leg. She reached down, touched her jeans and saw blood, and realized she had been shot.
A local fire chief sitting in the same section tended to Patsy's wound until the paramedics arrived. She was airlifted to a medical center in El Paso. She was treated and released the next day and is now home recovering from her injuries.
Police are investigating the incident. They believe the bullet was probably fired from outside the stadium, possibility in celebration of a touchdown.
Patsy believes her leg probably blocked the bullet from hitting a young boy who was in the seat next to her.
Patsy told reporters that she had witnessed a shooting several years ago during a high school football game when a 14-year-old boy was wounded.
"It's ridiculous," she said. "You can't even go out anywhere anymore."

Man trying to reload handgun unintentionally shoots and kills his friend

27-year-old Daniel Griffin, of Middlesex, North Carolina, was trying to reload a handgun when he unintentionally discharged the weapon. The bullet struck his friend, 21-year-old Taylor Samonia who was in a wheelchair nearby.
Taylor was struck in the left side and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Griffin has been arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Flight attendant forgot she had gun in handbag, police unintentionally discharge gun while examining it

Jaclyn Luby is a flight attendant for Republic Airlines, a small regional carrier who operates flights for US Airways. On Sunday morning she showed up to work but forgot she had a loaded, unlocked handgun in her purse.
According to reports, Luby was walking through airport screening at Terminal C at Philadelphia International Airport around 6:50 a.m. She placed her purse and carry-on bag through the x-ray machine. TSA screeners saw the .38 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun and notified a Philadelphia police officer.
The officer was trying to secure the weapon when she unintentionally discharged the gun. The bullet went into a TSA break room where an employee was sitting. No one was injured.
Luby has a concealed weapons permit for the gun but told police she forgot the gun was in her purse. She received a summary citation for disorderly conduct. Despite the fact that she lost track of her loaded, unlocked handgun, she will be allowed to continue to carry a gun in public.
According to a police spokesperson, the officer who discharged the gun "will go back to training for handling weapons. She will be off the streets for a period of time."

Hunter unintentionally shoots and kills himself while on cell phone with girlfriend

59-year-old David Young, of Gaston, South Carolina, was out hunting, walking on a road near St. Matthews and talking on the phone with his girlfriend when the cellphone went silent.
According to the coroner, his fiancee "could not get any response from him on the cellphone and she alerted authorities to the location."
When the sheriff arrived they found Young "with no signs of life and with an apparent gunshot wound to the chest."
It appears that Young tripped and fell which caused him to unintentionally discharge the gun.
A spokesman reminded hunters to "always make sure your guns are pointed in a safe direction and that the safety is on."

Man in critical condition after being hit in face by ricochet bullet

Two men got into a fight over a woman at the Southern Pines Mobile Home Park in Little Rock, Arkansas. According to a witness, "the dude in the crutches pulled the gun out and shot."
Witnesses said the gun was pointed towards the ground when it was fired. The bullet then ricocheted across the street and struck a man in the face. Two days later the man remained in the hospital in critical condition.
A mother whose children were outside playing said, "It could have been an innocent kid that got shot about nothing, just like an innocent person got shot about nothing."

After overcoming homelessness as a teenager to become a star high school football player 22-year-old unintentionally shoots and kills himself

When 22-year-old Marcus Dixon was in the seventh grade his father drove him to Stamford, Connecticut, dropped him off and told him 'Kid, you're on your own now.'
Thankfully, Marcus was taken in and later adopted by the McInerney family. He went on to become captain of the Stamford High School football team.
According to his coach, "When he came to us there were a lot of things that we needed to address that had nothing to do with football, but we used football as a way to deal with them. The turnaround that kid made is probably the greatest I have ever seen in my 20 years of coaching."
Marcus went on to play football at West Point before moving back to Stamford. Last week he was showing his Glock handgun to friends when he unintentionally shot and killed himself.
According to police, "The gun came out, they said he pulled the magazine out, started showing everybody, and then at that point he put it up towards his head and we think he believed the gun was unloaded and it went off."
His friends tried to perform CPR to save his life but police say knowing the type of gunshot wound he would never have survived it.

Man who unintentionally shot and killed his wife admits he did a "stupid thing by getting drunk and messing with a rifle."

59-year-old Bertrand Schroeder, of Dreher Twp., Pennsylvania, admitted that it was a "stupid thing" to get drunk and start "messing" with his rifles. While trying to unload one of the guns he unintentionally discharged the weapon and shot his wife, Donnalynn, in the neck.
Donnylynn, 51, was taken to the hospital and died during surgery.
Schroeder told police that his wfie had bought him a case of beer in the morning and that he spent most of the day drinking the beer. He also told police that his wife had given him money to buy the two rifles a month ago because she was concerned about rabid raccoons. Rather than go to a licensed dealer who would perform a criminal background check, he bought the guns from "a guy over in Moscow" because he knew it was illegal for him to possess guns as he had an aggravated assault conviction in New Jersey.
Schroeder was arrested and charged with criminal homicide, illegal firearm possession and fifty counts of cruelty to animals.
The animal cruelty charges were related to 50 beagles police found inside the home. According to the complaint the home and conditions were "deplorable for both human and animal welfare." The dogs were taken to a local shelter.

Vendor made up story about robbery, too embarrassed to admit he unintentionally shot himself

30-year-old Dusty Moore, of North Ogden, Utah, operates a corn stand at a small strip mall. He told police that he was robbed and shot Saturday morning. He described the robber as a man between 25 and 30 years old, 5 foot 6 inches to 5 foot 8 inches tall and 190 pounds. He added that the suspect appeared to be Hispanic and was wearing a white shirt and blue jeans.
The owner of the farm that sells the corn to Moore told reporters that Moore was robbed at the same location about a month ago. "He didn't go back to work for a few days after the robbery," the farmer said. "He was jittery."
But after a police investigation and interview with Moore, it was determined that Moore unintentionally discharged his handgun, inflicting a single gunshot wound to his lower back.
Police said Moore made up the story about the crime because he was embarrassed that he had wounded himself.
Police have also determined that Moore's claim of being robbed earlier in the summer are also false.
Moore faces charges of accidental discharge of a firearm and making a false report to police.

Deputy testing holster for defect that could cause unintentional trigger pull unintentionally shot

Deputy John Parsons, a Berks County, Pennsylvania deputy sheriff, was on the 17th floor of the Berks County Courthouse. He and another deputy were trying to determine if the service holster they used was susceptible to an unintentional trigger pull.
The sheriff had received an alert from the U.S. Marshal Service about the holster, the Blackhawk LV3 tactical holster, stating there was a possible defect. So the deputies, both firearms instructors, wanted to test the holsters.
According to a statement from the sheriff's office the two were trying to determine if the holster was susceptible to a suspect reaching inside the holster and pulling the trigger. "The objective of the training exercise was to prevent a scenario such as this from happening," said the sheriff. "During the training process, another sheriff's deputy was able to reach over and grab Deputy Parsons' weapon, at which time Deputy Parsons' gun accidentally discharged."
Before testing the holster both deputies unloaded their guns. They were unable to duplicate the unintentional trigger pull and were preparing to go back to work. Parsons reloaded his pistol but the second deputy did not realize that.
"Within a few minutes the other deputy said he figured it out and reached for Parsons' gun and it went off," said the sheriff.
Parsons, who was shot in the leg, was taken to the hospital for emergency surgery. The other deputy was placed on desk duty. Both deputies were offered counseling and assistance from the union trauma support team.
The department has decided to no longer use the holsters.

Mother, 22, leaves her concealed weapon on couch. Son, 3, finds gun and shoots himself.

22-year-old Lisa Evans, of Clarksville, Tennessee, took off her concealed weapon, a Kel Tec .380 handgun, and put the gun on a couch. She thought her 3-year-old son was eating at a table in a different area of the apartment so she sat down at the computer, with her back to the couch.
She heard a gunshot and turned to see her son crying and holding his abdomen. The child was taken by Lifeflight helicopter to the medical center in Nashville for surgery. He is alert and talking but in critical condition.
Evans has a concealed weapons permit.
Police are still investigating the incident and charges may be filed against the mother.

18-year-old unintentionally shoots best friend in the head while hanging weapons on a wall

18-year-old Louis Dercqu, of Rineyville, Kentucky, was with his best friend, 19-year-old Shelby Langley. The two teens were hanging weapons on a wall for display in Shelby's room. Louis was handling a .22 caliber rifle when he unintentionally discharged the gun, shooting Shelby in the head.
"It was a very, very tragic accident, no other way of putting it," said Shelby's mother.
"He was a cancer survivor, a volunteer fire fighter, had a job that he loved, got his dream car last year from his mommy and dad, and was getting ready to start Spencerian College this month," added Shelby's godmother. "He had his life planned out."
Police are investigating the incident. Shelby's family does not want charges filed against Louis.
"My heart breaks for my son and the loss, and my heart breaks for what Louis is having to live with," said Shelby's mother.

Father arrested for child abuse after 11-year-old son shoots mother with a gun he found hidden in his own room

37-year-old Daniel Duggan, of Loudon County, Tennessee bought a .22-caliber Derringer handgun for protection. He hid the loaded, unlocked gun between the mattress and the slats of a bunk bed in his 11-year-old son's bedroom. Wednesday night the boy found the gun and unintentionally shot his mother, Stacy, at point blank range in the back of the head.
Duggan told reporters that the three of them were in the same room when the shot was fired. "I didn't see the gun," Duggan said. "I just saw the flash and I knew what it was. He (Duggan's son) said,'Oh God, I thought it was a fake gun.'"
Stacy was taken to the hospital where she is in serious condition.
Duggan has been arrested and charged with child abuse by neglect for leaving a gun where his son could get access to it. All four children in the home have been taken into Department of Children's Services custody.
Police took three guns out of the child's bedroom.
Both husband and wife have arrest records that include DUIs, drug and theft charges. The couple has also faced child abuse charges in the past. In 2011, Duggan was charged in connection with an automobile accident that left his son with motor skills problems. In another incident, the boy was run over by a lawn mower at his home, losing three of his toes.
The current incident is still under investigation and the sheriff's office said Stacy could face the same child abuse charge.

Man shoots neighbor's dog, shrapnel injures woman standing nearby

49-year-old Bing Michael Yee, of Cedar Park, Texas was out walking his dog when a neighbor's dog came out of a house and ran towards him. According to police, Hayes pulled out a handgun "and just starts shooting the dog. I don't know how many rounds he fired, but the dog was killed. People were either in a yard near Yee or across the street from him."
One of the women standing nearby was injured by shrapnel or debris kicked up by the shots. She was taken to the hospital, treated and released.
According to witnesses, when the people outside reacted to Yee shooting the dog he aimed the gun at them and continued to point the gun at another neighbor who stepped outside when he heard the shots. Several people told him, "You need to put your weapon down."
The dog's owner, Amber, told reporters, "Shock, horror, disbelief. I was probably 20 feet from the guy when he unloaded his gun into my dog."
"I've met him. I've been in his house," said Billy, Amber's husband. "His dog has played with my dog. I don't understand why there was so much aggression and violence and the outcome."
Yee, who has a concealed weapons permit, lives on a corner lot with an NRA sticker on his front door. He has told neighbors that he owns dozens of guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
Yee was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and deadly conduct discharging a firearm.

Man trying to demonstrate proper way to hold gun unintentionally shoots and kills himself

43-year-old James Gagum, of Conway, South Carolina was watching a movie with friends when an argument broke out about how one of the characters was holding a gun. "That's not how it's done," said Gagum. He picked up a handgun to demonstrate the "proper way". He put the gun to his head and, not realizing the gun was loaded,repeatedly pulled the trigger. On the third pull the handgun fired, shooting Gagum in the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
In 2010 Gagum shot and killed a man who broke into his home and demanded money and valuables. Gagum said three men broke into his home and one of them pointed a gun at him and his wife.
"It was him instead of me or me instead of him," Gagum said. "I shot him with a .357 three times, square in the mid-section."
Gagum was not charged in the killing.

Mother charged in connection with 13-year-old son's unintentional shooting of his friend

Last April, 13-year-old Elijah Yussuf, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania was home alone with his friend, 14-year-old Tyler Winstead. Elijah, who had a "striking fondness and familiarity" with his father's .22-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun, was playing with the gun. He turned towards Tyler and unintentionally discharged the weapon.
The bullet struck Tyler in the chest and punctured his lung and heart. Tyler died of his injuries.
Elijah's mother, Angelina Deabreu, helped cover up the incident. She hid the gun and perpetuated Elijah's claim of a drive-by shooting. Deabreu was charged last week with hiding the gun, destroying evidence, and lying to investigators.
The district attorney stated that Elijah's relationship with the gun underscored a child-like curiosity fostered by ignorant parenting and a disregard within his home for standard gun-safety measures.
"I don't know if his mother even knew, or was aware that her child knew there was a gun in the house and that he had access to it," said the district attorney. "That's what scares me. That's what's more frightening than anything - parents not knowing and having kids play with guns in the home. This is what happens."
The investigation into the incident revealed that Elijah had showed the gun to friends months prior to the shooting and had also taken pictures of the gun to show to friends.
The gun was kept in an unlocked lockbox so it was easily accessible.
Elijah is scheduled to be sentenced November 2nd on an undisclosed charge in juvenile court.