Mother unintentionally shot while emptying dishwasher

53-year-old Joy Johnston of Palm Coast, Florida was in her kitchen, emptying the dishwasher when she was shot in the lower back. Her son, 27-year-old Todd Johnston had returned from the shooting range and was sitting at the dining room table, cleaning his handgun before he put it away. He thought the gun was unloaded but when he pulled the trigger to remove the slide the gun discharged, sending a bullet into his mother's back.
Joy was transported to the hospital with a non-life threatening injury. Police have classified the shooting as accidental and say no charges will be filed.
Ohh shoot.

Teen killed when bullet comes through bathroom window

18-year-old Conner Weeks of Columbus, Georgia was in the bathroom in his house when a bullet smashed through the window and stuck him in the right side. Three of Conner's friends were in the backyard looking at weapons when one of the boys unintentionally discharged a shotgun sending the bullet into the bathroom.
Conner was taken to the hospital where he underwent surgery, but he was pronounced dead shortly before 1 a.m. Preliminary autopsy results show Conner died of a single gunshot wound to the upper right torso.
Law enforcement officials say accidental firearm discharges are very common, especially during hunting season. "I think the important thing is to focus on the things we have been told our entire lives by our grandparents and parents is we assume that all firearms are loaded," said a Muscogee County sheriff. "Not only is the firearm itself dangerous loaded or unloaded but the ammunition itself is dangerous also, it's an explosive."

Hunting trips in Idaho and Indiana end in tragedy

18-year-old Eric Menefee Jr. of Fort Wayne, Indiana unintentionally shot and killed his father, 42-year-old Eric Menefee Sr., while hunting rabbits and squirrels at the Roush Lake Fish and Wildlife Area. Eric Jr.'s shotgun reportedly became tangled in brush and when he pulled the gun out he unintentionally fired the gun, striking his father in the back. Eric Sr. was pronounced dead at the scene.
36-year-old Robert Bartlett of St. Maries, Idaho unintentionally shot and killed his 7-year-old son Connor. Father and son were ending a hunting trip in northern Idaho. Bartlett was putting a rifle in a vehicle when he unintentionally discharged the gun, striking Connor. The boy died on the way to the hospital.

Man unintentionally shoots self in head while trying to demonstrate gun was unloaded

22-year-old Chaz Ursomanno or Seminole, Florida was showing his girlfriend, Naomi, his handgun. She told him to put the gun away but Chaz insisted it wasn't loaded and was safe. In order to prove his point Chaz put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. The gun did not fire. Confident the gun was indeed unloaded, he again put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. This time, the gun fired.
When police arrived at the home Chaz was unconscious. He was taken to the hospital where he is listed in serious condition.
Ohh shoot.

Man working on his tractor killed by bullet fired during target practice

56-year-old David Reed of Skiatook, Oklahoma was in his yard working on his tractor when he was shot on his left side, just under his chest. David died of his injuries. The bullet that killed him came from a nearby field where two men in their early 20s were shooting at paper targets. They had four guns with them, including a handgun and a rifle. They told police that because of the trees near the field they didn't see anyone nearby.
"Maybe not careless, but just didn't think about what they were doing," is how a spokeswoman from the sheriff's office described the incident. "We just need to be safer about areas that are becoming more populated and a lot of growth in that area, and houses aren't as far apart as they used to be. Lots of people out there," she added.
Ohh shoot.

Barber shot in buttocks when customer drops handgun

Kurt Voelkel, owner of Werner's Barber Shop in Parma, Ohio, was taking a break when a longtime customer came in for a haircut. As the customer was preparing to sit down he hiked up his pants and when he did a 9 mm handgun fell from his holster. When the gun hit the ground it discharged, sending a bullet through Voelkel's chair, his wallet, and into his buttocks.
Voelkel was taken to the hospital and released a few hours later. Doctors are still trying to decide whether or not to remove the bullet. "If I really get in there and push, I can feel it," said Voelkel, "But other than that, I can't - just the wound."
Voelkel added that the customer who shot him feels terrible about it and is paying for all of his medical expenses.
Ohh shoot.

Kids waiting in van for grandfather find handgun, 6-year-old unintentionally shot and killed

Robert Hill of Greenwood, South Carolina put his three great-grandchildren in his van, preparing to take them to breakfast before going to church Sunday morning. While the three children, ages 5, 6 and 7, were alone in the van waiting they found a handgun. The children started to play with the gun when it was unintentionally discharged. A bullet struck 6-year-old Zykria Hackett in the neck, killing her.
According to police the gun belonged to Zykria's mother, Jonnetta Jamison, who had driven the van the night before. She removed belongings from the glove compartment when she left the van and believed she had the gun with her. Police speculate that the weapon may have fallen to the floor where one of the children found it and picked it up.
Jamison said she had a panic attack and had to be taken to the hospital when she heard about her daughter's death. She had lost another child to illness and Zykria was her only living child.
Police were unclear if Jamison had a concealed weapons permit for the gun. South Carolina does not require a permit to have a handgun in a vehicle as long as it is "secured in a closed glove compartment, closed console, of closed trunk." Police don't expect to file charges in Zykria's death.

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.

2-year-old shot after playing with gun from mother's purse

2-year-old Payton Flow of Dallas, Oregon was unintentionally shot while he and his 3-year-old brother were playing with a handgun they found in their mother's purse. The boy was shot in the stomach and taken to the local hospital where he was treated and released. Payton's mother, Johnnie, said she bought the gun for protection in February. Normally she said it's not loaded. However, she left her purse containing the loaded, unlocked handgun sitting on the couch in the family's front room. Investigators believe the 3-year-old brother pulled the trigger.
"I'm not a bad mother," Johnnie told reporters, "Anybody who knows me knows my babies mean the world to me. That was just a freak accident."
Police said as far as they know, Johnnie does not have a concealed weapons permit. Johnnie said she plans to never keep guns in her house again.
Ohh shoot.

First date ends when man unintentionally shoots himself

48-year-old Dean Piraneo of Waxhaw, North Carolina was on a first date. The couple had just left Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and were in Piraneo's SUV. According to the police report, "The victim advised that he was reaching for his gun which was chained up in a bicycle lock underneath the car seat. The victim advised that the gun accidentally went off as he was pulling on the gun which shot him in the left leg." Piraneo was taken to the hospital with serious, but non-life threatening injuries.
Police did not comment on whether the woman would be accepting another date.