Monday, March 31, 2014

Gun unintentionally discharges at Colorado Springs gun show

A vendor at a gun show in Colorado Springs, Colorado was setting up his products when one of his guns unintentionally discharged.  The bullet hit the floor and  "shattered upon impact, resulting in no damage and no injuries," said police.

The vendor said the weapon was test fired earlier in the week because it had been returned to him as defective  After test firing the weapon, the vendor removed the magazine but neglected to check to see if there was a bullet left in the chamber.   The vendor said the weapon discharged when the back of the gun was bumped during set up.

The vendor faces charges of prohibited use of a weapon and was asked to leave the gun show. 

The organizer of the gun show said that these unintentional discharge incidents happen occasionally at gun shows and in homes.  He said he doesn't see any reason to change safety procedures at future shows.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Father charged with felony in unintentional shooting death of son

34-year-old Jason Forshee, of Greensburg, Indiana was cleaning his M4 assault rifle when he left the gun unattended in the living room of his house.  Forshee told police he removed the magazine from the gun but didn't realize there was a bullet still in the chamber.

When Forshee was in the other room his 6-year-old son picked up the gun, pointed it at his 13-year-old brother Craig and pulled the trigger.  Craig was shot in the chest and died later that night in the hospital.

Forshee said he was only out of the room for 10 to 15 seconds when he heard the gun go off.

According to the police investigation, Forshee had let the 6-year-old hold the weapon before.  Just a short time before the shooting, Forshee was showing the gun to a plumber at the home and when the child asked to see the weapon, Forshee handed it to him.   This was not the only time Forshee had let the child handle the gun.

Forshee was charged with two felonies, neglect of a dependent resulting in death and dangerous control of a child.


Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Man arrested on drug charges after police come to his house to investigate roommate's unintentional shooting

28-year-old Coli Ayers, of Raleigh, North Carolina, was attempting to clear his handgun when he unintentionally discharged the weapon.  The bullet struck him in the jaw and caused extensive damage.  Police said he was "severely intoxicated" at the time. 

When police arrived at the residence they noticed some marijuana.  After obtaining a search warrant police confiscated 70 grams of marijuana as well as 14 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, 12 glass vials that held a liquid they suspected was a steroid drug, 23 glass bottles for drugs and 255 syringes.

Police arrested Ayers' roommate, John Scruton, on drug possession charges.

Police also confiscated three conventional rifles, two shotguns and a .50-caliber, muzzle-loading, black-powder rifle.

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/03/25/3731382/accidental-shooting-at-raleigh.html?sp=/99/102/110/113/#storylink=cpy


Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/03/25/3731382/accidental-shooting-at-raleigh.html?sp=/99/102/110/113/#storylink=cpy

Friday, March 21, 2014

Man unintentionally shot by neighbor target shooting with AR-15 assault rifle

Jeffrey Satterfield was visiting his mother in Elon, North Carolina when he was hit by a stray bullet. According to the sheriff's office, 24-year-old Dustin Stinson was target shooting with an AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle. A round went through some woods and through the door of a trailer. The bullet hit Satterfield in the ankle.

Satterfield was taken to the hospital for treatment and released. He was readmitted after he developed an infection.

Stinson has been charged with misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

8-year-old unintentionally shoots his 9-year-old cousin

An 8-year-old boy and his 9-year-old female cousin were riding in the back seat of a car in Richfield, Utah. The boy was holding a .45-caliber handgun which he unintentionally discharged. The bullet hit his cousin.

According to police, the bullet "entered and exited the victim, and then exited the vehicle. At this time the victim is expected to be fine and is in stable condition."

Police are not releasing the names of the children nor are they saying where the gun came from or how the boy got hold of it.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Man unintentionally shoots himself while driving, crashes car

A Flagstaff, Arizona man was returning from picking up his handgun at a gun store where it was being repaired.  While driving he noticed that the .45-caliber handgun was cocked.  He picked up the gun to try to uncock the firearm and unintentionally discharged the weapon.

The bullet hit him in the foot.  He decided to try and continue driving to the hospital but blacked out from the blood loss. His car crashed into a tree in front of a local hospice home.

Paramedics had to cut down the tree in order to remove him from the car.  He was taken to the hospital for treatment.

The incident is still under investigation and no charges have been filed. 

Friday, March 14, 2014

State trooper unintentionally shoots and kills pregnant wife

Joseph Miller, a Pennsylvania state trooper, was taking apart his .45-caliber handgun for cleaning.  He did not realize the gun was loaded and he unintentionally discharged the weapon.  The bullet hit his wife, JoAnne, in the upper body. She was taken to the hospital where she died soon after she was admitted.

JoAnne was 22 weeks pregnant.  Doctors performed an emergency cesarean but the baby did not survive. "The baby never had its own breathing or heartbeat," said the coroner.

The couple's two young children were also in the home at the time of the shooting.  They were not harmed.

Police describe Miller as distraught, but cooperative.  The incident is still under investigation. 


Thursday, March 13, 2014

Man looking at newly purchased handgun unintentionally shoots girlfriend

24-year-old Logan Cooper, of Olean, New York, was looking at a .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun he had just purchased. While trying to dismantle the gun he unintentionally discharged the weapon.

The bullet struck Cooper in the finger and then hit his 28-year-old girlfriend, Connie Mascho, in the right shoulder.  Cooper was treated and released from the local hospital. But Mascho had to be airlifted to a medical center in Buffalo.  She was listed in critical condition.

Cooper was arrested and charged with first-degree reckless endangerment and second-degree assault. Because he did not have a permit for the gun, he was also charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

A police spokesman stated that "according to both parties, it was a total accident.  I don't think he was too knowledgeable in the use of firearms."

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

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.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Couple injured in unintentional shooting

24-year-old Jeff Massey and his girlfriend, 41-year-ol Tammy Lynn Harris, were lying in bed together when Massey decided to clean his handgun. The couple were living in a homemade shed behind a residence in Decatur, Alabama.

Massey was dismantling the gun when he unintentionally discharged the weapon. The bullet struck Massey in the left hand and then struck Harris in the right leg. Both were transported to the hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries.

The police have ruled the shooting an accident and no charges have been filed.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Man unintentionally shot through apartment ceiling

A 32-year-old West Bend, Wisconsin man was lying on his couch when he was struck by a bullet fired from the apartment below. According to police the bullet traveled through the ceiling of the apartment and into a second floor unit. The man suffered a laceration to his abdomen. "He was bleeding pretty bad," said a witness.

Police determined that a 20-year-old resident in a lower apartment had negligently discharged an AR-15 rifle while handling the weapon. The man reportedly told neighbors he was cleaning the weapon when it went off.

A neighbor told news reporters that he stayed with the victim until help arrived on the scene. He says the suspect was there as well, and kept apologizing for the incident.

The victim was taken to the hospital where he was listed in stable condition.

The 20-year-old was arrested and charged with injury by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon. He was also charged with possession of a switchblade knife.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

9-year-old shot by neighbor target practicing

20-year-old Cristian Manzano, of Dallas, Texas was target practicing in his yard around 11:30 Saturday morning when one of the bullets went through his neighbor's kitchen window.  The bullet struck a 9-year-old girl in the head.

The girl was rushed to the hospital where she is in critical condition.

Manzano was arrested and charged with causing serious bodily injury to a child and discharging a firearm in city limits. Manzano had been ordered to turn over a handgun as part of an earlier plea agreement on marijuana and weapons charges. It is not clear if the same weapon was used in this shooting.

A neighbor had called police on two other occasions to report hearing gunshots coming from Manzano's backyard.

Monday, March 3, 2014

Woman unintentionally discharges gun at children's YMCA swim lesson

Kamila Brudi, of Austin, Texas, was watching her children's swim lessons at the YMCA.  According to reports, Brudi was looking through her purse for something when she unintentionally discharged the loaded, unlocked handgun she had in the bag. The gun was not in a holster, but just loose in her purse.

Brudi told police she usually keeps her .38 caliber Derringer handgun in her car for protection and that she forgot to take it out of her purse before going into the YMCA.

Police said because Brudi did not intend to discharge the weapon they only issued her a citation for Discharge of Firearm where Prohbitied - a city ordinance violation.