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.

17-year-old unintentionally shot and killed by stepmother

Cynthia Bowman, of Decatur, Alabama, was hugging her stepson, 17-year-old Kedrick Bowman.  According to reports, when Cynthia walked into their house Monday night, Kedrick came up and put his arms around her and laid his head down.  Cynthia was holding a .380-caliber handgun and when she brought her hand up the gun unintentionally discharged.  The bullet struck Kedrick in the head.

Kedrick was taken to the hospital in critical condition.  He was pronounced brain dead the next day but kept on life support so his organs could be donated.  "His death saved eight lives today," said his father.

His father said the gun was faulty.  He said they had called police about six months ago after the gun randomly discharged while on a dresser in their bedroom.  The store where they bought the gun said there was a faulty spring and replaced the magazine.

Cynthia said she had the gun with her Monday when she got home.  As she was walking toward the house, carrying the pistol, it unintentionally discharged. She told her husband they would have to bring the gun back. It was right after this that the gun discharged again, killing her stepson.

Two injured in unintentional shooting during gun sale in business parking lot

Two employees of Sharp Communications in Huntsville, Alabama were in the business' parking lot engaging in a private handgun sale when one of the men unintentionally discharged the weapon. The bullet went through one man's hand into the other man's abdomen.
The men were taken to the local hospital for treatment. Their injuries were not life-threatening.
The company's CEO said the sale had nothing to do with Sharp Communications. He also noted that both men were on the clock at the time of the incident and the management was discussing how to handle the incident.
Alabama just passed a new gun law allowing employees to bring loaded guns to the workplace but have to keep them in their vehicle. The law went into effect August 1st.

Man unintentionally discharges gun, injures man in apartment next door

Tad Waddell,of Sheffield, Alabama, was cleaning his .45-caliber handgun when he unintentionally discharged the gun. The bullet went through the wall of his apartment into the apartment next door and struck James Gray in the chest.
Gray was taken to the Huntsville Hospital where he is listed in critical condition.
"It's just crazy, I don't know," said a neighbor. "Words can't describe how I feel about this, it's just unbelievable to shoot through a wall and hit somebody and put them in critical condition."
Police will present the findings of their investigation to the District Attorney to see if any charges should be filed against Waddell.
"It was stupid, stupid what happened," said the local police chief. "But one thing we have to say is, yeah it was an accident, this person does not appear that he intentionally done this, but you have to remember that there is a guy fighting for his life right now."

Man unintentionally shot dead playing a game of "quick draw" at work

30-year-old Daniel Garrett, of Albertville, Alabama was at work at Extreme Concepts, a car stereo company, when he and another man decided to play quick draw with their guns.
Garrett had a 9mm handgun. The other man had a .40 caliber Glock handgun. Both men thought their guns were unloaded.
Garrett was unintentionally shot in torso. He was taken to the local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Police are still investigating the incident and no charges have been filed yet.

12-year-old unintentionally shoots and kills cousin with gun he got as Christmas present

A 12-year-old Pleasant Valley, Alabama boy was with his 12-year-old cousin, Will when he went inside to get the 20 gauge shotgun he had received as a Christmas present. He wanted to show his cousin his new gun.
He brought the gun outside and was showing it to Will, who was on a trampoline, when he unintentionally discharged the gun and shot his cousin in the chest.
"The injuries were too severe and the young man was pronounced dead at the Jacksonville hospital," said the local sheriff.
The sheriff doesn't expect any charges to be filed. Alabama does not have any law that prohibits allowing a child access to firearms.
"If an adult buys a gun and gives it to a child that's not a crime in Alabama," said the sheriff. "There's no restriction whatsoever in that so the responsibility comes back to us as an adult. If I put a child in the front seat of a car with me and I don't put on a seat belt and something bad happens I'm responsible....So the lesson is for people to take these things very seriously, to make sure we're doing everything we can to ensure that safe practices are followed whatever the device is."

Teenage boys charged with murder after friend killed by neighbor firing warning shot

Four teenagers were breaking into remote fishing camps on Gravine Island, Alabama last April when some nearby neighbors came to see what was going on. The three neighbors, William Hearn, Larry Duncan, and Lonnie Davison got their guns and boated over to the cabin where they had heard noise. Seeing the teenagers they told them to stop and stay where they were.
Hearn and Duncan fired warning shots into the ground. One of the bullets hit 17-year-old Summer Moody who was hiding in the bushes. Summer was shot in the head and died of her injuries ten days later.
Last week the District Attorney announced that a grand jury had indicted the three other teens, 18-year-old Scott Bryd, 18-year-old Dylan Tyree, and 18-year-old Daniel Parnell, for murder. The three were also charged with felony burglary.
In a news release the District Attorney stated:

But for the actions of these three young men - who were engaging in armed burglaries and who acted aggressively when caught - Summer Moody would be with us today.

No charges were filed against the man who actually fired the shot that killed Summer. However, Summer's family has filed suit against the three men, as well as against the Alabama Marine police. According to the family lawyer:

The family is upset and a little angry at the situation. They felt all along that there were two sets of offenders on that particular morning. One were the boys in some place they shouldn't have been and committing a crime that would be up to a jury or judge to decide what the appropriate punishment is. Ths other set of offenders are the shooters who armed themselves up and came down and interjected themselves into this situation where these teenagers were."

3-year-old finally home from hospital, 6 weeks after being injured in unintentional shooting

17-year-old Christopher Smith, of Fairhope, Alabama, was babysitting his two younger siblings, Teela, age 5, and Jayden, age 3. According to reports, he took two rifles out of a closet and began loading and unloading them and cleaning the scopes. At one point he turned the Remington 710 towards the children and watched them through the scope of the rifle, but quickly realized that was "a stupid thing to do."
Christopher says that when he put the weapon down across his lap it accidentally fired. The bullet struck Teela in the head and proceeded on and struck Jayden in the chest. Teela was killed and Jayden was taken to the hospital.
Christopher is facing manslaughter charges but his attorney maintains the Remington rifle has a long history of problems. (See 2010 CNBC report Remington Under Fire.)
Jayden came home this week after spending six weeks in the hospital. According to a family friend, "They are learning to cope and trying to get back into a normal lifestyle. Christopher's mother loves him, she understands this is a total tragic accident....that's her son."

Man with mental and physical disabilities buys gun, unintentionally shoots and kills himself

24-year-old Jonathan Smith, of Limestone County, Alabama, had recently purchased a handgun. On Friday he took a gun-safety course, on Sunday he unintentionally shot and killed himself.
According to news reports, Smith "had mental and physical disabilities" including having multiple sclerosis and attending special education classes in high school.
According to the sheriff, "It was an accidental shooting. He was playing with the gun when it discharged, striking him in the chest."
Because of Alabama's weak gun laws, Smith had been able to obtain a concealed weapons permit for the gun. He only had the gun a few weeks before the shooting.

Mother talks of double grief after son unintentionally shoots and kills daughter

Olivia Pruitt, of Birmingham, Alabama, received a call at work saying her 18-year-old daughter Malehia had been shot. When Olivia arrived home she found multiple police cars outside her house. "Everyone was screaming," she said. Olivia soon learned that her daughter was dead and her 20-year-old son had been handcuffed and taken into custody.
"I saw my son in the back of the police car," Olivia said. "He was crying and banging on the window, 'I'm sorry Mom.' He could only scream."
Police have yet to charge the unidentified youth, but witnesses say the shooting was unintended. "I know it was an accident because I know how they feel about each other," Olivia said. She said her son went on a rampage after the shooting. "My other son and his girlfriend got there, and he was on the floor rolling around and banging his fists. He flipped the table and put holes in the walls."
Malehia was a senior at Huffman High School. She was in the government club and was an honor roll student.
"I'm having all kinds of feelings because I lost my daughter, my baby won't be with me," said Olivia. "But also for my son. He is alone, and I can't see him."

Teenager examining AR-15 assault rifle unintentionally shot in neck

A 14-year-old boy from Shannon, Alabama was at his friend's house when his friend brought out an AR-15 assault rifle. The gun belonged to the friend's deceased grandparents and his sister had brought it home while cleaning out the grandparents' house. The friend removed the gun's magazine and the two boys were looking at the gun when the friend accidentally dropped it. Both boys tried to catch the falling gun and in the process unintentionally discharged the weapon. The 14-year-old boy was shot in the neck. He was taken to a hospital in Birmingham and is expected to survive his injury.
Police consider the shooing accidental and no charges will be filed. Alabama has no law concerning the minimum age to possess an assault rifle.
Ohh shoot.

Handgun man kept under pillow for protection found by his 3-year-old nephew

36-year-old Nikko Draper, of Huntsville, Alabama kept a loaded, unlocked .32-caliber handgun under his pillow for protection. This weekend he was watching his 3-year-old nephew, Latravian, while the boy's mother was out of town. Nikko dozed off in his wheelchair while his nephew was playing video games in the bed next to him. Latravian found the gun and unintentionally shot himself in the head. The toddler is currently in critical condition in the hospital, his long-term prognosis unknown.
Because of his prior criminal record Nikko is prohibited from possessing a gun. He said his protection was more important than the order that he not possess a gun. He added that he wants to focus now on his nephew's recovery and has asked for prayers and forgiveness.
Nikko has been confined to a wheelchair since being shot during a dispute sixteen years ago.

9-year-old girl caught in crossfire outside neighborhood store

On Saturday afternoon a 9-year-old Birmingham, Alabama girl was leaving a neighborhood store with her father when they stepped in the middle of a fight. 32-year-old Jeffery Matthews was attempting to shoot another man but the bullet struck the little girl instead. She was hit in the side and taken to a local hospital where she is expected to recover from her injuries.
Matthews has been arrested and charged with attempted murder and assault. His mother has also been charged with hindering prosecution after Matthews was found hiding in her apartment.
Ohh shoot.

First man unintentionally shoots himself, then toddler picks up same gun and shoots his mother

Saturday night, Allen Jones of Bay Minette, Alabama went to get the .40-caliber Glock handgun out of glove compartment of his truck. As he was walking through a screened porch area into his house he tripped and fell and dropped the gun. The gun discharged and the bullet hit Jones in the left thigh, just above the knee. Jones called to his wife, Aleisha, for help and she and their toddler son came running. The boy picked up the gun and when Aleisha tried to get the gun away from the child, the gun fired, wounding her in the left side of the neck.
The couple was taken to USA Medical Center in Mobile for treatment. Their injuries do not appear to be life threatening. Police said that further investigation is pending but there are no charges at this time.
Ohh shoot.

Teenage boy thought his cousin was a burglar, gets his gun and shoots her dead

26-year-old Joy Logan of Bay Minette, Alabama was visiting her aunt in Mobile. They went to visit a family member in the hospital and her aunt told Joy that because it was late, she should spend the night in Mobile instead of driving home. Joy took her aunt's key and went to the house. Meanwhile, Joy's cousin, 18-year-old Daniel Johnson was home alone, not knowing his cousin was coming over. He heard a noise, thought it was a burglar, went and got his gun and fatally shot his cousin.
The Mobile County Sheriff's Office said there was "no evidence the shooting was anything other than an accidental death." As is standard procedure, the case will be presented to a grand jury.
Ohh shoot.

6-year-old girl killed in drive-by shooting

6-year-old Kenyatta Kendrick was asleep in her bed in Eclectic, Alabama when a car drove by her house and someone fired 18 rounds from an assault rifle into her home. Kenyatta was struck in the chest by a bullet. She died at the scene. Her uncle, 19-year-old Darren, was sleeping in a chair next to her bed. He was hit in the left hip and left ankle and underwent surgery at a hospital in Jackson. He is listed in fair condition.
Three men, ages 17, 18 and 25, have been arrested and charged with capital murder and assault.
"I don't know what's going on these days," commented a local merchant, "In my day if you had a problem with somebody you settled it with your fists. There young cats these days, the first thing they do is reach for a gun. They think they a man 'cause they have a gun in their hands."
Ohh shoot.

Stray bullets fly into homes: one incident in Massachusetts, one in Alabama

18-year-old Wayne Moore of Mobile, Alabama was lying in bed New Year's Eve, watching television when he heard a loud pop and found himself covered in shards of glass. A bullet had just come flying through his window. Fortunately, Wayne was not injured. Police believe the bullet came from the gun of someone shooting in the air to celebrate the New Year.
Mobile is plagued by residents who continue to shoot guns in the air on New Year's, even though police issue reminders that falling bullets can be deadly. Last year a 7-year-old Mobile girl was struck in the leg by a stray bullet from such gunfire.
Meanwhile, in Lynn, Massachusetts, 55-year-old Cheryl Marino was getting ready for work New Year's Day when a bullet came through her window and hit her in the chest. Police said that prior to the shooting there had been some sort of disturbance outside Cheryl's house, but she was not involved in the incident. Cheryl was taken to a nearby hospital where she is expected to survive.
"I was shaking because this could happen to anybody," commented one of her neighbors.
Ohh shoot.

Woman cleaning garage unintentionally fires stored gun, kills herself

An Alabama woman was cleaning up her garage. She was trying to untangle an electrical extension cord that had been wrapped around a camping tent. A small caliber handgun had been placed inside the tent some time ago. While trying to untangle the cord the gun unexpectedly discharged. The woman was shot in the head and died at Huntsville Hospital.
Ohh shoot.

In 1986 she killed her brother in an accidental shooting. In 1993 she was questioned about pipe bombs. In 2010.......

University of Alabama biology professor Amy Bishop sat in a faculty meeting for an hour before opening fire with a handgun. When the shooting stopped, three people were dead and three more were wounded.
Bishop left the room and called her husband to come pick her up. Her husband was not aware that anything was amiss.
News reports reveal that in 1986 Amy Bishop, then 19, shot and killed her brother with the family shotgun. At the time the shooting was ruled "accidental" and no charges were ever filed.
In 1993, while a student at Harvard, police questioned Bishop about two pipe bombs sent to the home of a Harvard professor. No one was ever charged with mailing the bombs.
A statement issued by the Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus read in part:
"This tragic incident shows once again that an angry individual with access to a deadly handgun can commit mass murder wherever people gather, in workplaces, shopping malls, churches, schools and yes, universities.
This random and horrific attack also demonstrates the futility and irresponsibility of trying to force loaded and concealed handguns onto college campuses as the solution to prevent mass shootings and gun violence. Such a radical policy would risk the safety and security of every faculty member and student on campus on literally a continual basis.
The gun lobby's predictable response to this rampage killing is to arm students and professors, believing in a mistaken 'wild west' fantasy where carrying loaded handguns results in killing armed perpetrators. Nothing could be further from the truth."
Ohh shoot.

Mommy, Mommy, call 911

A 14-year-old Oak Grove, Alabama boy received a .22-caliber rifle as a present a few years ago. Recently, he was showing the gun to his 13-year-old friend in a shed behind his house. He thought the safety on the rifle was on when he pointed the gun at his friend and pulled the trigger. He thought wrong.
He ran inside and told his mother to call 911. The friend was taken to the hospital for surgery. The boy has been released from the hospital but the bullet remains lodged in his pelvic bone.
Ohh shoot.