Man showing off gun for new security guard job unintentionally shoots and kills friend

36-year-old Robert Jones, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was about to start a job as a security guard. He took a gun-safety class in order to obtain an armed security-guard certificate and he got a concealed weapons permit.
The day before he was to start his new job he was showing off his new gun, which he thought was unloaded. He unintentionally discharged the gun, shooting his friend, Sandrea Smith, 35, in the left cheek. Sandrea died at the scene.
Jones was arrested and charged with third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, endangering another person, and weapons charges.
It should be noted that Jones' concealed weapons permit was issued by Florida, not Pennsylvania. While reports did not indicate if Jones had been denied a Pennsylvania permit, it is possible for those denied a permit in Pennsylvania to apply for a permit in Florida that will be recognized in Pennsylvania. A bill to close this concealed weapons permit loophole was introduced in the Pennsylvania legislature but failed to pass.

For the second time man "accidentally" shoots bullet into neighbor's apartment. Police say there's nothing they can do.

Michael Cornell, of Jacksonville, Florida was at home Wednesday night when a bullet came flying through the wall of his home from the apartment next door. Cornell said the bullet landed on the staircase in his home just minutes after his 8-year-old daughter had been playing on the stairs. According to Cornell, this is the second time in the past few years his neighbor has unintentionally fired a bullet into his home while cleaning his gun.
Both times Cornell called the police, and both times the police said there was nothing they could do. According to the police, "the law favors the gun owner and not those affected. As no one was injured, the law does not allow enforcement to apprehend or cite the offender."
A reporter tried to interview the neighbor, but he declined to answer the door. The reporter did note that the truck in front of the neighbor's townhouse has a bumper sticker that reads "Gun Control means never having to say I missed you."
Cornell has written to the mayor of Jacksonville in an attempt to find some relief from the situation. The letter reads, in part:

I am awake at this hour as my daughter cannot sleep. My wife is not consolable given this event. By law, I have no avenue of recourse to prevent this person from repeating this event, unless I or my family are injured, or worse. To state this is unacceptable is an understatement of epic proportions.

Father leaves loaded, unlocked gun on truck seat, toddler finds it, shoots brother

A Port Arthur, Texas man left his holstered pistol on the seat of his truck and went inside his house to get something. The gun was loaded and did not have a safety lock.
News reports differ as to whether the man's two young boys were in the truck, or playing in the yard, but either way, while he was in the house his 2-year-old son was able to get the 9mm Glock handgun. The boy discharged the gun, shooting his 3-year-old brother in the backside. The boy was taken to the local hospital and later transferred to Houston for treatment. His prognosis is good, but he is still in serious condition.
Child Protective Services have placed the 2-year-old boy with relatives while the incident is under investigation.

Dog knocks over shotgun, gun discharges, shoots 8-year-old girl

An 8-year-old Gerber, California girl was watching television in her living room with her 7-year-old friend when a shotgun in the dining room discharged. The pellets went through the arm of the couch and struck the girl in her bicep and abdomen, causing major injuries.
According to the police report, the shotgun had been left loaded and propped against a wall with the butt of the gun on a small wicker chair. Because no one else was in the room at the time, police speculate that one of the several dogs in the home bumped the wicker chair, causing the shotgun to fall.
The girl was taken by ambulance to a local hospital and later air-lifter to UC Davis Medical Center for treatment.
Because guns are the only consumer product not regulated by a federal agency for safety standards there is no recall mechanism for a gun that discharges when dropped. Nor is there a federal requirement that guns be manufactured in such a way to avoid this kind of discharge.

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.

Metropolitan Museum guard unintentionally shoots himself

A security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City unintentionally shot himself in the leg while cleaning his gun in the basement of the building. The museum employs a limited number of armed guards who are not allowed to take their weapons out of the building so must service them there.
The guard was taken to New York Presbyterian Medical Center and is in stable condition. He has worked for the museum for 24 years and is expected to make a full recovery.
A museum spokesperson said the public was never in danger. He declined to say how many armed guards the museum has but did say the museum "has been well-protected by these uniformed guards for over 100 years. They're there to protect the public and the art. Its worked out well so far. This was a unique event, clearly a freak accident."

Two separate incidents in Kentucky where men unintentionally shot through apartment floor into apartment below

23-year-old Scotty Scruggs, of Louisville, Kentucky, unintentionally fired a shot from his .40-caliber Glock that went through the floor of his apartment into the apartment below. The bullet narrowly missed hitting the occupant of the apartment.
Scruggs left the scene after the incident, which happened around 10:30 in the morning, and did not check on his neighbor. He later turned himself into police and was charged with wanton endangerment.
Later in the week,just a few miles away, 44-year-old Charles Hatchell, also of Louisville, was cleaning his gun when he unintentionally discharged the weapon, sending a bullet through the floor into the apartment below. The bullet almost hit a man sitting at his dining room table.
Hatchell admitted to drinking earlier in the evening. Police found the gun under his bed. Hatchell also neglected to check on his neighbor, telling police he was afraid of what he might find.
Hatchell was charged with wanton endangerment and tampering with evidence.

State park manager unintentionally shoots and kills himself

54-year-old Steve Williams, park manager for Oklahoma's Tenkiller State Park, Greenleaf State Park, and Cherokee Landing State Park, unintentionally shot and killed himself at his home last week. His wife reported that he had gone to a back room to clean a gun when she heard a shot. Wilson then came into the living room, collapsed and died.
Because the shooting took place on state property the State Bureau of Investigation is conducting an investigation. But no foul play is suspected.
Wilson was named Oklahoma's Park Manager of the year in 2000. According to reports "his love for hunting and fishing was second only to his love for his family and friends."
He leaves behind his wife of 37 years and two grown children.

Teen dies of complications of unintentional shooting that occurred in 2010

When Jalisa Goodman, of Buffalo, New York, was 13 years old she was at a friend's house, talking on the phone when a bullet came bursting through the wall behind her and hit her in the neck. A group had been partying in the room on the other side of the wall when Greyler Williams unintentionally discharged a .38-caliber handgun, shooting Jalisa.
Jalisa was left paralyzed by the bullet that lodged in her spine.
Williams was sentenced to seven years in prison.
Since the incident, Jalisa has been living at the Baker Victory long-term care facility.
"Though she couldn't speak, she seemed to be acknowledging us and our comments to her through facial movements," said her aunt.
Jalisa died unexpectedly this week of complications from the shooting.

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.