Student Unintentionally Shoots Himself While Walking on Campus

 A 39-year-old college student at Daytona State College in Daytona Beach, Florida is in critical condition after unintentionally shooting himself in the thigh. 

According to police, the student was running late to class when surveillance footage showed him pulling into the parking lot and hurrying towards a building. Seconds later the gun tucked into his waistband unintentionally discharged and he fell to the ground. The student was found unconscious, laying on top of a 9mm handgun. 

Police noted that while the student did have a concealed weapons permit, carrying a firearm on school grounds is illegal. 

"We don't know what his intentions were," said police. "He could have forgotten that he had it tucked in his waistband, or he could have been intentionally taking it with him to class." The student is facing charges for violating the campus firearm policy. 

Just this week Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation that would allow residents to carry a concealed loaded weapon without a permit or any firearm training.  A recent study out of Johns Hopkins University found that loosening concealed carry laws was associated with a 24% increase in the rate of assault with firearms. 

Woman playing with handgun unintentionally shoots and kills stepson

 A Pembroke Pines, Florida woman was fooling around with a handgun when she unintentionally shot and killed her 15-year-old stepson. According to a friend of the teen who was there that night the family was celebrating another child who had just graduated from elementary school. 

The friend said the gun was on the dining room table and the stepmother was playing with it. He said she was laughing and told everyone to stay calm as she pointed the gun at everyone including the dogs. The teen left the room and a moment later he heard a gunshot. When he ran back into the room his friend was on the floor and he wasn't breathing. 

According to the police: The firearm was discharged unintentionally due to negligence and mishandling." Prosecutors have yet to determine if charges will be filed. 

14-year-old in critical condition after unintentionally shooting himself in neck

 A 14-year-old Ocala, Florida boy was visiting a friend when he found a loaded, unlocked gun in the parents' dresser drawer. The boy unintentionally discharged the gun, shooting himself in the neck. 

When police arrived they found the boy lying on the floor and two women attempting to resuscitate him. The officer took over the CPR and after a few minutes the boy began breathing again and was able to move his head.  

The teen was taken to the hospital where he remains in critical condition. 

The owner of the gun was at work when the shooting took place. Police are investigating the incident and note that under Florida law guns must be stored in a locked box or secured with a trigger lock to prevent a minor accessing the gun. 

Man drops gun in Cracker Barrel, gun discharges injures customer eating breakfast

William Hoback, of Sanford, Florida, was talking to the person at the checkout counter at a local Cracker Barrel restaurant when his gun slipped out of his holster. When the gun hit the floor it discharged. The bullet hit a kettle and sent fragments flying in several directions.

Three people were hit by the shrapnel, including the restaurant manager, Hoback's finance, and a customer who was eating breakfast.

The customer told police he heard a loud bang and then felt a sharp burning pain in his left shin.  He was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Police did not charge Hoback in the incident and would not say if Hoback had a permit to carry the gun. 

Teen unintentionally shoots friend in the arm and the penis

A 15-year-old Collier County, Florida called 911 for help. "I've been shot. I've been shot," he said. "Can you please call the rescue?"

The 911 dispatcher asked him what kind of gun was used and where he had been shot.

"I don't know," the teen replied.  "Just please come get me, please. I'm bleeding out, please. I think I am shot in the arm...and I think my penis."

The teen was flown to a hospital in For Myers for treatment. He told police a friend had shot him unintentionally and that he had told the friend to leave his house to avoid getting into trouble.

Police are investigated in the incident.  It is not known where the teenagers got the gun. The injured teen has been released from the hospital and is in stable condition.

2-year-old unintentionally discharges father's gun in Wendy's restaurant

Matthew Magish, a Clay Country, Florida sheriff's deputy was off duty and standing in line at a Wendy's restaurant with his 2-year-old son and the boy's maternal grandparents.  Magish was carrying his personal .380-caliber Kel-Tec semiautomatic handgun inside his right front pants pocket.

According to police reports, the boy stuck his hand into the pocket looking for a snack and unintentionally discharged the handgun.

The boy was struck in the foot by a shattered bullet fragment. Bullet fragments also struck the boy's grandfather as well as two female customers standing nearby. The boy and the three adults were treated at the scene by emergency medical personnel.

Magish remains on duty while the investigation into the incident continues.

Pregnant woman shot and killed in unintentional shooting

25-year-old Katherine Hoover of Inverness, Florida was at a friend's house in Brooksville Saturday night.  Katherine and her husband, Carson, were looking at William DeHayes' gun collection, admiring his .22 caliber revolver.  William was holding the gun when he unintentionally discharged the weapon, shooting Katherine in the head. 

Katherine was rushed to the local hospital and airlifted to Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point.  She died of her injuries.

Katherine was five months pregnant and an effort was made to save the unborn child.  Physicians removed the fetus from his dying mother but he was pronounced dead a short time later.

Katherine is survived by her 6-year-old son Nicholas.

Police are still investigating the incident and no charges have been filed against 33-year-old DeHayes.

6-year-old shoots and kills grandfather with unattended assault rifle

Juan Martinez, Sr. was having a barbecue with his son and other family and friends at their home in Homestead, Florida. At some point, Martinez' son, 28-year-old Juan Jr., brought out his assault rifle to show his friend.

According to reports, while outside, Martinez, Jr. removed the magazine, looked inside, and reinserted it into the magazine well. His friend did not wish to touch the rifle, so Martinez handed the rifle to his father, Martinez, Sr. The father placed the gun on a table near the barbecue. The rifle was left unattended.

Martinez, Sr.'s 6-year-old grandson walked over to the table and pulled the trigger of the weapon. The gun fired, shooting Martinez, Sr. in the chest.

"I held him," said Martinez, Jr. "I watched him bleed out. He was breathing very heavy. Then, when the cops got here, they restrained me."

Martinez, Sr. was airlifted to the hospital but died of his injuries.

Martinez, Jr. was arrested and faces charges of culpable negligence of a firearm with easy access to a minor.

According to police, there were people drinking and doing drugs at the home. "Investigators informed us there was alcohol involved. Not only alcohol. We also had drugs. We had cocaine," said a Miami-Dade police detective.

19-year-old on Spring Break in Florida unintentionally shot

19-year-old Katlin Moore, of Quinton, Alabama was with friends in Panama City Beach, Florida on Spring Break.  Moore was helping unload bags out of a vehicle on the 12th floor of a parking garage.  She tossed a red duffel bag on the concrete and when the bag hit the ground a 9mm Cobra Derringer pistol inside the bag unintentionally discharged.

Moore was shot in the leg.  The bullet went straight through her left calf and grazed the back of her right let.  She was taken to the hospital for treatment.

The gun belonged to her friend, 21-year-old Ancelmo Diaz.  According to reports, police have ruled the shooting an "accident" and don't expect to file charges.

Concealed weapons permit holder showing off gun fires shot inside sports bar

36-year-old John Smith of Orlando, Florida was inside Miller's Orlando Airport Ale House when he drew his .45-caliber Kimber handgun to show its safety features to a friend.  Smith unintentionally discharged the gun.  The bullet hit the floor and shattered. 22-year-old Leanabel Torres-Rodriguez was sitting with Smith.  She was struck by a piece of the bullet, leaving a small wound above her right ankle.

After the shooting, Smith panicked, left the bar and drove home.  He later returned, without his handgun, and told police, "I'm the guy you're looking for."

Smith has a concealed weapons permit and told police he was not drinking while at the Ale House.

Smith was issued a trespass warning banning him from the Ale House.  Police are investigating the incident and no other charges have been filed.

Off-duty cop unintentional shoots his gun at Shooters Waterfront Cafe

Miami-Dade Corrections Officer Marcus Thompson was off-duty, sitting at a table at Shooters Waterfront Cafe in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Thompson was getting ready to leave and reached into his right pants pocket for money and a valet ticket. During this process he unintentionally discharged his Glock 19 9mm handgun which was unholstered in the same pocket.

According to reports, the bullet "hit the metal base of the table and fragmented, causing minor shrapnel injuries to multiple persons surrounding the immediate area." At least nine people were injured by the shooting. A 79-year-old woman visiting from New Jersey was taken to the hospital for shrapnel in her buttocks.

After the shooting, Thompson gave the service manager $100 with his bill and left the restaurant with his wife. When the manager realized what had happened he went outside to find Thompson and told him to wait for the police.

The incident is still being investigated and no charges have been filed.

Man selling gun in private sale unintentionally shoots himself

35-year-old Clinton Scott, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida was selling a handgun in a private sale. He had arranged to meet the buyer in a parking lot off Racetrack Road. Scott took the gun out of the trunk of his car and placed it on the hood of the car.

When Scott picked up the gun again, he unintentionally discharged the weapon, shooting himself in the abdomen. Scott had to be taken by medical helicopter to Sacred Heart Hospital for treatment.  He is listed in fair condition.

Police are still investigating the incident.  It is legal under Florida state law to meet a stranger in a parking lot and sell them a gun with no criminal background check run and no records kept. 

4 out of every 10 gunshot injuries in Florida hospitals are due to unintentional shootings

Data collected by the Florida Department of Health has found that four out of every ten people who are rushed to a Florida hospital with a nonfatal gunshot injury were unintentionally shot. In Orange County, Florida that number jumps to more than half of the people treated for nonfatal gunshot injuries.

In addition to leaving injuries which can be permanent, these gunshot wounds cost more than $57 million. The average unintentional gunshot patient admitted to a hospital in Florida required $85,024 in care. Half of that was borne by government providers such as Medicare and Medicaid.

Orlando police chief blamed the high Orange County numbers on the prevalence of firearms there. "Obviously, if you have a higher rate of firearms in a state or county or city, there's going to be a higher rate of nonfatal gun accidents," he said.

He urged gun owners to be responsible, to know at all times where their weapons are and to properly secure them. He added that his officers are finding and seizing too many stolen guns.

A University of Miami pediatrician commented, "We know how to prevent this. We should be reducing access to loaded firearms."

Two people injured in separate unintentional firing range shootings

A civilian police officer employed with the U.S. Marine Corps Support Facility at Blount Island in Florida unintentionally shot himself while training at a firing range in Jacksonville.

According to reports, the officer was putting his handgun in his holster when "the trigger was pulled and he shot a round through his calf."

He was taken to the local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

A 77-year-old Scarborough, Maine man unintentionally shot himself at a local firing range. The man fired a .22-caliber single-action revolver into his abdomen. According to police, "he was handling a firearm at Scarborough Fish and Game and it discharged. He was there by himself, unfortunately, but he was able to make a phone call and get us there."

The man was taken to the local hospital with life-threatening injuries. He underwent surgery and is recovering.

Toddler unintentionally shoots and kills himself

2-year-old Taj Ayesh, of Lakeland, Florida followed his mother, 29-year-old Stephanie Nealy, when she walked out of her house to get something out of her boyfriend's truck.

Nealy told police that she moved a loaded, unlocked pistol that was inside the truck as she searched for a card. She said she was facing away from the truck when she heard a gunshot and saw her son fall to the ground.

Nealy and her boyfriend rushed Taj to the hospital where he underwent surgery. Taj did not survive.

Police are investigating the incident.

Teen thinks he is shooting snake, shoots friend instead

18-year-old Jared Hemphill, of Seminole County, Florida, was with his friends, 18-year-old Brandon Rape and 21-year-old Dustin Downer. They were driving in a pickup truck near Sanford when they pulled to the side of the road so Brandon could answer the call of nature.

The men saw a large snake in the road and Jared decided to shoot it, using a semi-automatic .22-caliber Remington Speedmaster rifle that belonged to Dustin.

When Jared heard a noise in the bushes he thought it was the snake so he fired the gun. The shot hit Brandon in the left thigh.

The trio drove to meet an ambulance and Brandon was taken to the hospital. Doctors decided to leave the bullet in his leg.

Brandon does not want to press charges so no one will be arrested.

Charges filed in unintentional shooting death of 11-year-old boy

26-year-old Michael Norman, of Lake City, Florida, has been charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm with altered serial numbers and aggravated manslaughter in connection with the unintentional shooting death of 11-year-old Jarvis Jackson.
Norman was babysitting Jackson and two other children. He told police that he didn't feel the apartment complex was safe so he brought a Ruger 9mm handgun with him for protection.
According to the police report, Norman left the firearm on the kitchen table, loaded and unlocked, visible and accessible by others in the apartment, including the children.
Norman was sleeping when he was awakened around 8 a.m. by the sound of a gunshot. According to reports, the 4-year-old girl woke up to see the 2-year-old girl playing with the handgun. The 4-year-old then joined the 2-year-old in handling the gun. While the 4-year-old was playing with the gun it discharged, shooting Jackson in the neck.
Norman told police he bought the gun "from a guy off of the street in White Springs a few weeks ago." According to a neighbor after the shooting Norman fled the apartment screaming for help. He also kept repeating, "I'm gonna go to prison for this, I'm gonna go to prison for this."

Gun discharges when woman drops purse, shoots friend in the leg

51-year-old Pamela Beck, of Pinellas Park, Florida was at a Starbucks in a mall in St. Petersburg with her friend, 38-year-old Amie Peterson. When Beck put her purse down to pay for her coffee a loaded handgun in her purse discharged. The bullet from the .25-caliber semi-automatic handgun struck Peterson above the knee.
Peterson was treated and released at a nearby trauma center.
Beck told police that she forgot she had the gun in her purse and that she did not have a concealed weapons permit for the gun. She said her father had given her the gun about a year ago.
In December, 2011, a gun discharged in a Starbucks in Cheyenne, Wyoming when a 17-year-old girl dropped her purse and the .38 special Derringer pistol inside discharged. No one was injured in that incident. The girl's father had given her the gun for protection. And in February, 2012 a gun discharged in a mall in South Carolina when a woman put her purse down and the gun inside fired. The bullet hit the woman's friend in the leg.
Guns are the only consumer product manufactured in American not regulated by a federal agency for health and safety. These guns that discharge when bumped clearly have a design flaw yet the Consumer Product Safety Commission has no authority to issue a recall on any gun.

Man unintentionally shoots and kills sister's boyfriend

20-year-old Henry Gonzalez-Galay, of Kissimmee, Florida, was with this sister, Maria, and her boyfriend, 25-year-old Henry Ortiz-Reyes. They pulled into a gas station and Maria went inside to pay for the gas.
After she left the car, Ortiz-Reyes took out a gun from a book bag to show Gonzalez-Galay. When Gonzalez-Galay went to hold the gun he put his finger on the trigger and unintentionally fired the gun, hitting Ortiz-Reyes in the right shoulder.
They took Ortiz-Reyes to the hospital where he died from his injuries. In an effort to cover up the incident, Gonzalez-Galay threw the ammunition in the bushes and put the gun in a hospital dumpster. The police later recovered both the gun and the ammunition.
Gonzalez-Galay has been arrested and charged with manslaughter and tampering with evidence.

Man unintentionally shoots wife while cleaning handgun

23-year-old John Acevedo, of Orlando, Florida had just returned from the gym when he decided to clean his 9 mm Glock handgun. Acevedo was standing in the kitchen of his apartment, attempting to remove the slide from the handgun when he unintentionally discharged the weapon.
The bullet struck his wife, 25-year-old Jean Zambrana, in the right arm and continued into her abdomen. She is expected to recover.
Police have not yet determined if Acevedo will face charges but the Department of Children and Families was notified about the incident because the couple's 1-year-old daughter was in the home at the time of the incident.