Father unintentionally shoots 8-year-old son

Fresno, California police report that an 8-year-old boy was rushed to the hospital Friday afternoon after being unintentionally shot by his father.  The boy and his father were home, along with others, while the father was doing some work on a shotgun which he thought was empty.

He unintentionally discharged the weapon, hitting the boy.  Police said luckily only a few pellets hit the boy.  He was taken to the local hospital for treatment.

Police say these types of accidents happen far too often.

Police confiscated 6 rifles and 4 handguns from the home while the incident is under investigation.

5-year-old shot dead by stray bullet while eating breakfast

5-year-old Payton Benson, of Omaha, Nebraska, was inside her home, eating breakfast, when she was struck by a stray bullet from a drive-by shooting.  Payton was taken to the local hospital where she died of her injuries.

According to police, no one in Payton's house was the intended target.  The bullet was reportedly meant for someone standing on the street and was fired from a city block away.

Police have not made any arrests in the shooting but say they will "leave no stone unturned to solve this homicide."

According to a neighbor, "What I heard was just massive amounts of gunfire. Both guns had to be completely unloaded.  Uh, it both guns were very large guns. They weren't small guns."

Second unintentional shooting in three months at apartment complex

21-year-old Jordan Whitehead, of Elizabethton, Tennessee has been charged with reckless endangerment in connection with an unintentional firing of a gun last week.  Whitehead, who is home on leave from the army, unintentionally fired a bullet into the apartment below.  Fortunately, no one was injured.

This is the second unintentional shooting in three months at the Lynnwood Apartments in Elizabethton. In November, in the apartment next door to Whitehead, Ashli Baker said a bullet came through the ceiling of her daughter's bedroom, narrowly missing the toddler who was asleep in her bed.

Police arrested a juvenile in that incident and charged him with reckless endangerment.  He unintentionally discharged a rifle while playing with the gun.  The juvenile had stolen the rifle.

The manager of the apartment said that guns are not allowed in the apartment complex and that anyone who breaks a lease agreement will be evicted.

Father unintentionally shoots & kills 3-year-old son

Michael Carter, of Greene County, Arkansas unintentionally shot his 3-year-old son, Logan with a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun he had purchased about a month ago.  Logan was shot in the head and pronounced dead at the local hospital.

The shooting occurred at the family home just before noon on Saturday.  Logan's mother and brother were also home at the time of the incident.

Police are still investigate how the gun was discharged.  The case has been turned over to the prosecutor's office to determine if any charges will be filed.

Man shot in head by neighbor trying to clear his handgun

20-year-old Josh DeMerritt, of Rochester, New Hampshire, was sitting in his bedroom when a bullet came smashing through the wall and struck him in the head. Miraculously, Josh was unharmed.

The bullet was unintentionally fired by a neighbor, 25-year-old Corey Field.  Field lives across the street and was trying to clear his handgun.  According to police, because the bullet traveled through several walls and windows, it lost momentum by the time it struck Josh.

Josh said he feels "I was being watched over." He added that the bullet "went from the apartment across the street, through their wall, through two panes of glass, through a set of Christmas light, through a curtain, through a wall, and out the other side of the wall, where it hit me."

Police have charged Filed with two felonies - reckless conduct for allegedly firing the handgun and placing others in danger and falsifying physical evidence for allegedly hiding the firearm in a snowbank after the shooting.

They both reached for the gun

51-year-old Scott Park, of Taylorsville, Utah, and his wife were sitting in a vehicle outside their home, arguing, a little after midnight January 1st.

According to police, at one point a gun was placed on the dashboard of the vehicle. The argument became physical and both the husband and wife tried to gain control of the firearm.

"It appears that while they were arguing over the gun, the husband pulled the trigger on the gun, which, ultimately, the bullet struck his wife in the face" said a police spokesperson.

The 48-year-old woman was taken to the hospital in serious condition. Her condition has been upgraded to stable.

Park has been charged with discharging a firearm during a domestic dispute. Police are continuing to investigate the incident.

Kentucky state representative unintentionally fires gun in Capitol building

Kentucky State Representative Leslie Combs (D - Pikeville) was unloading a Ruger LCP .380 handgun in her office in the state Capitol building in Frankfort when she unintentionally discharged the gun.

The bullet struck the floor and ricocheted into a bookcase. Representative Jeff Greer (D - Brandenburg) was also in the room at the time. No one was hurt in the incident.

Combs told reporters that she was putting the gun away at the time of the incident. "I was purposely disarming it to put it up because I didn't like it and I didn't want to use it any more. I had had it in my purse I carry usually. I was particularly careful. Rep. Greet was on the other side of the room. No one was in harm's way. I made sure of that."

Combs has a concealed weapons permit for the gun. The state allows permit holders to carry loaded, hidden guns into the Capitol.

The State Police said no charges will be filed because there was no criminal intent.

"I thought it was totally clear," Combs added. "I am a gun owner. It happens."

Cashier at Lowe's shot when customer drops gun

22-year-old Samantha Manago is a head cashier at the Lowe's Home Improvement store in Cheyenne, Wyoming. She was working in the store last Thursday when 58-year-old Dianne Darling came in to shop.

Darling was carrying a .22 caliber pistol which fell out of it's holster and went off when it struck the floor. The bullet hit Samantha in the arm. Samantha was taken to the hospital for treatment where she was listed in good condition.

Police are continuing to investigate the incident and no charges have been filed. Wyoming does not require residents to obtain a permit before carrying a loaded, concealed gun in public. Police recommend that anyone who wants to carry a concealed weapon take a firearm safety course, but the course is not required.

Man unintentionally shot and killed hours after posting gun safety message

22-year-old Carlos Rueda, of Albuquerque, New Mexico was at a New Year's Eve party at a friend's house. Rueda and another friend, 20-year-old Ryan Wathen, were in a bedroom of the house. Wathen told police that Rueda asked him to pick up a handgun that was next to a computer in the room.

Wathen said Rueda told him not to worry, that the gun was not loaded. He said to Wathen, "don't you trust me?" and told him to point the pistol at Rueda's head and pull the trigger. Wathen did and the gun discharged, shooting Rueda in the head.

Rueda was taken to the hosptial where he died a short time later.

Rudea worked at Rio Rancho Armory gun dealer. He posted an article "Police Warn Residents Not to Shoot Guns on the Holiday" just hours before the shooting.

Wathen was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. Police are calling the shooting a case of negligence and believe alcohol played a factor.

Husband showing friends how to clean gun unintentionally shoots his wife

60-year-old General Holiefield, of Harrison Township, Michigan and several other couples had gone to the shooting range in Roseville earlier in the day.  According to police:

"They were sitting around the kitchen table and Holiefield was cleaning his gun. It's a .45 caliber Desert Eagle semi-automatic handgun. While he was sitting at the kitchen table, he was showing the other persons in attendance how to clean the gun. At one point, he was trying to clear the gun, make sure the gun was clear of all ammunition, and it in fact had a round in it. He pulled the trigger, the gun discharged and a single round went across the room and struck his wife in the abdomen. She had a through-and-through gunshot wound through her abdomen, her mid-section. The round then went through her and into the window blinds behind her."

The victim, 50-year-old Monica Morgan, was rushed to the hospital for surgery. She is in serious condition but is expected to survive.

Police are investigating the incident. The matter will go to the prosecutor's office for consideration of charges. Holiefield is currently the UAW Vice President