TSA Stops Record Number of Firearms at Airport Security Checkpoints in 2022

 TSA officers stopped 6,542 firearms from getting through airport security checkpoints in 2022.  This is an increase of over 300% in just the last decade. Firearms were caught at 262 airports nationwide. TSA reports that of the guns caught in 2022 approximately 88% were loaded. 

At Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, Georgia TSA officers found more than one gun every day. The 2022 total for Atlanta was 448 firearms. The next top airports were Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, 385 firearms, George Bush Airport Houston, Texas, 298 firearms, Nashville Airport, Tennessee, 213 firearms and Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, Arizona, 196 firearms. 

Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms if they are in their checked baggage. Guns must be unloaded and packed in a locked case. Ammunition must be in its original box. The firearm must be brought to the attention of the airline at the check-in counter. Firearms are transported in the belly of the aircraft so that they are not accessible during flight. 

Earlier this week a man was stopped at Washington National Airport when security found a loaded .25-caliber handgun in his carry-on bag. The man claimed he forgot he had his gun with him. He was cited on a weapon charge that carries a penalty of no more than $15,000.  

Question - should someone who forgets they are carrying around a loaded gun be allowed to own a deadly weapon?

8-year-old boy unintentionally shot by babysitter

39-year-old Mike Lee Dickey was babysitting an 8-year-old Casa Grande, Arizona boy.  According to police, at about 2 a.m., Dickey was in the bathroom removing his .45-caliber handgun from the waistband of his pants when he unintentionally discharged the gun. 

The bullet passed through two doors and struck the 8-year-old in his arm while he lay sleeping in a nearby bedroom.

The boy was flown to a hospital in Phoenix for treatment.  No charges have been filed but the report has been passed on to the County Attorney's Office. 

9-year-old girl unintentionally shoots and kills gun range instructor

43-year-old Alexander MacLachlan, of Weekhawken, New Jersey, was vacationing with his wife and three children in Las Vegas when they decided to visit The Last Stop Burger and Bullets in White Hills, Arizona.

The family took a monster truck ride and then headed over to the shooting range. Alexander was the first to shoot a weapon. His 9-year-old daughter went next.

The gun range instructor, 39-year-old Charles Vacca, showed the 9-year-old how to use an Uzi automatic submachine gun. He showed her how to shoot the gun, how to stand and helped her fire a few rounds. He then stepped back and let her fire the gun herself in the fully automatic mode.

The recoil from the Uzi wrenched the gun upward, shooting Vacca in the head. Vacca was airlifted to a Las Vegas hospital where he died a few hours later.

The range's operator said the parents had signed waivers and added that they had never had a safety problem before and had a policy of allowing children 8 and older to fire guns under adult supervision.

Prosecutors said they do not plan to file any charges.  Vacca's family has said they feel sorry for the girl and do not blame her.

Joe Riggs unintentionally shoots himself, putting UFC return on hold

Joe Riggs is an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight fighter.  He was scheduled to make his return to the UFC after eight years away on Sept. 13th.  But his return has been put on hold after he unintentionally shot himself while cleaning his handgun.

Riggs was at his home in Arizona when he unintentionally discharged the handgun, shooting himself in his hand and upper thigh. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

The UFC is currently looking for a replacement for the Sept. 13th fight.

Man unintentionally shoots himself while driving, crashes car

A Flagstaff, Arizona man was returning from picking up his handgun at a gun store where it was being repaired.  While driving he noticed that the .45-caliber handgun was cocked.  He picked up the gun to try to uncock the firearm and unintentionally discharged the weapon.

The bullet hit him in the foot.  He decided to try and continue driving to the hospital but blacked out from the blood loss. His car crashed into a tree in front of a local hospice home.

Paramedics had to cut down the tree in order to remove him from the car.  He was taken to the hospital for treatment.

The incident is still under investigation and no charges have been filed. 

Man unintentionally shoots and kills girlfriend trying to adjust his gun while hugging her

24-year-old Amanda Mosley, of Phoenix, Arizona, was hugging her 18-year-old boyfriend. She complained because the handgun sticking in the waistband of his pants was uncomfortable to her. When he went to remove the handgun from his waistband he unintentionally discharged the weapon, shooting Amanda.

Amanda was taken to the hospital but died as a result of her injuries.

Police say the incident appears to be accidental but the case will be sent to the Maricopa Attorney's Office for review.

According to an article in the Phoenix New Times at least 10 other people in Arizona have been unintentionally shot and killed this year.

Man buys gun for protection, unintentionally shoots and kills friend

20-year-old Joe Colter, of Glendale, Arizona, was with some friends playing video games. Colter started joking with one of his friends about having a gun. According to reports, he reached into his back pocket and took out a 9mm handgun. Keeping the gun hidden behind his back he racked the slide to eject the chambered round. But he neglected to remove the magazine and didn't realize that he had also chambered a second round.
Colter pointed the gun in the direction of his friend and pulled the trigger expecting to hear a "click." Instead, the gun went off and he shot his friend in the chest.
The man was taken to the hospital where he later died.
Colter told police he had purchased the gun three months earlier for protection. He bought the gun through a private sale via an Internet website. Because it was a private sale, with no background check, Colter did not have be 21. If he had gone to a licensed firearm dealer he would not have been able to buy the handgun.
Colter told police he wasn't really familiar with the gun. He didn't receive an owner's manual, had received no training and had only fired the handgun once before, at a range.
Colter and other witnesses at the scene said the two men were good friends and that the shooting was unintentional. Colter is being charged with reckless manslaughter.

4-year-old boy unintentionally shoots and kills his father

35-year-old Justin Thomas, of Phoenix, Arizona, and his 4-year-old son made an unannounced trip Friday to visit a friend in Prescott, Arizona. Just minutes after arriving in the home, the boy found a loaded, unlocked handgun. He picked up the gun, asked a question about it, then pulled the trigger.
Thomas was shot in the chest. He was taken to the local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Thomas is an Army special forces veteran who served in Iraq.
A man who lives next door to where the shooting occurred said his neighbor kept a loaded gun for protection.
"This appears to be an accident," said a police spokesperson. "There was no conflict in the stories of those in the house. The resident didn't know his former roommate was stopping by to visit. We want to remind people without making a villain of this person, that if a child is visting our home, the first thing to do would be put the firearm away."
Police do not expect to file any charges against the gun owner.

Man showing off his new handgun unintentionally shoots and kills girlfriend

23-year-old Matthew Walsh, of Mesa, Arizona bought a .38-caliber handgun. Because he was on probation for possession of drug paraphernalia and forgery he was not allowed to possess firearms, so he bought the handgun through a private sale where there would be no background check. He met the seller in a casino parking lot.
Three days later he was showing his girlfriend, 18-year-old Amanda Encinas, the gun when he unintentionally discharged the weapon.
The bullet struck Amanda in the hip, hitting her artery. She was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Walsh admitted pulling the trigger but said he thought the gun was unloaded. According to the police report, "He said he attended gun-safety classes as a youth and does not know why he pulled the trigger while the gun was pointed in his girlfriend's direction. He said he knows he should not have pulled the trigger."
Walsh was arrested and charged with manslaughter.

15-year-old unintentionally shoots and kills 17-year-old friend with stolen gun

Three Phoenix, Arizona teens, a 15-year-old girl, a 16-year-old boy, and 17-year old Raymond Berryman broke into the house of one of Berryman's neighbors.
They stole several guns as well as a number of other items. While they were back home going through the stolen items the girl picked up one of the stolen handguns and began playing with it. Thinking the gun was not loaded, she pointed the gun at Berryman and pulled the trigger.
Berryman was shot in the chest. Paramedics found him laying in the middle of the street. He was taken to the hospital where he died of his injuries.
The girl is being held on homicide and burglary charges. The other boy will be charged with burglary.
Police did not indicate how the stolen guns were stored and whether or not they had been locked up.

Man on probation for unintentional gun death violates no firearms provision, posts picture on Facebook with gun

24-year-old Fredrick Lavin, of Globe, Arizona was on four years intensive probation for the unintentionally shooting death of his friend, Kyle Keller.
In Feb. 2008, Lavin, Keller and another friend, Ryan McKelvy, were target shooting with an AK-47 and a handgun. Lavin picked up the handgun, thinking it was not loaded. According to police reports, "He pointed the gun in an unspecified direction and pulled the trigger to dry fire it. The bullet hit Keller in the head and killed him."
Lavin was sentenced to four years probation and was ordered to not use or possess weapons while on probation. But recently a Gila county Sheriff's detective discovered a photo of Lavin on Facebook posing with a rifle and a three-point buck. Records show that Lavin had been drawn for a deer hunting permit this year. (Arizona, like many other states, does not coordinate the list of those prohibited from possessing firearms with the list of those receiving hunting permits.)
Lavin's probation was revoked and he was sentenced to five years in prison, including 2.5 years for negligent homicide and 2.5 years for weapons misconduct.

Five months later teen struggles to recover from unintentional shooting

In December, 14-year-old Ethan Younger, of Phoenix, Arizona, was at a sleepover at a friend's house. One of the boys was playing with a loaded shotgun and unintentionally shot Ethan in the leg. The blast obliterated his femoral artery, causing severe bleeding.
Ethan was rushed to Phoenix Children's Hospital where he began a long, difficult journey to recovery. "It was a nightmare, you just feel helpless," said Ethan's mother Kristine. Ethan's recovery is chronicled in a blog, EthanYounger.blogspot.com. He has undergone fourteen surgeries in the past five months. According to a recent blog entry:

We recently learned that Ethan is going to need an artery replacement within 10 years....He will also need artery replacements about every 10 years which was kind of hard news. We knew he would need a vascular surgeon all his life, but we were not expecting major tune ups every ten years.

Ethan is also doing volunteer fundraising for Phoenix Children's Hospital, as a way of giving back to the hospital that saved his life.

Woman taking firearm self-defense course unintentionally shoots herself

A 49-year-old Granite Bay, California woman was taking an all-female class at the Gunsite Academy in Paulden, Arizona when she unintentionally shot herself. According to the Gunsite's website they offer "personal gun training and how to learn the responsible, safe and effective use of small arms in self-defense gun training courses."
A statement from the sheriff's office said, the woman was "reholstering her gun when she accidentally shot herself in her upper leg and was flown out to Flagstaff Medical Center." She remains in the hospital, listed in good condition.
In May 2010, there was another unintentional shooting at Gunsite. A man was mistaken for a target when he walked out on a catwalk and one of his colleagues shot him. The incident happened in a "live-fire tactical simulator", a large building for indoor shooting exercises with a catwalk around the perimeter for observers. The man was struck in the abdomen and recovered from his injuries.

Gun unintentionally discharged in Walmart bathroom stall

24-year-old Andrew Seals, of Phoenix, Arizona, was inside the bathroom of a Walmart store in Mesa when his gun unintentionally discharged. According to reports, Seals entered a bathroom stall about 1 p.m. and began to sit down when his Ruger .357-caliber revolver fell out of its holster and fired a round when it hit the floor.
The bullet went through the stall door, hit a wall, ricocheted off a light and landed about 5 feet from a man who was standing at a urinal.
Seals has not been charged but police are asking prosecutors to charge him with one count of endangerment. The man who was nearly hit is assisting with the possible prosecution.
Arizona does not require people to get a permit before being able to carry loaded, hidden guns in public. Nor is there any requirement for firearm safety training before being able to carry a concealed weapon.
Ohh shoot.

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.

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.

Woman unintentionally discharges handgun outside Safeway supermarket

A 39-year-old woman unintentionally discharged a handgun outside of a Safeway supermarket in Prescott Valley, Arizona. The .38-caliber handgun inside her backpack discharged when she adjusted her backpack. According to police the gun was not secured in a holster. The bullet struck a column in the front of the store and no one was hurt. The woman was charged with suspicion of criminal damage and disorderly conduct with a weapon.
Arizona does not require any sort of permit or safety training before an individual can carry a loaded, hidden gun in public.
Ohh shoot.

Man unintentionally shoots himself in the penis

27-year-old Joshua Seto of Chandler, Arizona was shopping with his girlfriend in a local grocery store. He was trying to put her pink handgun into the front waistband of his pants when he unintentionally discharged the gun. The bullet went through his penis and then continued through his left thigh. According to dispatch records heavy bleeding started immediately. During the 911 call the operator told his girlfriend, Cara Christopher, to apply direct pressure to the wound but to avoid looking at it. "I did look at it," she replied. "It's pretty bad."
Seto was taken to the hospital where his condition has not been released. It is not known if he will suffer any permanent damage. Police are warning people who carry loaded, hidden guns in public to use holsters, not waistbands. Police are also investigating possible charges against Seto.
A local television station interviewed several men, asking how they felt about the story.

Congresswoman on Sarah Palin's "target list" shot in head

Representative Gabrielle Gifford of Arizona was shot in the head today at a public event outside of a grocery store in Tucson. While events are still unclear, it has been reported that 18 people were shot, six of them have died, including Arizona Judge John Roll, a member of the Congresswoman's staff, and a 9-year-old child. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and the families of this horrible tragedy.

In March, Sarah Palin posted a "target list" on her Facebook page. Congresswoman Gifford was on this list.

9-year-old injured when shotgun fired from neighbor's apartment

A 9-year-old girl was injured when a shotgun blast came through the wall of her Apache Junction, Arizona apartment. Two teenage boys in the neighboring apartment are facing charges of an accidental discharge of a weapon.
The girl was sitting in her apartment when she was struck in the chest and abdomen by the shotgun pellets. Her injuries were not life threatening and she is recovering in a Phoenix hospital. According to police, "she is an extremely lucky little girl" that she was not more seriously injured.
Police were not able to recover the shotgun because it had been discarded by the suspects.
Ohh shoot.