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?

9-year-old hit by stray bullet while playing outside her home

 A 9-year-old girl was playing with friends on the sidewalk outside her home in Woodbridge, Virginia when she was struck by a stray bullet. The bullet was fired by a 15-year-old boy who was shooting at a car driving through the apartment complex. 

The shooting was captured on a neighbor's security camera. The video shows the children playing on the sidewalk when a silver car enters the parking lot, drives by and then stops, reverses and turns around, heading towards a groups of boys walking on the other side of the parking lot. One of the boy pulls out a gun and fires three times and the car drives off. The 9-year-old girl falls to the ground and starts screaming, "I can't feel my legs!" 

The girl was rushed to the hospital were she underwent multiple surgeries. She suffered from a partially collapsed lung and damaged liver. The bullet lodged in her spine. She was listed in critical condition. 

Police arrested a 15-year-old male who was charged with aggravated malicious wounding, attempted malicious wounding, shooting at an occupied vehicle and gun charges. Police did not identify the teen nor did they say where the 15-year-old got the gun.

Every illegal gun starts out as a legal gun. 

Father unintentionally shoots daughter thinking she was an intruder

A Frederick County, Virginia man unintentionally shot his 16-year-old daughter thinking she was an intruder trying to break into his home.

According to police, around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday when the girl's father was getting ready for work, an alarm system in the house told the man the garage door had just been opened. "When he went to go investigate what had set off the alarm, he heard some banging and rustling around in the garage. At that particular point, he obtained a firearm that he had there in the kitchen area."

The man went into the garage, but didn't turn the light on. He felt someone was "coming at him" and fired the gun, hitting his daughter in the torso. The girl had snuck out of the house earlier and was trying to sneak back into the home.

After realizing his mistake, he rushed her to Winchester Medical Center. In his haste, he wrecked his car. Fire and Rescue transported the girl to the hospital where she remains in stable condition.

The Commonwealth's Attorney's office will determine whether or not any charges will be filed.

After being paralyzed by a stray bullet artist learns to draw with her mouth

In 1997, then 20-year-old Mariam Pare was driving with a friend near Richmond, Virginia. While stopped at a stop sign, Pare looked over to see a group of people gathered on a corner in the rain.  As she started to drive away, someone fired a gun.

"I heard the popping of the gun, and I saw the glass flying and it all happened really fast," said Pare.  "It was just noise and then I couldn't move.  I didn't know I'd been shot.  I just felt a kind of bolt of electricity behind me and a flash of heat."

The bullet had struck her spinal cord, leaving her a quadriplegic.

At the time of the shooting, Pare was a promising young artist.  She spent three months in the hospital before transferring to a rehabilitation institute in Chicago.  There, an occupational therapist suggested she try to write her name while holding the pen in her mouth.  Pare was surprised that she could write this way.

"I was like, oh, wow I could apply this to painting," Pare said.  "Maybe I could draw, or maybe it might be fun to paint while I'm in here and have all this time.  That's when I kind of got excited and decided to explore what I could do again."

Since then, Pare has worked on her art and now pursues a career as an artist.  This month, she will be a featured artist in two shows. And, any day now, she expects to take a job that will pay her a comfortable salary to paint.

Police never made an arrest in the shooting.

Mother watching 11-year-old son's soccer game shot in the leg

43-year-old Melissa Jaramillo, of Gainesville, Virginia, was sitting with her daughter and husband watching her 11-year-old son's soccer game at a park in Manassas about 5pm on Sunday when she felt a stabbing pain in her upper thigh.

She told a reporter, "All of a sudden I felt a sting on my leg. It was very sore and my leg was a little numb and it was bleeding a little bit and then I realized something had happened - it wasn't a bug bit, it wasn't somebody had slapped me. Something had happened."

X-rays at the hospital showed that Melissa had been hit with a small caliber bullet, possibly a .22 caliber round. Doctors have decided the best course of treatment for now is to leave the bullet in her leg.

No one at the game heard a gunshot and police have no suspects.

Melissa said the mystery of the case made it even more worrying. "It's a concern for the safety of everyone that's out there," she said.

Man unintentionally shoots wife in both of her legs

47-year-old James Clark, of Bassett, Virginia was handling his .40 caliber Springfield semi-automatic handgun when he unintentionally discharged the weapon.

The bullet struck his wife, Tammy, in the right leg, passed through the leg, entered her left leg and passed through that leg as well. She was taken to the local hospital and then transferred to Roanoke Memorial Hospital.

Clark was arrested and charged with one count of reckless handling of a firearm and one count of unlawfully discharging a firearm.

The local sheriff reminded people that "even people who have handled all their life can accidentally fire a gun." He added that even the most experienced professional can never use too much caution when handling a gun.

Longwood University student showing off handgun unintentionally shoots another student

22-year-old Jacob Richardson, of Glen Allen, Virginia, is a junior majoring in criminology at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. Richardson left his handgun at a friend's house because "his roommates were having a gathering at his place and he didn't want anything to happen to it."

When he went to get the handgun he decided to show it to his friend, 21-year-old Kathleen Battle. While he was unloading the gun he unintentionally discharged the weapon. Battle was shot in the leg. She was taken to the local hospital then transported to a larger medical center for treatment.

Battle is a majoring in kinesiology and is a member of the lacrosse team.

Richardson has been charged with reckless handling of a firearm.

Man unintentionally shoots himself during argument over speeding

43-year-old Rhonney Jacobs, of Norfolk, Virginia was speeding down his road when some of his neighbors yelled at him to slow down.
According to a witness, "My friends were standing right there in the yard and the guy came flying by and they were like 'slow down, there's kids' and the guy did a U-turn and pulled over."
Witnesses say Jacobs got out of his car, waving around a gun, a .45-caliber handgun.
During the confrontation with the people who had told him to slow down, Jacobs unintentionally discharged the gun, shooting himself in the upper leg.
"He was holding his groin and there was blood everywhere," said a witness, "I'm just happy none of the kids got hurt."
Jacobs was charged with discharging a firearm and brandishing a firearm.

Man loading handgun unintentionally fires weapon, hits cyclist passing by

49-year-old John Albers, of Herndon, Virginia, was in his home Saturday night cleaning and reloading his handgun. Albers unintentionally discharged the weapon.
The bullet traveled outside and hit a man on a bicycle who happened to be riding by at that moment. The man was hit in the abdomen. He was taken to the hospital for surgery. "He should make it though this," said a spokesperson for the police, "but the injuries were pretty significant."
Albers was charged with reckless handling of a firearm, a class one misdemeanor.

Unintentional shooting at Arlington National Cemetery Injures Woman

On Monday, just an hour and a half before President Obama laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, a handgun was discharged in the parking lot.
An active duty serviceman was in his car, trying to move a gun from under the seat when he dropped the gun. The gun fell under the car and when the serviceman when to retrieve it he unintentionally discharged the gun.
The bullet grazed his mother's leg. She was taken to George Washington University Hospital for treatment.
Guns are not allowed on the cemetery property and military law charges are pending against the serviceman. Police confiscated his gun as evidence.

Virginia man unintentionally shot and killed by 4-year-old great-nephew

58-year-old Casper Jones of Richmond, Virginia was rushed to the hospital after being unintentionally shot in the head Sunday by his 4-year-old great-nephew.
Jones was intially listed in serious condition at VCU Medical Center. Family members told reporters he was "clinging to life." Jones died of his injuries on Tuesday.
It's unclear how the 4-year-old came to have the gun. According to a neighbor, the victim "watches the kids all day. He watched his nieces, nephews, grandsons...he is the babysitter for the family." He added, "That's why I am sorry it happened to him. His own nephew."

Police arrest 16-year-old in shooting police say was unintentional

Two 16-year-old boys were alone at a Chesterfield, Virginia home. The two boys were described as "best friends."
According to reports, they were playing with a handgun. The clip had been removed from the gun and the boys didn't realize there was a bullet left in the chamber.
One of the boys unintentionally discharged the gun and shot the other boy in the face. The bullet entered the boy's left cheek and came out the other side of this face. He was taken to the hospital for surgery and is expected to recover.
The teen who shot the gun has been arrested and charged with felonious assault and reckless handling of a firearm.
Police are trying to determine how the boys got the gun. It does not appear that the firearm was owned by either of boys' parents.
Why do some unintentional shootings result in arrest and others don't, even when the circumstances are similar?

Man unintentionally shoots his friend at Hooters

36-year-old Christopher Bohn, of Manassas, Virginia, was with friends at a Hooters restaurant in Chantilly. According to police, "he had just left an event for which he had to unload his handgun" and decided to reload the gun in the restaurant.
Bohn unintentionally discharged the handgun, shooting his friend in the ankle. The 22-year-old woman was taken to an area hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
Police could not confirm whether or not Bohn had a concealed weapons permit but they did arrest him and charge him with willfully discharging firearms in a public place.

Man cleaning handgun unintentionally discharges weapon, shoots toddler in apartment below

24-year-old Matthew Bairney, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, was in his apartment, cleaning his handgun when he unintentionally discharged the weapon. The bullet went through the floor of his apartment and struck 3-year-old Keneja Long in the apartment below.
Keneja's father told police he heard a noise, saw a hole in the ceiling of his apartment and realized his daughter had been wounded in the arm. A few minutes later, Bairney called police to say he had accidentally fired his weapon.
"The gun shouldn't have been loaded," said Keneja's mother. "Thank God that bullet didn't hit my daughter in the head."
Keneja was taken to the hospital and treated for her injuries.
Bairney has been charged with reckless handing of a firearm, a misdemeanor.

12-year-old unintentionally shot and killed while hunting with 15-year-old brother

12-year-old Brandon Lord, of Washington County, Virginia was hunting groundhogs with his 15-year-old brother in a field behind their house when something went terribly wrong. Police are still investigating the incident, but what is known is that Brandon was unintentionally shot in the head.
He was taken to the local hospital and died the next day of his injuries.
"It's a tragic, tragic incident, and my thoughts and prayers go out to the family," said the local sheriff. "It's a horrible incident, and goes back to show how important gun safety is, period."
Forty-three people have died in hunting accidents in Virginia in the past ten years. Of those fatalities, five were children and four of the fatalities involved children as the apparent accidental shooter.

Man unintentionally shoots self and wife during gun safety class

54-year-old Michael Deel, of Roanoke, Virginia, and his wife, 49-year-old Michelle, were taking a gun safety course at a private home in Bedford, VA. The instructor told police he left the room for a moment when he heard a gunshot. He returned to find the couple had been injured.
Michael was holding a .45-caliber handgun when he unintentionally discharged the weapon. The bullet hit him in the hand then passed through his hand and struck his wife in the leg. The couple was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Deel called the shooting a "stupid accident."
Reports did not indicate why the couple was taking the course. No firearm safety training is required in Virginia before purchasing a gun, but safety training is required in order to obtain a concealed weapons permit. However, as of 2009, Virginia residents may fulfill the gun safety requirement through an on-line course, such as the one at The Concealed Carry Institute. The course consists of "65 minutes of our time-tested handgun safety class, followed by a 20 question test." The course does not require that you ever actually hold or fire a gun, but is enough to get you a permit to carry a loaded, hidden gun in Virginia.

Man receives face transplant 15 years after unintentional shooting destroyed his face

37-year-old Richard Norris of Virginia has just received the most extensive full face transplant yet completed.
Norris was injured 15 years ago when he was unintentionally shot in the face. Few details of the shooting incident have been released but since the accident Norris has lived with his parents in a small southwest Virginia town. He has not had a full-time job and has lived like a recluse, covering his face with a mask and shopping at night to avoid stares from children and adults.
The operation, performed by surgeons from the University of Maryland, took 36 hours and included transplantation of the teeth, tongue, upper and lower jaw and all facial tissue from the scalp to the base of the neck. Doctors report he is recovering well, has begun to feel his face and is already brushing his teeth and shaving. He also regained his sense of smell, which he had lost in the shooting.
Norris is eager to start living a normal life again.

19-year-old brings handgun to party, thought it was empty, shoots self in head

19-year-old James Crawford, of McKenney, Virginia brought a 9mm semi-automatic handgun to a party at a friend's house. Multiple witnesses told police that they saw Crawford playing with the gun. At around 2 o'clock in the morning Crawford, believing the gun was unloaded, unintentionally discharge the weapon. He was shot in the head and died of his injuries.
Police said that alcohol was being consumed at the party but did not yet know if Crawford had been drinking.

Father talks of how he always taught his children gun safety after son unintentionally shoots and kills daughter

A 10-year-old Radford, Virginia boy was home alone with his 14-year-old sister, Jessie Kessinger. The boy grew concerned after hearing news reports of a dangerous man on the loose in Radford so he searched the house until he found the key to his father's gun cabinet. While handling a hunting rifle the gun unintentionally discharged. The single bullet hit his sister, Jessie, killing her.

Leonard Kessinger, the children's father, gave an interview to a local news station. "I taught 'em gun safety from the time my son was 4 and my daughter was 7," he said. "We hunted together, we'd to go shooting ranges together, I mean, I showed them the correct way."
According to Leonard's brother, he has now gotten rid of all his hunting rifles.

101-year-old woman caught in crossfire when her grandsons start shooting at each other

101-year-old Naomi Taggart of Richmond, Virginia was caught in the middle of a gunfight that took place between two of her grandsons, 28-year-old Steven Taggart and his brother, 36-year-old Kevin McCray. Taggart and McCray were arguing about money when they both pulled out guns and started shooting. Mrs. Taggart was shot in the neck. The bullet was removed from her neck and she is in the hospital in serious, but stable condition. According to her daughter, Mrs. Taggart is breathing on her own, she has her eyes open and she is trying to talk.
Neighbors describe Mrs. Taggart as a kind woman who enjoys watching television game shows, particularly Jeopardy and The Price is Right.
Ohh shoot.