Gun range employee unintentionally discharges firearm, shoots self and teenage customer

 A 50-year-old employee at a gun shop and shooting range in Waukegan, Illinois was sitting at a table just outside of the firing range inside the store when he unintentionally discharged his handgun. 

The bullet went through his thigh, ricocheted off the floor and struck a nearby teenager in the hand. The 19-year-old's injury required surgical care from a hand specialist and he will have a long road to recovery.

The teen has filed a lawsuit again the gun range seeking an unspecified judgment. The suit claims that the employee was violating company policy by handling a loaded firearm while not in the shooting area and also that the employee failed to properly secure the firearm. 

Teacher unintentionally discharges gun during class

James Whitmer is a retired FBI agent who is currently an instructor at Technology Center of DuPage in Addison, Illinois. Before class Friday afternoon he was showing three students a gun in an office adjacent to the classroom when he unintentionally discharged the weapon.

The bullet struck a file cabinet and a hollow wall and ended up lodged in another classroom.  Fortunately, no one was injured.

Whitmer was not authorized to have the gun on school property.  He has been questioned by police, but no charges have been filed.

The school offers classes to area high school juniors and seniors. The school contacted parents of the students who were in the class to "express our sincere apology that their children's safety was put at risk."

14-year-old unintentionally shoots himself with handgun dad gave him for Christmas

52-year-old Joseph Streff, of Chicago, Illinois, gave his 14-year-old son a handgun for Christmas. Less than two weeks later the teen unintentionally shot himself in the leg with the gun.  Police report that the injury was not life-threatening.

Streff has been charged with reckless conduct for providing his son with the gun. His bond was set at $1,00 and he is scheduled to appear in court on February 27th.

Man unintentionally shoots and kills girlfriend

20-year-old Antonio Brown, of Champaign, Illinois, was at a Super 8 Motel with his girlfirend, 20-year-old Sydni Kay Blackwell. According to police reports, Brown "improperly handled a gun, causing it to accidentally discharge a round and wound Ms. Blackwell."
Sydni was wounded around 3 o'clock in the morning. She was taken to the hospital and died of her injuries at 12:45 p.m. Before she died she told police that the shooting was unintentional.
Brown was arrested for unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and aggravated discharge of a firearm.
Reports do not indicate where Brown obtained the gun. As a convicted felon he is prohibited from possessing a gun and a simple criminal background check would have denied this purchase.

Father shoots and kills son after mistaking him for burglar

77-year-old James Griffin, of Chicago, Illinois, was watching television with his son, 48-year-old Michael Griffin. The two fell asleep but at some point Michael woke up and left the apartment. When he came back in James thought Michael was a burglar and shot and killed him.
Police found Michael, who was shot once in the head, dead in his father's home.
James Griffin was a retired police officer. He had served for 42 years as a homicide detective on Chicago's West Side. He retired in 1998.
Michael had recently been evicted from his apartment and had moved in with his father and one of his brothers.
His brother, Stephen, told reporters that his father's senses "aren't as sharp as they used to be," but added that he is in good physical health.
No charges have been announced by police.

7-year-old girl finds grandfather's hunting rifle, unintentionally shoots and kills her brother

7-year-old Halee Clark and her 10-year-old brother Christian were playing inside their grandfather's recreational vehicle outside of his home in Dix, Illinois. According to the sheriff their grandfather, Jason Clark, had opened up the camper so "the kids could watch movies and stay in the air conditioning."
Clark uses the RV as a hunting cabin and keeps it parked in a wooded area next to his house.
Halee picked up a loaded, unlocked long gun and unintentionally discharged a round. The bullet struck Christian in this face, killing him. Christian was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the sheriff, "All indications are that this was a tragic accident. Foul play is not suspected at this time."

14-year-old wanted to teach toddler about gun safety, unintentionally shoots and kills him instead

A 14-year-old Urbana, Illinois boy wanted to teach his 3-year-old nephew, Mekhi Woods, a lesson on gun safety. The teen found Mekhi playing with a stolen .25-caliber handgun he had hidden in his room. So he took the magazine out of the gun thinking he had successfully unloaded the gun. Wanting to scare Mekhi and teach him about gun safety, the teen pointed the gun at the toddler and pulled the trigger, not realizing there was still a bullet in the chamber.
Mekhi was shot in the forehead and later died of his injuries.
"I lost two grandsons," said Vicki Moss, the boys' grandmother. "Now because of a stupid choice or mistake or whatever you call it, he is going to live with this for the rest of his life. I don't think he's ever going to be the same ever again."
The teen is being held at the Juvenile Detention Center and has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and unlawful possession of a weapon in connection with the fatal shooting.

4-year-old shot while jumping on bed where handgun was stored under the mattress

A 4-year-old Chicago, Illinois girl was shot when a gun that was stored between the mattresses discharged as she was jumping on the bed. She was shot in the ankle and rushed to Comer Children's Hospital where she is listed in good condition.
The gun was put between the mattresses by 21-year-old Jarquise Upton, the boyfriend of the victim's mother. He told police he needed the gun for "protection from my girl's baby's daddy who messes with me."
Upton has been charged with one count of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, one count of misdemeanor possession of ammunition and one count of misdemeanor theft of lost or mislaid property.

Teen posing for picture with shotgun unintentionally shot

Several teens were passing around a 12-gauge shotgun, posing for pictures, Christmas Eve inside a house in Moline, Illinois when the gun unintentionally discharged. 18-year-old Zachary Inman of Rock Island, IL was shot in the lower right leg and ankle.
Inman was taken to the hospital where he underwent surgery for his injuries. The injuries were not considered life-threatening.
Also at the gathering was 18-year-old Matthew Nazari who has been taken into police custody and charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Ohh shoot.

Man shot and killed while watching tv, neighbor pleads guilt to unintentional shooting

30-year-old Joseph Wells was sitting in his second floor apartment in Dectur, Illinois watching television with his partner when a bullet flew through the window and shot him in the back of the head. Joseph was taken to the hospital were he died of his injuries. Police traced the trajectory of the bullet to the backyard of Quincy and Mattisha Houston.
Quincy admitted that he owned a .45-caliber handgun. He said that he and his wife had been drinking when Mattisha asked him to show her how to shoot the gun. The couple went into the backyard and with Quincy's help, Mattisha pointed the gun at a tree in the backyard. Quincy said his wife fired one shot at the tree but was surprised by how noisy the gun was so the couple went back inside and went to bed.
Quincy and Mattisha were both charged with involuntary manslaughter. Mattisha pleaded guilty and Quincy is due in court soon to enter his plea. Mattisha will be sentenced in November. She is facing two to five years in prison.
Ohh shoot.

4-year-old finds loaded gun behind store counter, shoots and kills himself

Police are continuing to investigate how 4-year-old Ash Wimbley of Cedar Lake, Indiana happened upon a loaded, unlocked handgun behind the counter at Tubbby's Wine and Spirits liquor store in Beecher, Illinois. Ash unintentionally shot himself in the head with the gun. Police were called to the store at 10:16 a.m. on Thursday morning. Ash was taken to the hospital in Chicago Heights where he later died. The medical examiner said the cause of death was determined to be an accidental gunshot wound to the face.
Ash is the forth child in the area to suffer a severe gunshot injury in the past month.
An 11-year-old Martinsville, Indiana boy has been arrested and charged with murder in the death of his 6-year-old brother, Andrew Frye. The boy is charged with shooting Andrew is the head with a .22-caliber gun. The two boys were home alone when the incident occurred.
A 2-year-old Connersville, Inidana boy died after a gun went off while he was playing with his 5-year-old brother.
An 11-year-old Clinton, Indiana boy is in a coma after being shot in the head while playing with a gun with two other boys ages 10 and 15.

20-year-old unintentionally shoots and kills 19-year-old girlfriend

20-year-old Ryan Fantasia of Chicago Heights, Illinois was trying to assemble a gun when he unintentionally shot and killed his girlfriend, 19-year-old Hayley Pelock. The police describe the incident as follows:

"What happened was, the victim [Hayley] just came back from school and went to visit her boyfriend [Ryan]. The boyfriend was on the bed allegedly trying to make and put together his gun that he had purchased. He was trying to be a gun guy, so to speak. As it was jamming on him he drew the slide back and it discharged. Unfortunately, his girlfriend was standing in the doorway, which was a couple of feet away, and it struck her in the abdomen area on the right side.

Ryan was charged with felony obstructing because, according to police, "the gun was hidden in the backyard and he lied at first to us. There was no first-degree murder charge. The State's Attorney's office is ruling it as an accidental death."
Ohh shoot.

Two men injured when gun discharges at gun show in Illinois

Two men were injured Saturday morning when a gun discharged at the Gun & Knife Show in Bloomington, Illinois. According to reports, someone at the show was looking at a mini-14 semiautomatic rifle. When they put the gun back on the vendor table the gun unexpectedly discharged. The .223-caliber bullet shot through a wooden post, went through one person's arm and then hit another person in the chest.
Both victims were taken to nearby medical facilities. One victim was treated and released, the other is still hospitalized and is listed in critical but stable condition after surgery.
Ohh shoot.

Chicago teens playing with guns, two die in separate incidents

13-year-old Isaiah M. was hanging out with two friends who were playing with a handgun when the gun went off, fatally striking Isaiah in the head. According to a minister in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, guns are a constant problem for teens. "They have easy access to guns and nothing to do," he said.
On the Northwest side of Chicago, 17-year-old Damien C. died after he was shot in the head. He and a friend were playing with the gun when it discharged. It was not clear if the victim or someone else was holding the weapon at the time. The gun was recovered at the scene.
Ohh shoot.

Dropped gun kills woman in Illinois

59-year-old Lawana H. of Equality, Illinois died when a gun was dropped in her home, discharged upon hitting the ground and sent a single bullet into her lower back. Lawana was declared dead at the scene. The autopsy revealed that the bullet entered her lower back, traveled through her left lung, up through her neck and lodged in her jaw.
Ohh shoot.

Gunman aiming for someone else shoots and kills teen

15-year-old Darrell M. stopped by a back-to-school block party near his Chicago, Illinois home. Darrell was standing on the sidewalk when a gunman opened fire on another man during a foot chase. Darrell was shot twice in the chest. He was pronounced dead at the local hospital.
After moving from Tennessee to Chicago, Darrell's mother always took extra precautions to make sure her children were safe. She drove Darrell to school, football practice, and to the block party where he died.
"We tried to keep him away from what's out there," she said. "He didn't go out. He didn't run the streets."
Ohh shoot.

5-year-old kills twin in IL; 6-year-old shoots self in head in WA; 4-year-old killed in NC

In Chicago 5-year-old twin boys had just taken their bath and were playing before bedtime. They were playing with a gun. Tragically, one brother unintentionally shot and killed the other.
The twin's 17-year-old uncle claims he found the gun, brought it home, but did not know how to work it so just left it lying out.

In Shelton, WA a 6-year-old boy found the key to the gun safe, unlocked the safe, pulled out a pistol, and unintentionally shot himself in the face. An 8-year-old who was also home said the child was looking down the barrel of the gun when it went off. The boy suffered life=threatening injuries and is in the hospital in critical condition.

In Weldon, North Carolina several children were playing upstairs in a home. The children found a loaded rifle and the gun went off after one child tossed it. The shot killed a 4-year-old girl who was in the room.
Police have arrested the girl's 32-year-old uncle and 18-year-old cousin and charged them with, among other things, storing a weapon in a manner accessible by a minor.

Ohh shoot.

Father buys gun for 10-year-old son who shows interest in firearms, then unintentionally shoots him

51-year-old Allen V. of Moline, Illinois bought a .22-caliber rifle for his ten year old son, after he showed an interest in firearms. Allen was trying to show the boy how the rifle worked, but didn't realize the gun was still loaded. Allen told local television news, "I started swinging the gun around, and I didn't realize there was still one round in it, the darn thing, went off. The bullet went underneath the skin near his eye, and followed the scalp, and came out behind the ear."
Fortunately, the boy was not seriously hurt. After getting stitches to close the wound he went back home to his mother, who is divorced from Allen.
Ohh shoot.