14-year old Santa Ana boy commits "suicide-by-cop" using shotgun

Jose Rodriguez Jr., age 14

Police in Santa Ana, California, responded to a 911 call about a suspicious person with a gun.  When they arrived, they found 14-year old Jose Rodriguez Jr. holding a shotgun.  Both the police and family members yelled for him to drop the gun, but he instead raised it at police.  The police then shot.  He later died.

It turns out that Jose had been the one to call 911.  A suicide note was found in his room.

From an article and video:

When they arrived, they saw a male standing on the north side of Wisteria holding a pistol-gripped shotgun, Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said. 

Officers ordered him to drop the weapon, but instead he pointed the shotgun in their direction, Bertagna said.

The officers fired an unknown number of shots at the teen, wounding him. 

The teen, identified as Jose Rodriguez Jr. of Santa Ana, was taken to a trauma center, where he later died. 

Bertagna said investigators are trying to determine why Rodriguez would have of a shotgun and why he called police. 

"Based on scene evidence, Rodriguez is the person who called 911 reporting a man with a gun," said Bertagna, who declined to elaborate. 

After obtaining a search warrant for the boy's room, officers discovered a suicide note, according to Bertagna.

Its contents were not made public. 

Rodriguez, a freshman at Segerstrom High School, was a good student with good attendance, said Deidra Powell, a Santa Ana Unified School District spokeswoman.

The article did not say where Jose had gotten the shotgun.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

17-year old Missouri boy and friends shoot ice cream truck driver with BB gun in robbery attempt

An ice cream truck driver was making his rounds in Blue Springs, Missouri, when he was approached by four teen boys.  That's when 17-year old Isiah G. Etienne pulled out a BB gun he and his friends had just bought at Walmart and demanded cash from the driver.  The driver refused, so Isiah shot him multiple times with the BB gun in the face, neck, and arm.  He has since been arrested.

From an article:

According to court records, 47-year-old ice cream truck driver Patrick Schramke reported Tuesday afternoon being robbed and shot by three to four youth who were driving in a burgundy vehicle with a bungee cord holding a bumper together. 

Police say a group of youth had gone to Walmart and purchased a BB gun, which they were shooting in a park. When they saw an ice cream truck, police say they approached it, and according to police, the defendant pointed the BB gun at Schramke. 

When the Schramke wouldn’t turn over any money, authorities say Etienne shot the driver in the head, neck and arm with the BB gun. 

Schramke was taken to a local hospital, where he was treated and released.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

Oregon 17-year old makes online threat to shoot people at school

A threat was made at an online website by a student who threatened "to go to Wilson High School and shoot people at noon on Thursday."  After some detective work, it was determined that a 17-year old had made the threat in Portland, Oregon.

From an article:

People around the country spotted the threat Wednesday night on a website, www.4chan.org, "to go to Wilson High School and shoot people at noon on Thursday," said Portland police spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson. 

The original anonymous post did not identify where the school was located. There are at least 249 schools in the United States with the word "Wilson" in them, 25 of them high schools. 

Those 25 high schools are spread across 17 states, plus the District of Columbia. 

A friend emailed Brian Chatard, Wilson's principal in Portland, about the threat. He called police. Meanwhile, a tipster in Michigan and police in Long Beach, California, among the many places with Wilson High schools, determined that the person making the threat was using a computer in Southwest Portland. 

Based on that information, officers here were able to determine the likely identity of the person who posted the threats. 

Early Thursday morning, Portland police -- with the assistance from the Portland Public Schools Director of Security, Wilson High School staff, Youth Services Division officers, and the FBI -- contacted the residents and took an unidentified 17-year-old male into custody without incident. 

Officers determined that the teen did not have any firearms or access to firearms and it does not appear that any students were actually at risk. 

At this point, the case has been referred to the Juvenile Court. 

"Thankfully, this was not a credible threat," said Simpson, "but it's a stark reminder that people do this kind of thing."

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15-year old Connecticut boy shot to death by father during robbery

Tyler Giuliano, age 15

When Jeffrey Giuliano's sister, who lived next door to him in New Fairfield, Connecticut, called him to report an intruder breaking in, Giuliano came running with his gun. He confronted a man dressed in black clothes and ski mask outside her house and shot him to death, thinking him armed with a "shiny object" in his hands.  It was only then that he discovered the intruder was actually his own son, 15-year old Tyler Giuliano.  Tyler was apparently unarmed.

From an article:

A woman in the home believed someone was trying to break in so she called her brother, Jeffrey Giuliano, who lives next door, CBS 2′s Lou Young reported. 

Giuliano charged across the lawn with his personal gun in his hand and confronted a man dressed in black and wearing a ski mask, Young reported. 

There appeared to be a weapon in the masked intruder’s hand, Young reported. Jeffrey Giuliano fired and the intruder fell to the ground. 

There appeared to be a weapon in the masked intruder’s hand, Young reported. Jeffrey Giuliano fired and the intruder fell to the ground. 

It was then that Giuliano realized that the person he shot and killed was his own son.
“I can’t imagine what he felt when he took the mask off,” New Fairfield resident Tin DiKit told Young. 

When police officers arrived at the scene, they found a distraught Giuliano, a fifth-grade science teacher, distraught with grief, Young reported. 

Tyler, a 10th Grader at New Fairfield High School, was pronounced dead at the scene.

So far no charges have been filed.

UPDATE (9/29/12):  From another article:

Tyler was a student at New Fairfield High School and a Civil Air Patrol cadet. Some of those who knew him said he enjoyed spending time with family and flying gliders and small planes. He was adopted by Giuliano and his wife a few years ago, friends said.

One classmate said many students were baffled by what happened.

"I just thought it was so weird when I heard because I knew Tyler, not very well, but he was just a sweet person and he always made everyone laugh. I met him in the chorus room, actually, and he just wasn't the type to do what happened," said Erin Pallas, 16. "So it didn't make sense to us. It doesn't make sense to the student body."

Brett Rasile, a 14-year-old friend, said he and Tyler were playing an online game called Minecraft while talking and laughing together via Skype until about 10 p.m. Wednesday, when Tyler said he had to go to bed. Brett said Tyler wasn't in any trouble that he knew of, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

"Same old Tyler. He was perfectly fine," Brett said. "He didn't really leave any evidence, any hints towards what he would do."

Alicia Roy, New Fairfield superintendent of schools, said the elder Giuliano grew up in the town, holds summer music and zoology camps for his students and plays guitar in a local rock band that raises money for charity. He is affectionately known as "Mr. G" around Meeting House Hill School.

"He was the teacher you requested in the fifth grade. He was a great teacher. All the kids loved him," said Rosemary Rasile, Brett's mother.

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Two boys, ages 13 and 16, and mother shot and killed by father in murder/suicide

Christopher Peterson, age 13

The Peterson family of Herdon, Virginia, seemed like a normal family to their neighbors.  Then 57-year old Albert Peterson apparently snapped and shot his family to death before taking his own life.  Killed were his two sons, Christopher, age 13, and Matthew, age 16, and his wife, Kathleen.

From an article:

Relatives and friends mourned the family and struggled to come to terms with what had happened. Neighbors, who said they hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary in recent weeks, said that the four often sat on their porch and grilled on a barbecue and that the sons played soccer in the front yard. 

At Westfield High on Wednesday morning, dozens of students linked hands in an impromptu memorial. Some at the school wore black shirts, and others posted remembrances on Twitter. One read: “matt rode my bus and I never paid much attention to him. really wish I did now.” 

Matthew Peterson, age 16

Matt Peters, 16, who knew Matthew Peterson from a church youth group, described him as a “funny kid” who always had a joke and a good attitude.

On Wednesday evening, hundreds of people came to a candlelight vigil at Floris United Methodist Church, where the family had attended services. Mourners sang “Amazing Grace” and wept.

.... 

Randall Alter, a neighbor who said he has known the Petersons for about 28 years and attended their wedding and their sons’ baptisms, said Albert Peterson stopped by his house Saturday night. 

His friend, Alter said, seemed “morose.” 

“He was worried about everything,” Alter said. “He felt the economy was going in the wrong direction. He was worried about politics. He couldn’t shake things.” 

Still, he said, Peterson often seemed negative and Alter never imagined what was to come. He said Peterson had not mentioned any family disputes or financial problems. 

Alter said he walked his dog about 3 a.m. Monday and noticed that the lights were on in the Peterson house and garage. About an hour later, he said, he and his wife heard a muffled bang. 

Officer Don Gotthardt, a county police spokesman, said detectives were still unraveling a motive. He said the Petersons were seen alive as late as 5 p.m. Sunday. 

On Tuesday morning, police said, co-workers of one parent called police and said the parent didn’t show up for work Monday or Tuesday. Officers went to the home and found the family dead.

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3-year old Ohio boy gets father's gun and shoots father in side

Walter J. Call III, age 24, was asleep on his couch in his Marion, Ohio, home.  He left his gun loaded and unsecured, with his 3-year old son and 5-year old daughter unattended.  His son then found the gun and discharged it, hitting Call in the side and injuring him.

Call is now being charged with felony child endangerment.

From an article:

Call was shot about 3 p.m. Sunday when his son, who is almost 3, found the gun while Call slept on the couch. Police said the only other person in the house at the time was Call’s 5-year-old daughter. No one else was hurt. 

Collins said Call’s children are staying with family. Police took both the handgun that the toddler found and several other guns from Call’s house. 

Call would be the second central Ohio father charged this year. In May, a 3-year-old Knox County boy found his dad’s gun and shot himself in his head. In that case, the toddler, Lucas Heagren, died. His father, Joshua Heagren, 25, has been charged with endangering a child, a third-degree felony, and with a misdemeanor count of negligent homicide. 

Toby Hoover, executive director of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, which lobbies for stricter gun-control laws, said both shootings show that Ohio needs laws to punish gun owners whose firearms fall into the hands of children. 

“Gun owners may have all the good intentions in the world, but they don’t follow through,” Hoover said. “Things like this happen all the time.”

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

16-year old Minnesota boy injured when shot while duck hunting

Baker Felix (left), age 16.

16-year old Baker Felix was in a canoe, duck hunting, with two 18-year olds near Iron, Minnesota, when he was unintentionally shot by his brother with a shotgun.

From an article:

A rural Eveleth youth has been injured in a duck hunting accident in northeastern Minnesota. 

The Mesabi Daily News of Virginia reports that 16-year-old Baker Felix was hunting Saturday in a canoe on Elbow Lake in Iron with his brother, 18-year-old Bryten Felix, also of rural Eveleth, and 18-year-old Olaf Walkky, of Britt. 

A flock of ducks flew over and the teens stood up to shoot, resulting in the canoe rolling and taking water. The St. Louis County sheriff's office says Bryten Felix fell backward and tried to catch himself. The shotgun he was holding discharged, and the blast hit his brother, Baker Felix, in the knee. 

Baker Felix was taken by ambulance to a Duluth hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. The incident is under investigation.

(a related article).

17-year old Delaware boy shoots man

A 17-year old boy was arrested in Wilmington, Delaware, for shooting a 23-year old man.

From an article:

Police say the suspect, a 17-year-old boy, shot a 23-year-old man at 23rd and North Pine Streets Sunday afternoon. 

A search of the suspect's home turned up evidence linking him to thecrime, and he's now charged with assault, firearms possession and criminal mischief.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

13 year old Oklahoma boy shoots himself at school

Cade Poulos, age 13

Gun suicides don't often make the news. But this one did because it happened right on the school grounds of an Oklahoma middle school. From the article:

A 13-year-old Oklahoma boy shot himself to death Wednesday in front of classmates after showing up at his junior high school dressed as the super-villain Two Face from the Batman series.

The student, Cade Poulos, used a handgun to commit suicide in a crowded hallway at Stillwater Junior High School, cops said.

“It doesn’t appear that anyone else was in danger or threatened,” said Stillwater Police Capt. Randy Dickerson, adding that the school and a nearby elementary school were put on lockdown as a precaution.

Dickerson said a school resource officer heard the gunshot just before the 8 a.m. school bell sounded and found the red-headed eighth-grader dead in a hallway.

Cops were investigating where the student obtained the gun.

Shocked classmates told KOCO-TV that Wednesday was Superhero Dress-up Day, but could not explain why Poulos came to school as Two Face, the ally-turned-nemesis of Batman in the DC Comics series.

They were all lucky that this boy didn't decide to shoot other students along with himself. According to the article, law enforcement is investigating where this boy got his gun. Most gun deaths are due to suicide.

UPDATE:  According to another article, the boy's name was Cade Poulos.  It is suspected that he killed himself because he had been bullied.

Every gun in the hand of a child or teen must first pass through the hands of an adult.

15-year old New York boy chased and shot in arm

A 15-year old boy was walking in Brooklyn, New York, when a group of boys chased him and shot him in the arm.

From an article:

The boy was crossing Fountain Ave near Hegeman Ave on his way to a friend’s house around 5:30 on Sunday night, a car carrying four males pulled up and the boy ran away, according to the Daily News. The group chased him and opened fire, after being wounded he was able to make it inside where help was called. 

The boy was taken to Brookdale Hospital and listed in stable condition.

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15-year old San Antonio boy shot and wounded in robbery

A 15-year old boy in San Antonio, Texas, was held up at gunpoint.  When he had no money to rob, the robbers shot him in the leg and fled.

From an article:

Police say the boy walked out of a store at Bynum and Price just before 12:30 a.m. Sunday. 

They say a group of men approached and demanded money. 

When the teen showed them he had no money one of the men fired a shot hitting the boy in the leg, police say. 

The teen told officers then men jumped in a Cadillac and drove away. 

Police found that Cadillac crashed on a dead end street about a mile away. 

EMS took the boy the University Hospital for treatment of that shot to the leg. 

Police are now looking for the men who shot him.

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14-year old Illinois boy shot and killed while walking with friends

Dajae Coleman, age 14

A 14-year old boy, Dajae Coleman, was walking with friends in Evanston, Illinois, when four shots were fired.  One hit him in the chest, killing him.

From an article:

Evanston police have released a little more information about Saturday night's shooting, saying that Dajae Coleman was, "walking with friends when four shots were fired, one striking and fatally wounding, the victim in the chest."

Dajae graduated from Haven Middle School in June and was attending Evanston Township High School as a freshman, police said.

ETHS printed Dajae's "belief statement" from his humanities class on its website this evening. In it, he talks about the love and support he got from his family, particularly his mother and grandfather. You can read it here.

From a related article:

The Evanston Township High School freshman that everybody called “Dae Dae” was a youth sports standout, a good student and hard worker who landed his first job at the Evanston community center this summer.

“He wasn’t one of those guys,” Dajae’s father, Richard Coleman. “He wasn’t someone who you’d think would get killed like this. But really, in the society we’re living in he actually was … one of the good ones, the innocent ones that leave early.”

On Saturday, Dajae asked his father for permission to go to a party with his pals that night.

“He told me where it was. I said, ‘OK, but don’t be sitting around there on the street. Don’t go wandering. Call me after the party. Don’t walk,’ ” Richard Coleman said. “He said, ‘OK, Dad. I’ll call you.’ … And he never called me back.”

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16-year old Texas girl shot and killed to keep her from testifying about rape

Shania Gray, age 16

Franklin B. Davis, 30, was angry that he previous babysitter, 16-year old Shania Gray, was going to testify against him for raping her.  So he friended her on social media under a false identity, then lured her to a nighttime meeting.  He then drove her to a secluded spot in Carrollton, Texas, shot her twice with a .38-caliber handgun, and killed her.

From an article:

Carrollton police say Davis confessed to arranging a meeting with Gray under false pretenses, driving her to a trail near the river and shooting her twice with a .38-caliber pistol. According to an arrest affidavit, Gray fell into the river and called Davis by his nickname: "Why, Wish?" 

Davis told police he then stepped on her neck until she stopped breathing, the affidavit said. 

Carrollton police spokesman Jon Stovall said in an email that police believe Davis killed Gray because she was about to testify against him. 

A spokeswoman for Gray's family, Sherry Ramsey, told The Dallas Morning News that Gray met Davis when she babysat his two children. Ramsey said that later, after the teen declined many requests to babysit, Gray told her grandmother that Davis had raped her. 

The crime was reported to Mesquite police, and Davis was charged with four counts of sexual assault of a child. 

Ramsey said Davis had warned Gray he would kill her if she told anyone about the assault. 

According to an arrest warrant, Davis contacted Gray through social media and pretended to be someone else in an attempt to get information about the sexual assault case. Davis then used a pre-paid cellphone to set up a meeting with Gray at her high school on Thursday. 

Davis told WFAA-TV in a jailhouse interview that he tracked Gray down because he wanted to prove his innocence in the sexual assault case. 

"I needed to get some kind of evidence, some kind of proof myself to show I did not have sex with her and that she's lying," Davis told the television station. 

Davis told authorities that Gray was surprised to see him but got into his car when he told her he wanted to talk to her about the sexual assault case. He said he then drove her to the remote area. 

Stovall said police believe Gray was killed within an hour after she was picked up.

(a related article).

4-year-old finds father's gun, shoots self in face

4-year-old Tristian Jackson, of Youngstown, Ohio was laying in his father's bed when he found an loaded, unlocked handgun.  

From an article:

Reports said Tristian was laying in bed with his father, Antwan Jackson, 26, who left for work at about 6 a.m. Jackson found the gun and shot himself in the face.

Tristian was admitted to the hospital in critical but stable condition and police chief Rod Foley said they expect him to recover.

The bullet did not penetrate Tristian's cranium and police said he was talking and crying at St. Elizabeth's Emergency Room. Jackson told police he kept a nine-millimeter handgun loaded under his bed. Detectives found the gun and it was taken to their crime lab for testing.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

 

 

Gun threat closes school for a day in Sammamish, Washington

A gun threat closed Skyline High School for a day, in Sammamish, Washington.

From an article:

Threats of violence against students prompted Skyline High School officials to cancel school on Thursday. 

In a notification released late Wednesday night, school officials said they were dealing with an "emergency situation" and asked students, staff and community members to stay away from the school on Thursday. 

The King County sheriff's office is investigating an online post claiming to be from a Skyline student. In the post, which included a photo of a gun, the student says he's going to take his father's gun to school and "open fire on the people in the commons in the morning until I am either taken down by our school's police officer, or until I run out of mags." 

The post was circulated around social media sites on Wednesday and was reported to police.
Deputies so far don't know who wrote the post or if it's a legitimate threat, according to King County sheriff's Sgt. Cindi West. 

In Wednesday's email to parents, the school district apologized for the late notification, but said "student and staff safety is our top concern."

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

14-year old Illinois boy brings three guns to school and fires one

A 14-year old boy brought three guns to his school, in Bloomington, Illinois, and fired one on school property.  Apparently no one was hurt.  Two of the guns belonged to his parents.  One belonged to him.  He also brought knives

He is experienced with target shooting.  

From an article:

A 14-year-old student left home with three handguns — one of them his own — Sept. 7 and fired one of the weapons in a Normal Community High School classroom about an hour later, raising questions about how firearms are stored in homes where children live. 

How the boy accessed the guns that he carried into school along with ammunition, two knives, a hatchet and other items found by police is one of the questions authorities have not answered yet about the incident that forced the evacuation of the school during a six-hour ordeal on a rainy Friday morning. 

But McLean County State’s Attorney Ron Dozier said Wednesday that the student “knew where the guns were kept.” 

One of the weapons, a .22-caliber handgun, belonged to the minor who “has experience with target practice,” said Dozier.
....
The parents of the 14-year-old involved in the NCHS incident are cooperating with authorities, and the state has no plans to file criminal charges against them, said Dozier. 

The charges filed against the minor, whose identity is protected in juvenile court records, include three counts of unlawful use of weapons for carrying a firearm into a school and three counts of unlawful possession and concealment of a handgun by a person under 18. 

In a culture where gun violence has rocked schools across the country, last week’s incident involving gunshots was a first for Twin City schools. The most recent gun possession case in the area was reported in 2007 in Pontiac where a student brought six unloaded guns to school with plans to sell them. 

Illini Central schools in Mason City were locked down Wednesday after a report of someone bringing a gun to school. After searching the school, police say no gun was actually found.

The article also discusses the importance of keeping guns locked and unloaded, preferably in a gun safe:

“Gun ownership comes with the responsibility to store them safely,” said Stephen Stewart, owner of 10-8 Outfitters gun shop in Bloomington. 

Stewart’s shop sells several items designed to secure handguns, including a small vault. The vaults are small enough to fit under a bed or on a closet shelf and can be opened by entering a four-digit code. 

Trigger locks are included by manufacturers on all new guns and given to owners who purchase used guns as well, said Stewart. 

Keeping guns in a safe or installing trigger locks is the responsible thing to do, said Stewart, but it does not preclude a determined person from figuring out a way around the safeguards. 

Illinois gun owners are not required to lock up firearms in their homes, but keeping weapons out of the hands of unsupervised youths can prevent tragedy, said McLean County Sheriff Mike Emery. 

“Gun owners have a responsibility to ensure children don’t have access to weapons. If firearms are in a gun safe, they are out of sight, out of mind,” said Emery.

Allowing access to guns could lead to civil lawsuits for owners whose firearms are involved in an incident that harms another person, but criminal charges are rarely filed. 

.... 

The local gun scares provide “a teachable moment for people to talk about safe gun storage and the easy access that might exist to firearms in the home. Nowhere in the U.S. are we insulated from these situations,” said Stewart.

The boy was arrested and will be charged.  The parents, who allowed access to the guns, are not being charged.


Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

16-year old Philly boy shot to death

A 16-year old boy, Samir Guion, was shot multiple times on the streets of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, dying soon after.

From an article:

A 16-year-old boy shot dead in South Philadelphia's Point Breeze section on Monday was identified today as Samir Guion, a neighborhood resident.

Investigators have not disclosed whether they have established in the slaying.

Police said Guion was struck multiple times about 3:20 p.m. when a gunman walked up to him at 19th and Federal Streets and opened fire five times with a 9mm handgun.

Guion, who lived a short walk away on the 1100 block of South Cleveland Street, died nearly three hours later at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

Acting on a tip, police found a 9mm handgun stuffed in an Adidas track jacket under a car two blocks away. It's not known yet if it was the gun used to kill Guion.

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17-year old Texas girl shot and injured in home invasion attempt

A 17-year old girl was at home in Beaumont, Texas, when she answered a knock at the door.  Answering the door, men rushed in with a gun and attempted to rob the home.  Adults in the home tried to wrestle the gun away from the suspect, but the gun went off and hit the girl.  Both she and the suspect went to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

From an article:

Beaumont Police are investigating a home invasion in which a 17-year-old girl was shot when a gun went off during a struggle and the suspect was attacked and injured by several people inside the apartment.

Police responded to the robbery Wednesday night at an apartment complex in the 4600 block of Hartel near the campus of Lamar University.

Officers found a 17-year-old girl with a superficial gunshot wound to her right shoulder. Police say the suspect received extensive injuries during a struggle with several men inside the apartment during the attempted robbery.

Beaumont EMS transported both the teen and the suspect to Christus Hospital St. Elizabeth ER for treatment of their injuries.  The girl was treated for her minor injury and released.  ER doctors admitted the suspect for treatment of injuries to his head.

Detectives took statements from several people who were in the apartment at the time of the robbery attempt.  From witness accounts, detectives were able to determine that the suspect knocked on the door and the teenage girl answered it.  As the girl answered the door, the suspect rushed in with a handgun.  The suspect demanded money and several men inside the apartment began to struggle with him. They were able to wrestle the gun away from the suspect and the girl was shot once during the struggle.  Detectives are still attempting to determine the exact facts surrounding how the teen was shot.

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12-year old Chicago boy shot by stray bullet while riding his bike

A 12-year old boy was shot by a stray bullet when a man opened fire from his car, intending to hit another person, in the Back of the Yards neighborhood of Chicago.

From an article:

The boy in the Back of the Yards was on his bicycle around 6 p.m. when someone in a red two-door car opened fire near 50th and Peoria streets and sped off, police said. The 12-year-old was taken to Provident Hospital of Cook County with a wound to the leg.

This was one of a number of shootings in Chicago that weekend, including in the same neighborhood.

Bullets don't know when to stop.

17-year old Alabama girl shot to death by boyfriend in murder/attempted suicide

Tessa Faye Groves, age 17

A girl in Scottsboro, Alabama, 17-year old Tessa Faye Groves, was shot to death by her 19-year old boyfriend, Jonathan Maurice Nicholson, when he found out that she had contacted an ex-boyfriend.  He then tried to shoot himself to death, but lived.

From an article:

This isn't the first major violence at this home. Some neighbors on Quincy Street call it a house of trouble.

It was five years ago when Nicholson's father was stabbed by his live-in girlfriend. An artery was severed and he lost a lot of blood.

19-year-old Jonathan Maurice Nicholson, who lives at the home, is now identified as the person who was shot.

17-year-old Tessa Faye Groves has been identified as the person who is deceased.

Chief Ralph Dawes said they responded to a 911 call shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday night where they found Nicholson just outside of the home holding his face where he had been shot.

The chief said Groves was found deceased inside the home from a gunshot wound.

Nicholson's was taken to Huntsville Hospital. Dawes said Nicholson is currently in stable condition in the hospital's intensive care unit.

Neighbors said the home belonged to the boy's aunt.

Family members said Groves and Nicholson were in a relationship. A friend of Nicholson's' said the pair had recently broken up. He said Nicholson was distraught and found out that Groves had been in contact with an ex-boyfriend who recently got out of prison.

Dawes said the case appears to be a murder-attempted suicide.

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15-year old Illinois boy shot and killed by 17-year old with shotgun

Asonte "Nazio" Gutierrez, age 15

A 15-year old boy, Asonte Gutierrez, in Lansing, Illinois, was shot twice in the head and killed by 17-year old Miguel Webster, in a homicide.

From an article:

Police found the body of Asonte Gutierrez in an alley in the 17000 block of Lorenz Avenue in Lansing about 12:40 a.m. Wednesday after someone called to report a teen lying on the ground, a release from police said. 

Gutierrez, of the 4700 block of West 185th Place, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. An autopsy showed he was shot twice in the head with a shotgun and his death was ruled a homicide. 

Shooter Miguel Webster, age 17

An investigation by the Lansing police and the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force led to them obtaining a search warrant for a garage and home in the 17000 block of Lorenz, police said. 

Investigators recovered evidence, including the shotgun, that directly linked Webster to the murder, police said. Webster and Gutierrez were acquaintances and the killing did not appear to be a random act, police said.

According to another news video and article, Asonte (who was known as "Nazio" to his fans) was an accomplished songwriter, had released a CD, performed shows, and had a song on local radio stations.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

17-year old Philly boy shot and killed

A 17-year old boy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was shot three times and killed.

From an article:

A teen boy is dead after a shooting in the Point Breeze section of the city. 

It happened around 3:20 p.m. on 19th and Federal Street. Police say a 17-year-old boy was shot in the left side of the head, right side of the chest and left thigh. 

He was taken to Jefferson Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m.. No arrests have been made. Police continue to search for suspects.

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11-year old Colorado boy shoots self to death with brother's stolen gun

Andres Limas, age 11

18-year old Jordan Limas had recently stolen a .22-caliber handgun.  He had placed the unlocked, loaded gun on a table when his 11-year old brother, Andres Limas, walked in and grabbed it, thinking it was a toy.  He was headed out of the room toward other kids when Jordan tried to get the gun out of Andres' hands.  The gun went off, striking the boy in the chest.  Andres died from his wound.

Though Jordan confessed to stealing the gun, it had not been reported stolen.

From an article:

The report released Monday states that Jordan Limas, 18, told Weld County Sheriff’s deputies that he left the loaded gun on a dining room table. Limas said he saw that his brother, Andre Limas, a sixth-grader at John Evans Middle School, was headed outside with the gun, where other children were standing. 

He told police that Andre said “Ya, right,” when he told he told him the gun wasn’t a toy. Limas told deputies he struggled with his brother to get the gun, and it went off when he had it in his hand. He said he heard Andre say “Jord, Jord, it hurts” before he collapsed, according to the report. He said he held Andre and took him outside while screaming for his girlfriend to call 911. 

Limas said his grandfather arrived at the house and took Andre back inside, where sheriff’s deputies found the boy. 

Deputies found no vital signs and performed CPR on Andre. He was taken to North Colorado Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead that evening. 

Tim Schwartz, spokesman for the Weld County Sheriff’s Office, said Limas was taken into custody for questioning after the shooting and was later booked into jail on suspicion of criminally negligent homicide, a felony. 

Limas was released Sunday on $30,000 bond, and the Weld District Attorney’s Office will determine whether to pursue the charge. Schwartz said while Limas said he stole the .22-caliber, semi-automatic handgun, it has not been reported stolen.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

11-year old Milwaukee boy injured in crossfire

An 11-year old boy was riding his bike in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when a gunfight broke out across the street.  One of the bullets grazed him in the chest.  The boy was taken to an area hospital.

One witness in the neighborhood said she heard around 20 shots fired.  She never lets her children play outside.

Four men are in custody for the shooting.

A news video.

Bullets don't know when to stop.

16-year old Florida girl shot and killed by angry boyfriend

Emilie Sineace, age 16

16-year old Emilie Sineace had plans to become a surgeon.  She upset her 18-year old boyfriend, Brandon Nicholas Santos, though, so the young man drove to her home in Lake Worth, Florida, and lured her outside with a text message.  He then shot her to death, hitting her five times in the midsection.  He has since been caught.

From an article:

She died Saturday after receiving three bullet wounds to the midsection of her body — one to her left shoulder and two to her left side. 

Santos, who sped away immediately after the shooting, is facing charges of first-degree murder with a firearm. He was booked into the St. Lucie County Jail, where he awaits extradition to Palm Beach County.
....
When she stumbled back inside, she screamed “Help me! Help me!” before collapsing, Manasse said. 

As she lay on the floor of her family’s home, suffering from gunshot wounds, Emilie kept saying to her sister Edeline, 13, “Don’t leave me be here by myself, don’t leave me by myself.” 

While fading in and out of consciousness, Emilie was able to tell her sister several times that “Andon” had shot at her. She was rushed to Delray Medical Center, where she underwent surgery. Before her operation began, however, she was able to say to a deputy, “This boy shot me. His name is Brandon and he is big.” 

Emilie also told the deputy Santos’ age and where he attended high school. Edeline would later tell detectives that Emilie and Santos had dated for “several weeks.” 

Before he shot Emilie, Santos sent her a text message a 9:17 p.m. on Friday that said, “Come out,” the report said. 

“Ya,” Emilie responded. Her cellphone, recovered at the scene of the shooting, showed no further calls or text messages. 

Manasse said she was at work at a nursing home when Emilie was shot. A co-worker drove her to the hospital, where her daughter was listed in critical condition at the time. 

“People told me she’d be OK,” Manasse said Monday, surrounded by friends and family at her home. She was a quiet girl who kept to herself, Manasse said. 

“I lost my daughter,” Manasse said as she held a picture album with photos of her children. “She was a very good girl. She wanted to be a doctor.” 

Emilie had a detailed plan for becoming one. She knew attending college would be expensive, so she had enrolled in a career academy at Inlet Grove High School in Riviera Beach, intending to graduate as a licensed practical nurse, instead of attending Santaluces High near her home. She planned on using her nurse’s salary to pay for medical school.

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17-year old Pennsylvania girl shot in drive-by

A group of girls were hanging out on a front porch in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania when a car drove by.  In the passenger seat of the car was the 18-year old ex-boyfriend of one of the girls, Armani Carson, and he was armed.  Driving the car was his current girlfriend.  He opened fire, striking one of the girls (not his ex-girlfriend) twice in the leg.  He is currently being sought.

From an article and video:

Two bullets hit a 17-year-old Uptown girl in her leg. She was taken to Penn State Hershey Medical Center for treatment of non-life threatening wounds, police said.

Carson's estranged girlfriend, who was among the group, was not struck.

The girls told investigators they were socializing on the front porch of the home and noticed Carson in the passenger seat of a burgundy car, driven by his current girlfriend, as it passed by several times.

Carson opened fire as the car made a final pass, police said.

Detectives said they looked for Carson at his known address, but he was not found. The home of the girl who drove the car was also checked, but the car was not found.

The car was found hours later in an apartment complex in suburban Harrisburg, but it was not occupied, police said.

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6-year old girl killed in Alabama drive-by shooting

A 6-year old girl was shot dead, inside her Evergreen, Alabama house, when her home was shot at in a drive-by shooting.

From an article:

The girl's name was not immediately released. The TV report said that the incident took place as the girl slept inside a home on U.S. 31 North in rural Conecuh County near Evergreen.

The Conecuh County Sheriff's Office and the Conecuh County District Attorney's Office were investigating. No arrests had been announced as of Monday afternoon, but authorities had identified suspects and were in the process of finding them.

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2 year old Utah child who shot himself identified

On Thursday, we wrote about a two year old Utah toddler who got his hands on the gun of his law enforcement father and shot himself to death. The child has now been identified as Linkin Leatham, described as a "miracle child". Unfortunately you just can't make stories like this up. More from the article:

Linkin Leatham's parents described their two-year-old as a "miracle" baby who defied doctors' expectations by fully recovering from "multiple medical complications," according to an obituary in the Provo Daily Herald.

Melinda and Owen Leatham were in their Springville home last Tuesday when their son picked up a handgun left at his eye level and inadvertently fired it, according to KSL. But they didn't see him do it. (...) 

The first two months of Linkin's life were spent inside a children's hospital where he bounced back from the unspecified congenital ailments. As his parents said in the obit, he was "a fighter from the beginning."

The family held a funeral Saturday and the parents said that his heart and corneas were donated to help another child.

The Utah County district attorney's office is investigating his death and are waiting for autopsy results for answers to how the child pulled the trigger, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

Photo from linked article

Owen Leatham is a police officer, but the weapon that killed Linkin wasn't his service gun, reports said.      

These stories continue and they are difficult to post on this blog. Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

Shooting threat delays high school football game in New Jersey

A "credible shooting threat" delayed a football game at a high school in Teaneck, New Jersey.

From an article:

Teaneck police said they are still working to determine who made the threat and why it happened. Extra police officers were on duty at the school on Sunday, but no problems were reported during the game. 

Details on the threat and its target have not been released, but Teaneck athletic director Todd Sinclair called it "credible."

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/09/16/4825571/shooting-threat-delays-high-school.html#storylink=cpy

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Kids witness murder/suicide by father in Yakima, Washington

Several children were at their father's residence in Yakima, Washington, when their mother, who is divorced, arrived to pick them up.  Their parents got into an argument, then the father shot the mother.  After someone was called and came to pick up the kids, the father then fatally shot himself.  The has mother survived so far.

From an article:

The Yakima Sheriff's office says a child called authorities to report his father shooting her mother then taking his own life. 

Sgt. Mike Russell says that on Sunday evening authorities were notified of the shooting by a young girl, who said her father had shot her mother. 

Russell says that the 32-year-old father and the 36-year-old woman had been estranged. He says that when the woman arrived at the man's residence in Yakima County to pick up the children, the couple got into a fight. He says the man then shot his wife. 

The father called a relative to take the children and shot himself after they were out of the house. 

Russell says the woman survived and was taken to the hospital. Her condition was not immediately available.

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16-year old Phoenix boy shot and killed while protecting his 14-year old sister

Andrew Murphy, age 16

16-year old Andrew Murphy was a very talented and loved boy in Phoenix, Arizona, who was described as having a big heart.  But when he saw his 14-year old sister was being robbed at gunpoint an 18-year old young man, Andrew rushed to protect her.  Unfortunately, he was shot in the chest and died at the scene, in his sister's arms.

The shooter has been arrested.

From an article:

Andrew was a junior deacon at his church, a member of the youth drama program and had recently served the food to the homeless as part of a community service project.

He was also talented at the piano and could pick up musical pieces just by listening to a tune.

He loved technology and his family would joke that if given the choice, he would choose purchasing the newest electronic device over a plate of food.

At the park that Thursday night, the sister he would give his life to protect rushed to his side after the shot rang out.

She heard him mumbling, but she was able to make out one word, his last word, "Amen."

(a related article).

Pre-school aged child finds bodies of mom and a man in home

A very young Minnesota child found the bodies of his mother and a man shot dead in his house. From the article:

The child of preschool age went to a neighbor and said his mother was not moving, said Police Chief Steve Smith.

Officers arrived at the home about 9:25 a.m. and discovered the bodies "in close proximity to each other," Smith said. A gun was recovered at the scene, the chief added.

Smith said that "at this time there is no one specifically that we're looking at" as a suspect.

"We're not quite sure what we have," he added, when asked whether this could be a case of murder-suicide. "We're hoping to know more later."

Little children shouldn't have to discover the dead bodies of their mothers in their houses.

16-year old Philly boy shot and killed in city park/playground

16-year old Darius Person was sitting on a park bench when one or two people came up and shot him point-blank in the chest with a .22 caliber handgun.  Darius died from his wound.

Around the bench was a park and playground crowded with people, including children at play.  One witness may even have been on the bench with him.

Witnesses have been interviewed.  Suspects have not yet been caught.  The motive is currently not known.

From an article:

Cops said about six people were at the park when the shots rang out. Two witnesses were taken to speak with officials in the Homicide Unit. 

"This was an active playground" said Chief Inspector Scott Small. "There were kids here playing on the playground when the shooting occured." 

One of the witnesses may have been sitting with the victim on the bench at the time of the shooting, police said, adding that a private surveillance camera at a nearby business may have recorded the incident. 

The shooter's motive was unclear Thursday night, and two suspects were seen running east through the playground toward St. Luke Street immediately after the shooting, police said. 

Officials were working to form a detailed description of the shooters Thursday night. 

The victim's relatives sat on park benches while police combed the scene for evidence around 11:30 p.m. Their moans were nearly drowned out by the sound of traffic rumbling along the nearby Roosevelt Expressway overpass.

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17-year old Kentucky boy shot and killed on city bus

Rico Robinson, Jr. age 17

In July, 17-year old Rico Robinson, Jr., was riding on the TARC city bus in Louisville, Kentucky, on July 23 when two young men boarded and shot him dead.  

A motive has not been released.  The suspects are in custody: Martin Keehn, 21, and Jeffrey Kingdon, 22.

A video of the shooting has just been released.

From an article:

Rico Robinson was just 17-years-old when he was shot in the head on a TARC bus last month. Instead of being angry, one of his closest friends has decided to try to do something small in hopes of making a big difference. 

It was on Facebook where Lynn Gullion learned of Robinson's death. "I just couldn't believe, it was just really hard for me to take, to understand," said Gullion. 

The two knew each other for nearly ten years, growing up in the Newburg Boys and Girls club. On July 23, Robinson's life was cut short after police said Martin Keehn, 21, and Jeffrey Kingdon, 22, got on the TARC bus at the intersection of Goldsmith Lane and Bardstown Road. Robinson was shot and the two suspects took off.  

"I wish things like this wouldn't happen," said Gullion. "I wish that we could just talk it out or find other ways to solve our problems instead of killing one another." 

It wasn't until two weeks later, Keehn and Kingdon were taken into custody by U.S. Marshals in Indianapolis. 

"I was really excited, I was glad that they got caught, but at the same time, that's not going to bring Rico back," said Gullion.  

So instead, the Northern Kentucky University student has decided to launch "Team Rico", a new initiative she hopes will raise awareness among her peers. 

"We're going to do different activities to redirect the violence," said Gullion.

Now on the same social network that brought her the devastating news, she plans to bring a message of hope, knowing that one person can make a difference. 

"I feel like if we don't get it together now than my generation is going to be gone," said Gullion. 

Gullion hopes to kick off "Team Rico" on his birthday in December. 

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2-year old Utah boy gets Police father's gun and shoots self to death

A 2-year old boy in Springville, Utah, got hold of his father's gun in the home and shot himself to death.

The father is an active police officer.

From an article and news video:

"I'm not quite sure whether it was the service weapon or not, but the child got a hold of the handgun and shot himself with it," said Tim Taylor, chief deputy with the Utah County Attorney's Office.

Paramedics were called to the home, but it was too late to help the boy, whose name investigators declined to release. Taylor says investigators will look for any negligence involved, but at this point are calling the shooting an accident.

From what I have looked at right now, we're not looking at any charges.

–Tim Taylor

"From what I have looked at right now, we're not looking at any charges," Taylor said. "It's more of investigating a tragic accident."

The tragedy is impacting those who know the officer and his family.

"Our hearts and our prayers go out to this family," Taylor said. "Tough, tough situation and we are so sorry for them, but I think there is a lot of people rallying to support them."

No charges will be filed, according to the report.

Don't you think a police officer, of all people, should be held to a higher standard regarding gun safety?  Having an unsecured, loaded gun in the home isn't a "tragic accident," it's gross negligence and a deadly risk.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

8th-grade Baltimore boy brought grandfather's gun to school

An 8th-grade boy found his grandfather's unsecured handgun and brought it to school with him.  School officials were able to get the gun away from him.

The grandfather is being charged for violating Maryland's child access protection law, which requires safe storage of firearms around children.

From an article:

In an article posted August 31 on Baltimore County NOW at www.baltimorecountymd.gov/news , Johnson wrote, “Regardless of our opinions about guns and gun control, we ought to be able to agree on this: The consequences of not securing firearms in the home can be disastrous.”

At the press briefing today, Johnson displayed several guns of the type that the Stemmers Run student took to class – all smaller than a cell phone. He also displayed the simple, inexpensive locking mechanisms that gun owners can use to prevent guns from being used improperly.

“The teachable moment here is, ‘Lock your weapons up,’” Johnson said.

Students and teachers say the incident happened during class change and was a result of a fight between a few students that happened on Monday. Students at the school say there was a fight Tuesday morning in a hallway that may have been related to that previous incident, and word was that someone had a gun.

As a result, Stemmers Run Middle School was placed on lockdown and the Baltimore County Police Department was called to the scene. Officials say no one was injured.

A female teacher reportedly saw the eighth-grade student with the gun and wrestled it out of the student's hands.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

San Pedro high school student injured on campus by stray bullet

A female high school student was injured last May when a stray bullet hit her while on the campus of her school, in San Pedro, California, when two people were in a shootout across the street.

From an article:

Los Angeles Unified School District spokeswoman Monica Carazo says two people exchanged gunfire Wednesday afternoon across the street from San Pedro High School. 

A stray bullet struck a wall on campus and grazed the leg of a female student. Carazo says the student was treated at a hospital for a minor injury. 

Carazo says police have detained a person of interest and are interviewing witnesses. 

Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Richard French says officers are searching for at least one suspect who fled the area. 

The school was briefly locked down and students were later dismissed on a staggered schedule.

Bullets don't know when to stop.

3-year old Tennessee boy gets mother's gun and shoots self

A mother in Clarksville, Tennessee, put her loaded, unsecured gun down on her couch and turned her back, working on a computer.  She thought her 3-year old was in another room.  She was wrong.  The boy found the gun and shot himself in the abdomen.  He is now in critical condition.

The woman has a current conceal carry permit.

From an article:

When officers arrived, they found a 22-year-old woman outside holding her child and administering first aid.

The child had sustained a gunshot wound to his lower abdomen area. EMS arrived, and the child was taken by Lifeflight helicopter to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville in critical but stable condition.

Detective Ronald Parrish investigated, and, based on preliminary information, determined that the 22-year-old woman, who has a handgun carry permit, took off her Kel Tec .380 handgun and left it unattended on a couch, Knoll said.

Her son was eating at a table in a different area of the apartment. The woman sat down with her back to the couch and was working on the computer when she heard the gunshot.

She looked to see if there was a hole in the ceiling and then saw her son crying and holding his abdomen, Knoll said.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.