18-month old North Carolina boy unintentionally shot in the arm

An 18-year old boy was unintentionally shot in the arm, in Bessemer City, North Carolina.

From an article:

A toddler from Bessemer City has been hospitalized after he was shot in the arm. 

Gaston County EMS officials were called to a home just after 8 p.m. Friday after getting a call that a child had been shot in the left arm. The 18-month-old boy was taken to a hospital, and there was no update on his condition. 

Investigators say they think the shooting was an accident. Police say the boy was home with his father and a sibling when the shooting happened. 

Authorities have not said who owned the gun that was used.

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

17-year old Georgia boy shot while walking home from school

17-year old Zachius Shropshire was walking home from school in Stone Mountain, Georgia, with friends, when a vehicle drove up and shot at them.  Zachius was hit in the back and chest.  The suspects fled.

Zachius is recovering in the hospital.

From an article:

Police said Zachius Shropshire, 17, was shot in the chest and back as he walked home from Redan High School on North Redan Circle in Stone Mountain. Witnesses told police a black car, possibly a Honda, sped toward Shropshire and friends when someone rolled down a window and fired two to three shots. 

The teens ran off before Shropshire stopped and lay down in neighbor Artis Collins' yard. .... 

"He’s a good kid. He’s never been in any trouble and I was shocked when my husband told me. I was shocked,” neighbor Angela Morris said. 

Awadjie [a friend of Zachius], 14, said her parents now pick her up from school because they're concerned for her safety. 

"Kids are brave you know," said her father, Jonathan Clark. "But we as parents we know better. The bullet doesn’t have a name. It could've been anybody." 

Police are investigating the motive for the shooting.

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14-year old Pennsylvania boy threatens shooting at school

A 14-year old boy in Holland, Pennsylvania, threatened to bring guns and knives to school to kill students and teachers, at Council Rock High School South.  When police searched his home, they found handguns in the plain site in his room.  His parents were also arrested in the case, in part due to drugs and other weapons charges.

From an article:

Northampton Township police arrested a Council Rock High School South student and seized two handguns from his bedroom after he allegedly threatened to kill students at the school.

Police say the ninth-grader was taken into custody Thursday night after a student alerted a parent that the teen verbally made a threat that he would bring a gun and knives into the school Friday morning to kill students and teachers. 

Detective Sgt. Bill Klein says two 9 mm handguns were in plain sight in the boy's bedroom when police went to his home. Police say they also found a fake AK 47 in the 14-year-old's room. 

Police also arrested the teens parents after they say the mother, Lizabeth Donohoe, let them in the house. Officers reported seeing machetes, weapons that fire pellets and marijuana in the mother's possession. Donohoe was charged with endangering the welfare of a child. The teen's father, Vincent Russo, was charged with resisting arrest and obstructing justice. 

Klein says police treated the threat as credible from the start but weren't sure if the 14-year-old had the means to carry out an attack until searching the home. Investigators say it appears no other students were involved in the threats. 

“We determined early on that it was credible,” Klein said. “We weren't sure he had the means to carry it out, but in effecting the arrest, we found the two handguns and that certainly ramped things up.”

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

Washington man threatens to "shoot up every school in a 100 mile radius"

Following the tragedy of the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, a man in Washington state, Korry Martinson, 19, posted on a Facebook that he thanked the shooter and then threatened to "shoot up every school in a 100 mile radius" if any gun control measures came about due to the tragedy.

After a search for Martinson, he turned himself in to police.

From an article and screenshot of his Facebook message:

Authorities had been looking for the man, identified as Korry Martinson, 19, since Friday at about 7:20 p.m., after he allegedly posted the threat on his Facebook page, police said. 

The threat was seen by several people, who reported it to the Sedro-Woolley police and the Skagit County Sheriff's Office. 

Martinson's mother also was contacted by several callers. When she confronted her son about the posting, he got into an argument with her and took off before police arrived at his home.  

Authorities had been looking for him ever since, and the FBI was monitoring the case, said Lt. Lin Tucker of the Sedro-Woolley Police Department.  

Martinson finally turned himself in on Sunday afternoon, when a friend brought him to the Sedro-Woolley police station. He was placed under arrest and booked into the Skagit County Jail for investigation felony harassment. 

A screenshot of the Facebook threat allegedly posted by Martinson said: 
"Okay, so about that shooting of the little kids. 

"I would personally like to thank the man who did this. You will (be) looked u pon as a hero in my eyes. You have rid the world of 20 future s------- and w-----. 

"I say good riddance, and that we need more people like you. It's the government's fault as to why these things happen. 

"If this causes our gun laws to be taken away, to the point as to where I cannot own a gun, I will personally get my sawed off double barreled shotgun and my AK-47 and go shoot up every school within a 100-mile radius of my current location."

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Oklahoma teen stopped from committing school mass shooting

Sammie Eaglebear Chavez

A teen Bartlesville, Oklahoma, named Sammie Eaglebear Chavez, was caught trying to plan a mass shooting at his high school.  He apparently had firearms and was planning on trapping students in the auditorium, as well as placing bombs at doors to kill entering police.

From an article:

Reportedly, a student confirmed to authorities that he had been in the cafeteria on Dec. 12 and that Chavez "tried to recruit other students to assist him with carrying out a plan to lure students into the school auditorium where he planned to begin shooting them after chaining the doors shut," the affidavit states. 

Chavez reportedly further said that if the students that were assisting him did not do as they were supposed to do that "he would not hesitate to kill them and/or himself." 

Police say he additionally said that he planned to "place bombs by the doors so when the police arrived he would detonate the bombs, killing the police as they entered the building." 

Authorities contend that Chavez had been attempting to obtain a map or diagram of the building. Chavez had reportedly told a teacher that "he had recently purchased a Colt .45 handgun and spent the weekend shooting it." 

Police further allege that Chavez had performed Internet searches for a ".22 caliber rifle on a machine gun platform" on school computers as recent as Nov. 30, as well as information on "how to build pipe bombs" and information on "the Columbine High School Massacre." 

Authorities reportedly located Chavez around 4:50 a.m. Friday at a residence on Adeline in west Bartlesville. He was taken into custody at that time and a search was conducted of the residence.

(a related article)

How did this boy get firearms?

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

3-year old Oklahoma boy finds loaded gun while visiting home and shoots self to death

Ryder Rozier, age 3

A 3-year old boy was visiting a home in Guthrie, Oklahoma, when he found a loaded, unsecured gun in the bedroom.  He handled the gun and then unintentionally shot himself in the head, dying from the wound.

No charges will be filed.

From an article:

A 3-year-old Oklahoma child is dead after he accidentally shot himself in the head with a gun he found in a Highway Patrolman’s home.

The Oklahoman reports that Ryder Rozier was visiting the home of his aunt and uncle in Guthrie on Saturday when he managed to get hold of a gun and shoot himself in the head. The uncle has been identified as 37-year-old Oklahoma Highway Patrolman Ian Rozier.

According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the weapon that fired the fatal shot was not Rozier’s service pistol. No criminal charges are expected to be filed.

A candlelight vigil was held Saturday night outside the home where little Ryder died.

Always ASK about guns where you children play.

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

(this article was updated with more up-to-date info on 1/4/13)

2-year old South Carolina boy gets loaded gun and kills himself

Sincere Smith, age 2

A loaded, unsecured gun was left on a table at a home in Conway, South Carolina.  A 2-year old boy in the home found the gun and unintentionally shot himself in the chest, dying soon after.

From an article:

Authorities say a 2-year-old boy died on Christmas Day after he grabbed a loaded gun left on a table in a home in Conway and shot himself.

Horry County Police said Wednesday they arrested the 30-year-old man who brought the gun into the home. Rondell Smith is charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Investigators say the boy found the gun on the table around 6 p.m. Tuesday and shot himself in the chest. He died on the way to the hospital. His name has not been released because all his relatives have not been notified.

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

UPDATE (12/30/12):  The deceased boy's name is Sincere Smith, and his father, Rondell, blames himself and is inconsolable after he allowed the gun to get into his son's hands.  From an article:

The boy’s father, Rondell Smith, paced in circles in front of his mother-in-law’s home, tears streaming down his face, saying over and over, “My son is gone. My son is gone.” 

He was inconsolable by family.

“I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. … I miss his voice. I hear him calling me. I held him close,” Smith said. “Why couldn’t it be me?” 

Nearly 48 hours prior, 2-year-old Sincere Smith got hold of his father’s gun that was sitting on a table and shot himself. He died en route to Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. A senseless accident, the boy’s family said. .... 

Sincere, who would have turned 3 in March, is remembered as a good big brother who was protective of his 9-month-old sister Samiya and loved McDonald’s french fries and Nick Jr. – especially “Jack’s Big Music Show.” 

“He would sing and dance. He sang every song. He knew every song,” said LaKisha Brown Smith, Sincere’s mother. “He was very smart. He knew all of his colors and he knew how to count forwards and backwards.” ....

Smith, 30, was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter and released from jail Wednesday on a $500 bond. He said no punishment by the law would suffice.
“Going to jail ain’t even enough,” he said. “Whatever’s coming to me is coming to me.” 

Tears steadily ran down Smith’s face as he recalled the day his son died. About two weeks ago, Smith said someone tried to break into his home while he and his family were there. He said he felt like he was nothing because we wouldn’t have been able to protect his family. So he got a gun. 

Brown Smith left for work around 6 p.m. and Smith called her shortly after she left.
“The phone went straight to voicemail. By the time I stopped calling and turned around, he’d killed both of us,” he said of the gun going off in Sincere’s hands.
Gaskin said she hopes the family will be able to hold Sincere’s memorial service on Monday at Mason Temple in Conway, but she had to special order a casket small enough to hold him. 

“I got his outfit today,” she said on Thursday. “It’s an all-white suit.”

Read more here: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2012/12/27/3241835/father-charged-in-christmas-shooting.html#storylink=cpy

(a related article)
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16 year old South Dakota boy shot with shotgun by friend

Dalton Williams, age 16

The shootings just keep coming. Another teen has been shot- this time in South Dakota- over an argument about a paintball game.  16-year old Dalton Williams was shot and killed by his 16-year old friend and classmate, Braiden McCahren.

A 16-year-old boy fatally shot his friend with a shotgun after the pair argued over a paintball game and playfully wrestled at the boy's home in South Dakota, according to an arrest affidavit released Wednesday.

The victim, Dalton Williams of Pierre, was found lying in the entryway of the accused shooter's house around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday with a gunshot wound to the chest. Paramedics rushed the high school sophomore to a nearby hospital, but he later died.

Shooter Braiden McCahren, age 16

The accused shooter was arrested at the home on a first-degree murder charge and was being held Wednesday in Hughes County, Pierre Police Chief Bob Grandpre said.

The local prosecutor said the teen is being charged as an adult. He has not yet been arraigned or indicted, so The Associated Press is withholding his name because he is a minor. His attorney didn't immediately return a phone message.

The boys, both 16, were classmates at Riggs High School.

A 16-year-old witness who was hanging out with the boys told detectives that Williams and the other boy began to wrestle around jokingly after arguing about a paintball game.

The accused shooter then retrieved a semi-automatic shotgun, walked into the kitchen area and pointed it at the witness, according to the arrest affidavit.

The witness said he heard the gun click, then saw the accused shooter take a shotgun shell from a drawer, load the gun and point it at him again. The witness said he then heard another click, according to the affidavit.

The witness told police he was trying to leave the house through a sliding glass door when Williams stepped in between him and the accused shooter. The witness told detectives that the gun fired and he observed a splatter, according to the affidavit.

The witness then left the house and called 911.

(a related article)

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

14-year old Georgia boy shot to death in apparent home robbery

Paul Sampleton, Jr., age 14

14-year old Paul Sampleton, Jr., was found shot to death in his home in Grayson, Georgia.  The home appeared to have been robbed.  It's unknown whether Paul interrupted the robbery or not.

No suspects have yet been identified.

From an article:

Police are investigating the death of a teenager in Grayson. According to Gwinnett County Police Cpl. Jake Smith, 14-year-old Paul Sampleton Jr. was found dead of a gunshot wound in his home on Haynescrest Drive on Wednesday. 

The boy's father arrived home and found his son shot to death around 2:40 p.m., according to police. 

Authorities are treating the death as a homicide. Smith said that there was evidence of a robbery inside the apartment. They don't know if the teen had interrupted the burglary or if they had waited for him inside. 

Police said they are investigating leads in the case. 

Sampleton was a freshman at Grayson High School, according to police. 

"He was just always smiling, kind-hearted and everybody loved him. Nobody had problems with him," said Darius Stephens, who said he played football with Sampleton.

UPDATE (12/20/12):  Paul's death has been ruled as a homicide, not suicide or accidental.  Friends expressed surprise at his death.  From an article:

Paul played on the freshman football team and played baseball, according to his friends. But he had one hobby that made him stand out from others. 

“He did love his shoes,” Abiodun said. “The new Jordans and Nikes that came out, Paul was always the first to get them.” 

Manny said his friend had at least 20 pairs of high-end, high-priced basketball shoes. Paul not only wore them, but sometimes traded them or sold them, his friends said. 

Classmates speculated that Paul’s love of shoes could have led to his death, but investigators declined to release details about a motive or any suspects Wednesday night. Police did not say whether or not they believe Paul was specifically targeted. 

“It’s just hard to believe it’s Paul,” Abiodun said. “He just loved coming to school, smiling and telling jokes, and making people laugh.”

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12-year old Oregon boy finds loaded gun in movie theater

A 12-year old boy, Kolton McKinney, and a friend went to see "The Hobbit" in a theater in Tillamook, Oregon, along with three busloads of 7th graders.  When Kolton lowered his movie seat, though, he found a loaded 9mm semi-auto handgun with the safety off.  

Authorities were notified.  The owner of the gun, Gary Quackenbush, 61, eventually showed up to look for his missing gun, thinking it would be in the lost-and-found box.  Quackenbush has a conceal carry permit.

From an article:

When Kolton McKinney, 12, unfolded the seat in a Tillamook movie theater Wednesday morning and heard a "plink," he thought a part of the seat might have fallen out. 

Then the boy heard his friend say, "Dude, there's a gun." 

A loaded Beretta 9mm semi-automatic handgun, that is. One bullet in the chamber. The safety off. 

But authorities said the dangerous encounter turned out OK in no small part because the two boys did exactly as they should have. They stayed away from the gun and called for a teacher, who in turn called police to Tillamook's Coliseum Theatre. 

"I went through a hunter's safety course, and I was expecting the worst, like the safety would be off or something," McKinney said. "I was kind of scared that it might have went off." 

And it very well could have, said Tillamook Sheriff Andy Long. 

"If they had picked that gun up and decided it was a play gun, with all those kids in the Coliseum, it could have been very tragic," Long said. .... 

"They left an officer there just to make people feel good," Schild said. "The kids did get their reward. But it could have been bad. In light of recent events, our sense of awareness is certainly heightened. Loaded handguns aren't supposed to be laying around ." 

On Wednesday evening, Gary Quackenbush, 61, turned up at the theater seeking his missing gun, "like it would be in the lost and found with lost eyeglasses and other things," said Long. 

"He has a concealed handgun license," Long said. "That will be revoked tonight. The law says if you are a danger to yourself or the public, it can be revoked." 

A man answering a phone number listed for Quackenbush laughed and told a reporter, "Get a life." 

Authorities are holding onto the firearm until their investigation into the matter is complete.

UPDATE (12/27/12):  The owner of the gun is not only a conceal carry permit holder, but also a licensed gun dealer.  He doesn't understand why he is being considered a "bad guy" for his irresponsibility.  From an article:

Police are now holding the pistol as evidence and have revoked Quackenbush's concealed handgun permit. 

Quackenbush said he carried the permit and weapon because of shootings such as the one at Clackamas Town Center and Sandy Hook Elementary School. He's also a licensed gun dealer, but said he does very little selling and mostly steers buyers to good websites. 

"You go into a mall and all of a sudden there is this jackass psycho killing people," he said. "I'll stand in front of a kid and take the bullet, but I'm going to take him out, too." 

Tillamook Police Chief Terry Wright said he's recommending that Tillamook County prosecutors charge Quackenbush with reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it wouldn't affect his gun-selling license. 

"This is not something we can just blow off," Wright said, noting that the gun had a bullet in the chamber and the safety was off. ....

Still, the man whose passion is writing whimsical stories and who looks forward to retiring after running a local market for years, ponders how he's now cast as a "malevolent criminal."
"You have people shooting up malls, building bombs," he said. "And I'm the bad guy." 

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The victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre

On December 14, a deranged young man, Adam Lanza, shot his mother to death, then chose to target the Sandy Hook Elementary school.  Armed with his mother's .223 Bushmaster AR-15 semi-auto assault rifle and two handguns, multiple 30-round high-capacity ammo clips, and wearing body armor, Lanza shot out the glass in a door and entered the school office.  He attacked the office staff, shooting and killing the principal and a psychologist, then proceeded to at least two classrooms.  In a matter of minutes, he had shot 20 small children to death, all were 6 or 7 years old, and four more adult staff members and teachers.  When police arrived, he then shot himself in the head with a pistol, killing himself.

Here you can find a full gallery and description of each of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting:
http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/12/16/remembering-the-victims-of-the-sandy-hook-elementary-school-shooting/

Charlotte Bacon, 6
Daniel Barden, 7
Rachel Davino, 29
Olivia Engel, 6
Josephine Gay, 7
Ana M Marquez-Greene, 6
Dylan Hockley, 6
Dawn Hochsprung, 47
Madeline F. Hsu, 6
Catherine V. Hubbard, 6
Chase Kowalski, 7
Jesse Lewis, 6
James Mattioli, 6
Grace McDonnell, 7
Anne Marie Murphy, 52
Emilie Parker, 6
Jack Pinto, 6
Noah Pozner, 6
Caroline Previdi, 6
Jessica Rekos, 6
Avielle Richman, 6
Lauren Rousseau, 30
Mary Sherlach, 56
Victoria Soto, 27
Benjamin Wheeler, 6
Allison N Wyatt, 6

President Obama has since called for stronger gun regulation and a renewed ban on assault weapons, as have a large number of other national figures.

The President has also visited Newtown and addressed the mourning community and nation.

Our children and teachers deserve to go to school without the fear of guns in their classrooms or madmen armed with assault rifles storming their school.

ADDENDUM (12/20/12):  There are many, many related posts on this tragedy, but here is a good one regarding the names of the victims and the meaning of them to a mourning nation.

After Connecticut school shooting, 11 year old Utah boy brings a gun to school

In light of the Newtown, Connecticut school shooting, kids and parents are more nervous about school shootings at their own school or children's school. An 11 year old Utah boy was so nervous about a school shooting that he brought a gun to school to "protect" himself. From an article:

Authorities say a Utah sixth-grader caught with a gun at school told administrators he brought the weapon to defend himself in case of an attack similar to the mass shooting last week in Newtown, Conn.

School officials say the 11-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of possessing a dangerous weapon and aggravated assault after other students told police he pointed the handgun at them on a field at a suburban Salt Lake City elementary school.

Officials say school staff confronted the boy in class after hearing he had a weapon and seized the unloaded gun and ammunition from his backpack Monday.

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

President Obama speaks about the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre

Today, President Obama gave some remarks about the massacre of 20 young children and six adults in Newtown, Connecticut, by a lone gunman, Adam Lanza.

Below is the video and transcript of the President's remarks:


Transcript: 

This afternoon, I spoke with Governor Malloy and FBI Director Mueller.  I offered Governor Malloy my condolences on behalf of the nation, and made it clear he will have every single resource that he needs to investigate this heinous crime, care for the victims, counsel their families. 

We’ve endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years.  And each time I learn the news I react not as a President, but as anybody else would -- as a parent.  And that was especially true today.  I know there’s not a parent in America who doesn’t feel the same overwhelming grief that I do.  

The majority of those who died today were children -- beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old.  They had their entire lives ahead of them -- birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own.  Among the fallen were also teachers -- men and women who devoted their lives to helping our children fulfill their dreams.  

So our hearts are broken today -- for the parents and grandparents, sisters and brothers of these little children, and for the families of the adults who were lost.  Our hearts are broken for the parents of the survivors as well, for as blessed as they are to have their children home tonight, they know that their children’s innocence has been torn away from them too early, and there are no words that will ease their pain.  

As a country, we have been through this too many times.  Whether it’s an elementary school in Newtown, or a shopping mall in Oregon, or a temple in Wisconsin, or a movie theater in Aurora, or a street corner in Chicago -- these neighborhoods are our neighborhoods, and these children are our children.  And we're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics. 

This evening, Michelle and I will do what I know every parent in America will do, which is hug our children a little tighter and we’ll tell them that we love them, and we’ll remind each other how deeply we love one another.  But there are families in Connecticut who cannot do that tonight.  And they need all of us right now.  In the hard days to come, that community needs us to be at our best as Americans.  And I will do everything in my power as President to help. 

Because while nothing can fill the space of a lost child or loved one, all of us can extend a hand to those in need -- to remind them that we are there for them, that we are praying for them, that the love they felt for those they lost endures not just in their memories but also in ours. 

May God bless the memory of the victims and, in the words of Scripture, heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds.

Thank you, Mr. President.  Now let's change our pain and anger into action to stop this from happening again.

UPDATE (12/16/12):  President Obama visited Newtown today, to offer word of condolence in person.  In his words:

"What choice do we have?" Obama said. "Are we really prepared to say that we're powerless in the face of such carnage, that the politics are too hard?" 

In a vigil for the fallen, in a moment of grief that spread around the world, Obama conceded that none of his words would match the sorrow. But he declared to the community of Newtown: "You are not alone."

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Minnesota father gets probation for leaving loaded gun accessible

A Minnesota father left a gun loaded and accessible for his 9 year old to find last August. His 2 year old son was shot and injured as a result. Now he has received a probation sentence for allowing access to a gun to his child. From an article:

Lue Xiong has a gun safety message for all to hear: Don't leave loaded guns where kids can get them.

He had done exactly that, and his 2-year-old son nearly died of a gunshot to the head on Aug. 2.

The toddler's 9-year-old brother found a gun in a file cabinet drawer in his parents' bedroom, pointed it at the boy's head and pulled the trigger in the family's home in the 1300 block of Beech Street in St. Paul.

The boy's 16-year-old sister had been baby-sitting that day but was sleeping when the shooting happened. The 9-year-old didn't know the gun was loaded, according to a criminal complaint.

Thursday, the remorseful father went to court and received probation for a negligent storage of a loaded firearm where a child can access it, which is a gross misdemeanor.

Terms of his two years on probation include speaking to the public about gun safety. He'll do so under the monitoring of the Neighborhood Justice Center, a nonprofit, community-based legal service. The Ramsey County attorney's office will be keeping tabs, too.

The toddler is now in physical therapy and doing well in his recovery, officials said.

Xiong, 43, has completed a gun safety course and intends to have his family members take a gun safety course as well, said Dennis Gerhardstein, a spokesman for the Ramsey County attorney's office,

He said Xiong is the sole breadwinner for his family, which is one reason he was placed on probation, along with his willingness to do community service through outreach to promote gun safety,...

Having loaded guns around the home can lead to tragedies such as this one. Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

5-year old Philadelphia girl gets father's gun and shoots self in foot

A 5-year old girl was in her home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, playing with her father's loaded, unsecured Glock semi-auto handgun.  Her two younger siblings, ages 2 and 3, were there as well.  That's when she discharged the gun, shooting through the bottom of her foot and out at her big toe.

The 27-year old father works as a security guard.

The girl is being treated for the wound and will not lose her toe.

From an article and news video:

The girl was home with her two siblings and her father along the 1800 block of E Wishart Street when the gun went off -- hitting her in the big toe, police said. 

The girl’s father rushed her to St. Christopher’s Hospital with what police called minor injuries. 

It’s unclear how the girl got a hold of her father’s gun and if her siblings were also playing with it.

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

16-year old Maryland boy shot for cell phone

Someone tried to steal a cell phone from a 16-year old boy in Capitol Heights, Maryland.  He resisted, so the robber shot him in the forearm and took off with the phone.

The victim is in stable condition.

From an article:

The suspect, who had approached on foot at the 1200 block of Nye St. in Chapel Oaks, ran off with the victim's phone after shooting him in the forearm, police said.  

The 16-year-old boy was taken to a local hospital in stable condition, police said. He was to be released Wednesday evening.

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Two Maryland teen boys shoot and injure teen boy and girl

A Rockville, Maryland teen, Kevin Nguyen, age 16, pleaded guilty to shooting, along with an accomplice, Tavares Harris, 17, another teen boy and girl last May.

Their target, a 16-year old boy with whom they had a dispute, was shot at least once, but recovered.  An 18-year old girl, who was an innocent bystander, was also shot and wounded, but recovered.

From an article and news videos when the shooting happened:

Police arrested two Rockville boys, Kevin Q. Nguyen, 16, of the 300 block of North Van Buren Street, and Tavares D. Harris, 17, of the 700 block of Fallsgrove Drive, and charged both with attempted first-degree murder, conspiracy, assault and a weapons offense. Both are charged as adults. 

Police say they believe Nguyen was the shooter. Investigators believe that the shooting may have been motivated by an ongoing dispute or disagreement. 

Two people were shot outside the Rockville Metro Station Friday afternoon. A 16-year-old boy was shot at least once and is suffering from serious but non-life threatening wounds. 

An 18-year-old female was also shot and is suffering from non-life threatening wounds.
Police believe the boy was shot intentionally, but the 18-year-old appears to have been an innocent bystander.

Recent articles about the charges and court appearances of the shooter and accomplice HERE and HERE.

Nowhere is it indicated where Nguyen got the gun.

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

Baby injured and mother killed in D.C. domestic violence shooting

Kodie Brown, age 1 

A woman holding a baby was in an argument with a man, in Washington, D.C., and he didn't want her to get on a city bus.  

The woman, 20-year old Selina Brown, holding her 1-year old girl, Kodie, in her arms, got on the bus anyway.  That's when the baby's father, 27-year old Javon Foster, pulled out a handgun and shot Selina in the face, killing her on the bus.

The bullet also sliced open the side of Kodie's face, which will require reconstructive surgery.

Foster then left, fleeing to New York with the wife of his other child, and later committed suicide.

Brown had filed restraining orders against Foster, and was trying to escape from him.

From an article:

Kodie survived the shooting that claimed her mother's life, but she was injured. The family says a bullet sliced right across the middle of the little girl's face. The suspect is the child's father, they add. 

Ferguson continued, "She's in stable condition. She is going to need to a lot of prayers and reconstructive surgery." 

Sunday night, Brown was visiting a friend in Southeast and was on her way home when there was an encounter with Foster. Witnesses say the two were arguing at the bus stop on Minnesota Avenue and 18th Street. 

Sources say the murder was caught on surveillance video. Just as Brown got on the bus, Foster stepped in, pulled out a gun and shot Brown in the face. He continued shooting her before fleeing.

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15-year old girl shot in Clackamas, Oregon mall shooting

Kristina Shevchenko, age 15

A 15-year old girl, Kristina Shevchenko, was shopping at the Clackamas Town Center mall when shots rang out.   

The shooter, Jacob Tyler Roberts, armed with an AR-15 assault rifle, multiple clips, body armor, and a hockey mask, shot at random people in the mall, killing two adults and wounding Kristina.  

The two adults who were killed were identified as Steve Mathew Forsyth, 45, was a father of two and a kids sports coach, and Cindy Yuille, 54, a hospice care nurse.

Kristina was hit multiple times in the chest, with damage to a lung and her liver, and is in critical condition.

From an article:

A survivor of the Clackamas Town Center shooting Tuesday afternoon was identified Wednesday morning as Kristina Shevchenko, 15, of Portland. 

She was struck by several bullets but none hit vital organs, according to Oregon Health & Science University chief medical officer Charles Kilo.  She was in serious condtion in the hospital's trauma intensive care unit, with her family at her side, he said.

UPDATE:  From another article:

Kristina Shevchenko’s trauma surgeon, Dr. Laszlo Kiraly, said she came to Oregon Health and Science University “seriously wounded with an assault rifle wound to the chest.” 

She was awake when she arrived, but her lung and liver were seriously damaged. 

Surgeons operated on her that night, which Kiraly said was successful. As of Wednesday afternoon, she was listed in “serious” condition in the intensive care unit. 

During a news conference on Wednesday, Kiraly said he is “optimistic for her full recovery,” although he said there would be a lengthy rehabilitation process.  

“We are deeply grateful for the quick response of the emergency service providers, public safety and police officers as well as Clackamas Town Center staff,” Shevchenko’s family said in a statement. “We would also like to thank everyone at OHSU Hospital. We very much appreciate the incredible support we’ve received from friends, family members and the Portland community.” 

“I was very impressed with the support her family offered,” Kiraly said, noting that family members have been by Kristina’s side the entire time. “It’s clear to me that she’s a very brave young woman.” 

"She informed us today that the first person to be thanked is Alyona, her friend and schoolmate at Clackamas Middle School, who immediately called 911 and remained by her side until the emergency service providers arrived," the family said. 

Members of Kristina’s family have created a Facebook page to provide updates and collect donations.  

Kiraly said the kind of assault rifle used in the shooting typically causes severe damage to victims. Many of Kristina’s wounds were caused by the blast effect of being hit by such a high velocity round.  

He said the wounds are different than doctors might see with a handgun. Gunshot wounds from this type of weapon are generally only seen with hunting accidents or police situations where they must use powerful rifles. 

“These were serious, life-threatening injuries.” 

Kristina's family has released a media statement about her.

UPDATE (12/14/12): Kristina's condition has now been upgraded from serious to fair, and is able to talk, eat, and sleep.

4 year old Texas boy finds gun and shoots himself

There has been another accidental shooting of a toddler. A Houston, Texas 4 year old boy found a gun in his bedroom. The gun discharged critically wounding the boy. From an article:

A 4-year-old boy was sent to the hospital in critical condition after he was found with a gunshot wound to the head in a north Houston apartment, police said.

The Houston Police Department said officers were called to the 3200 block of Laura Koppe Road around 10:40 p.m. Tuesday.

Officials said the boy somehow got his hands on a gun and shot himself as a 2-year-old child slept nearby. The boy’s parents were said to be home at the time but were in another room.

Police said they interviewed the mom and dad, who said the child was supposed to be sleeping. The mother told police she believed the boy may have found the gun earlier in the day but hid it nearby before going to bed.

The boy’s father told police the pistol belonged to him, but it wasn’t immediately clear where the weapon was normally kept. He was placed in handcuffs and put in a patrol car, but police said he was only being taken in for questioning.

The young shooting victim’s grandfather identified the boy as Jose Luis.

Luis, who was first sent to Northwest Memorial Hermann, was still fighting for his life at Texas Children’s Hospital as of Wednesday morning.

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

Pennsylvania teens shoot woman over asking for a cigarette

Three Pennsylvania teens are accused of shooting and killing a woman over a remark she made to them when they asked her boyfriend for a cigarette. From an article about the incident:

Three teens charged in the fatal shooting of a western Pennsylvania woman had targeted her, police say, after she told them to “get a job” when they tried to bum a cigarette from her boyfriend.  

Beaver Falls police have charged two 14-year-olds and one 13-year-old with criminal homicide and other charges in Saturday’s shooting of Kayla Peterson, 22. She was shot at about 3:30 p.m. that day and died at a Pittsburgh hospital two hours later.

Read the original story at NBC10 Philadelphia

The attorney of one of the teens said he was just “in the wrong place at the wrong time.” That teen was identified as the gunman by police and Peterson’s boyfriend.

Beaver Falls Police Chief Charles Jones says officers are still searching for the other two teen suspects.

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

Pennsylvania 5 year old shoots herself in the foot

Another young child has accessed a gun and shot herself. This 5 year old Philadelphia girl has shot herself in the foot. From an article:

A 5-year-old Kensington girl shot herself while playing with a gun Tuesday night, according to Philadelphia Police.

The girl was home with her two siblings and her father along the 1800 block of E Wishart Street when the gun went off -- hitting her in the big toe, police said.

The girl’s father rushed her to St. Christopher’s Hospital with what police called minor injuries.

It’s unclear how the girl got a hold of her father’s gun and if her siblings were also playing with it.

The investigation would continue into Wednesday. Police did say the girl’s father owns the gun because he works in private security.

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

16-year old Minnesota girl shot by grandfather who mistook her for an intruder

A 16-year old girl, who lives with her grandparents in Rochester, Minnesota, stepped outside around 11 PM.  Her grandfather, not realizing she had stepped outside, heard her and thought she was an intruder on the porch.  He armed himself with a 9mm pistol and shot her in the upper torso without warning.

She is now in the hospital in critical condition.

From an article:

When the couple went to bed Monday night, the girl was still at home, Winters said. When they woke to a noise outside around 11 p.m., the man armed himself with a 9 mm pistol and went to investigate while the grandmother called police. 

The man saw a figure at the patio door and fired two rounds, striking his granddaughter once, Winters said, declining to give the family's name. 

"This is a tragic event and both the grandfather and grandmother were distraught and emotionally upset," he said. 

There was no evidence of any dispute or disagreement between the girl and her grandparents, Winters added. Police haven't been able to speak to the girl yet, who was responsive but not verbal. 

"Preliminary indications are she perhaps left the residence to go outside and get some air and have a cigarette," Winters said. 

The grandfather was not arrested, but authorities will continue to investigate and, if appropriate, will forward the case to prosecutors for potential criminal charges, Winters said.

UPDATE (1/18/13):  The grandaughter eventually recovered.  The grandfather, Stanley W. Wilkinson, has now been charged with a felony for the shooting.  From an article:

According to the criminal complaint, Wilkinson, 61, said his granddaughter went to her bedroom about 10 p.m. on Dec. 10. At about 11:30, he and his wife woke to noises like the crunching of snow outside their bedroom window. 

Looking out the window, Wilkinson said he saw a figure moving in the dark with what appeared to be a lit flashlight. Without his glasses, he said, he can't see very well. 

Thinking that someone was breaking into their house, Wilkinson said he got his pistol and told his wife to call the police. 

Wilkinson said he turned on the living room lights to scare off the intruder, then switched them off. 

Seeing that the person outside was trying to come in, he backed up and fired his gun through the closed door, later acknowledging to police that he didn't give a warning. But the shot didn't appear to stop the person from trying to open the door, he said, so he shot again. 

Then he heard his granddaughter's voice: "Poppa!" she yelled. 

Before the tragedy unfurled, the granddaughter had gone to her room after coming home at about 9 p.m. that night, she told police in an interview Dec. 20. An hour later, she left the house without telling her grandparents so she could meet up with a couple of friends. As she tried to sneak back into the house an hour later, she noticed the light in her grandparents' bedroom was on so she tried to be quiet. But the snow crunched, she said. 

Standing on the deck, her iPhone illuminated, she saw the living room lights go on, then off. She looked through the sliding-door glass, figuring that her grandparents knew she was gone and were waiting for her. As she peered through the glass, she heard the shots and saw a flash. 

Wilkinson began rescue breathing. According to the 911 transcripts, the pastor's wife begged for help in saving her granddaughter. "She's bleeding, bleeding bad!" she tells the dispatcher. "Please save her!" 

As Wilkinson's granddaughter recovered in the hospital in December, the pastor agreed to a short newspaper interview in hopes of cautioning others who might be caught in a similar situation. 

"Even if you have a plan for an emergency, you don't know what you'll do out of fear," he said then. "You just don't know what you'll do when, out of fear you do things that you wish you hadn't ever done."

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Missouri father accidentally shoots 11 year old son in cheek

A Missouri man was giving his 11 year old son a lesson on gun safety. He shot him in the cheek accidentally during the lesson. From an article:

St. Joseph police are investigating after a father accidently shot his 11-year-old son in the cheek while discussing gun safety.

The St. Joseph News-Press (http://bit.ly/QEvU3W ) reports that the boy sustained serious injuries Friday night while cleaning guns and planning a hunting trip with his father.

Det. Richard Shelton says "ironically enough" the father and son were discussing gun safety at the time of the shooting.

Shelton says the projectile lodged below the boy's jaw. The boy was able to walk to the ambulance. He was taken to a St. Joseph Hospital and then flown to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.

Authorities will present evidence to the prosecuting attorney for consideration of charges this week.

The name of the wounded boy wasn't immediately released.

2 year old Tennessee toddler shoots self in finger

A two year old in Tennessee has shot his own finger with a gun he found in his home. From an article:

You protect them from everything, electrical sockets, stairs, and yes guns.  It’s the last one that has sent police and paramedics rushing to a south Memphis home Monday night. 

  A two-year old boy found a gun somewhere inside a house and before it was over pulled the trigger. The family didn’t shed much light on the shooting. 

It all happened behind closed doors, police say the boys’ parents were home, other family members and children were also there.

Somehow the two-year old found and fired the gun, hitting his finger and scaring everyone out here. 

Neighbors say the family just moved in to the area and they’ve seen the boy playing outside, and are so saddened to hear he was hurt.

They hope the parents take steps to make sure it never happens again.

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

Shooting range proposed across the street from a Florida school

Parents and other members of Jacksonville Beach, Florida, are upset today because of a proposal to install an indoor shooting range across the street from a school.

From an article:

The only thing separating Montessori Tides School from a prospective pistol range are the two lanes of Penman Road. The school is 200 ft. from the building the range would open in, and for parents, that's simply not enough space. 

"Accidents happen," said Montessor Tides parent Steve Kowkabany. "We're concerned with 2-4,000 people coming to this range per month that an accident can happen and when it does its within a few hundred feet of all of our children." 

Two other schools would be within a 1,000 ft radius of the range, including a school for autistic children as well as a Duval public preschool. Florida law says that's perfectly legal, but parents say the rules aren't black and white." 

"There's a federal law prohibiting people with weapons that are not locked up and unloaded and licensed within 1,000 ft of a school zone," said Kowkabany. "They claim they can meet that we think that's very difficult to enforce." 

The people who want to open the shooting range acquired a conditional use application, obtained by Action News. In it, they say they are looking for a "safe location for beaches people," pointing out that the next nearest range is 10 miles away. They also propose an "upscale experience," with retail and flat screen TVs. 

Kowkabany says he has no problem with the idea of a pistol range, just not right across the street from where he drops off his two-year old every morning. 

"I own guns, my wife is a former Marine we shoot guns," he said. "We're all for a gun range at the beach but in a safe location."

Even though gun ranges stress safety, incidents certainly do happen at them, often with deadly consequences.  Here is a list of 39 that have happened so far in 2012.

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17-year old Jacksonville boy found with drugs and a gun in school

Security at a Jacksonville, Florida high school caught a drug deal in process between two boys, with marijuana.  One 17-year old boy ran, but was caught.  He was found to possess drugs and paraphenalia as well as a handgun and ammo, which he attempted to hide.

From an article:

Police say a security officer at First Coast High School confronted two individuals in the bathroom, exchanging marijuana in plain view. 

One person, a 17-year-old, ran from the bathroom. The security officer confiscated marijuana from the person in the bathroom, then chased after the second person who ran. 

The security officer eventually caught up with the 17-year-old who stated, "You can search me, I don't have anything on me." 

The security officer found marijuana at the bottom of the student's pants leg. The teen also denied throwing anything from his pockets in his run from security. 

But the officer searched and found an automatic pistol under a gas grill by the rear door to the gym. 

The security officer searched the teen's bookbag and found a scale to weigh drugs, and bullets. 

The teen has been charged with possession of a weapon on school property and possession of marijuana.

The article didn't say how the boy got the gun and ammo.

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

Georgia second-grader brings pistol to class in backpack

A teacher at an elementary school in Brunswick, Georgia, looked into the backpack of an 8-year old boy in her second-grade class and found that he had brought a pistol to school.  Luckily the gun was unloaded.

From an article:

School spokesman, Jim Weidhaas, said the teacher was, "Looking for candy that she suspected may have been taken off of the desk." 

The pistol that was found was a Raven .25-caliber semi-automatic. Weidhaas said the gun was not loaded, and that the second-grader was not carrying any ammunition.
"We think he brought it to school to show to his friends," he said. 

That game of show and tell came with serious consequences, a one-year suspension, the mandatory minimum by Georgia state law.  

Now, investigators have to figure out how the 8-year-old was able to get his hands on a gun.  Who was the adult in charge?  And will they be punished?   

"I couldn't comment on that," Weidhaas said. 

Administrators say the teacher did the right thing, by discreetly removing the boy from the classroom without causing a commotion. And the good news is that no one was hurt. 

"I think with young children, they just don't understand the consequences and unfortunately these things happen sometimes," said Weidhaas.

"Unfortunately these things happen sometimes" isn't an excuse.

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

Two boys, 7 and 11, attempt armed carjacking in Oregon

Two boys, ages 7 and 11, were able to get a .22-caliber handgun and attempted to carjack and rob a woman in Portland, Oregon.  The woman fled without injury, and the boys were apprehended.

From an article:

Two Oregon boys, ages 7 and 11, are accused of trying to rob a woman with a loaded gun, police said Sunday. 

The boys tried to carjack a 22-year-old woman who was in her family's truck waiting for her parents in a church parking lot, Portland police said in a statement. 

Ami Garrett, of southeast Portland, told officers that when the boys approached her, the younger boy told the older boy to “show her your piece.” 

The woman said that when she refused to give them her vehicle, they demanded cash and her phone. She said that as she drove away, she saw the 11-year-old boy pull a gun from his pocket. 

The boys were apprehended in the parking lot by officers responding to reports of children with guns. Police said they recovered a loaded .22 caliber handgun from the older boy's pockets. 

Detectives were investigating how the boys obtained a gun. Because of their age, the boys could not be taken into custody at a juvenile detention center, so they were returned to their families, police said. 

The 11-year-old tried to escape his parents’ house but was quickly caught by officers and returned to his parents. 

Police planned to give the case to the juvenile court.

According to another article, the gun was found cocked and loaded in the older boy's pocket.

According to yet another article, the 11-year old is known to the police for causing trouble by making threats and vandalizing by throwing rocks.

It is unknown how the boys got the gun.

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


UPDATE (12/12/12):  The 11-year old's father, Joseph Charlton, has now been arrested and will likely be charged in leaving the gun available to his son.  Portland has a Child Access Prevention law.  Charlton is also a convicted felon and will be charged for illegally owning a gun.  The boy and his two younger siblings have been taken into protective services.

From an article:

The gun was a .22-caliber derringer pistol, said Sgt. Pete Simpson, spokesman for the Portland Police Bureau. .... 

About 10 a.m., the Police Bureau's Gun Task Force served a search warrant in the 16100 block of Southeast Alder Street in connection with the case. The state Department of Human Services took a 4-year-old girl,  the 11-year-old accused in the gun case and a 9-year-old into protective custody. 

"The overall conditions in home, circumstances, are not healthy for kids," Simpson said of the decision to take the children into protective custody. 

Police also obtained search warrants for two Dodge trucks belonging to the family. Multnomah County animal control officers removed two animals, a cat and a dog, from the property, police said. 

The home searched sits next door to the Freedom Foursquare Church, where 22-year-old Amy Garrett said she was accosted Saturday by an 11-year-old with with a gun and a 7-year-old toting bullets in a backpack.  

"We have probable cause to arrest the dad for at least leaving the gun unsecured,"  Simpson said. 

Police also charged Charlton, a convicted felon, with felon in possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm, endangering the welfare of a minor and endangering a child by allowing access to a firearm under the city's two-year-old ordinance. No other guns were found inside the home during the search, police said. 

Charlton is the first person in Portland to be prosecuted under the city ordinance.

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Three small children shot, one killed, among mass shooting victims at Tule Reservation

Hector Celaya, a resident at the Tule Indian Reservation in central California opened fire on his family's travel trailor.  He shot and killed his mother and two uncles and his son, 6-year old Andrew.

He then fled with his daughters, 8-year old Alyssa and 5-year old Linea.  He then shot and killed Alyssa, and seriously wounded Linea.

Hector then got into a firefight with reservation police and was subsequently killed.

From an article:

Police say Celaya opened fire in a travel trailer on the reservation of about 800 people on Saturday night, killing his mother and two uncles. He left behind his seriously wounded 6-year-old son Andrew. He took with him Alyssa, whose name is tattooed on his right leg, and his other daughter, 5-year-old Linea. 

Sheriff's spokeswoman Chris Douglass said it was unclear when Celaya shot his daughters. .... 

Authorities said the bodies of Irene Celaya and her 61-year-old brother Francisco Moreno were found in the trailer. The body of their 53-year-old brother, Bernard Franco, was in a shed that was a makeshift bedroom. 

Hunter said Irene took care of her brothers and extended family. .... 

Deputies found Celaya by tracking his cellphone. A chase ensued, though Celaya never exceeded the speed limit, and he eventually pulled over in the heart of citrus country outside the tiny community of Lindsay. Celaya opened fire, prompting deputies to shoot back, Douglass said. 

The church bells of Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church toll slowly when a tribal member dies, and the mournful sound echoes through the canyon where the reservation sits. It's how the word is spread. They rang out five different times on Sunday. ....

"The community is peaceful one, and the tribe tries to teach children to be nonviolent," said Tribal Council Secretary Rhoda Hunter. "We teach our children to not even kill insects. The battle between good and evil is there. Bad is always going to be there. I tell my grandkids that. I tell them to work for good."

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7 year old Pennsylvania boy shot by own father at gun store

A father accidentally shot and killed his own son, aged 7, outside of a gun store in Pennsylvania. From an article:

Authorities say a 7-year-old boy was shot to death when a gun accidentally went off as his father was getting into his truck outside a western Pennsylvania gun store.

The boy was shot Saturday morning at Twigs Reloading Den in East Lackawannock Township, 60 miles north of Pittsburgh. Store owner Leonard Mohney said it happened in the parking lot.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that the boy was shot when his father's handgun went off as the man got into the truck while holding the gun.

Police said 44-year-old Joseph V. Loughrey told them he had emptied the magazine but didn't realize a bullet was still in the chamber. Seven-year-old Craig Allen Loughrey was shot in the chest and died at the scene.

Guns should always be treated as if they are loaded.

From another article about this incident:

photo from the linked article

But officials are still reviewing surveillance video from the shop, the father  could face charges, including manslaughter and negligence, Hermick said.

'I know that little kid was everything to him,' Mark McLaughlin, a friend and co-worker of Loughrey’s at Superior Well Services in Fredonia, told the local paper. 

The father had visited the gun shop on Saturday morning, with his son accompanying him inside the store, to try and sell two guns - one a scope rifle and handgun, state police said. 

The shop owner was not interested in the offerings so Loughrey and his son returned to the truck. (...) 

Loughrey place the 7-year-old in a booster seat on the passenger side and he loaded the long rifle into the truck. 

He was attempting to get inside and reached to put the handgun in the center storage console when it fired, state police said.

Loughrey and Craig’s mother are divorced and the 44-year-old father had custody of the child over the weekend. 

'He was a wonderful little kid. He was special. He was full of life, a lot of fun,' McLaughlin said.