Mass shooting in Illinois claims 5 victims, including two small children, and wounds a 6-year old girl

Two of the shooting victims, Nolan and Branley Ralston, ages 5 and 1.

A family in Manchester, Illinios were at home when a man, Rick Smith, broke in and, using a shotgun, shot them all at close range with a shotgun.  Five family members died, including the couple living there, Brittney Luark and her partner, Roy Ralston, and and their two small children, Nolan Ralston, age 5, and Brantley Ralston, age 1, and Luark's grandmother, Jo Ann Sinclair.  Another 6-year old girl was wounded and is in critical condition.

The shooter, Smith, was shot by police after a car chase and shootout, and later died in a hospital.

From an article:

Sources said Smith entered the home through a back door, armed with a shotgun, and shot the victims in various rooms of the apartment. Police said Smith carried the 6-year-old girl out of the home after the shootings, and placed her in the arms of a neighbor before fleeing the scene.  .... 

About three hours after police were notified of the shootings, the suspect’s car was spotted in the town of Winchester, about 12 miles away, and as officers gave chase, they exchanged gunfire with the suspect. 

“The offender exited his vehicle, pointed a weapon at the officers, and discharged his firearm. The officers then returned fire, striking the offender,” Kilby said. 

“Police took the suspect into custody, while he was in possession of multiple weapons,” Kilby said. “The suspect was then transported to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.” 

Scott County State’s Attorney Michael Hill said Smith had a criminal history, including a reckless homicide conviction, and a number of arrests for drugs and writing bad checks.
Bryan Smith won’t excuse his brother but thinks he can explain him. 

A family’s murder at the hands of Rick Smith was spurred, his family believes, by a bitter custody battle. 

“And it was not a random event. In his mind he was protecting his daughter,” said Bryan Smith, the shooter’s brother.

From another article:

Friends told Fox 2 Smith was the “estranged boyfriend” of Brittany Luark’s mother.
Luark was pregnant, according to friends. 

Bryan Smith said his brother had a child with Luark’s mother and had been “upset about some things” for a long time. .... 

Family members said the suspect had a history of mental illness.

(A related page, with photos of victims and the crime scene).

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Preteen Philadelphia boy and two teen boys threaten and attempt to rob people with handgun

A boy, believed to be between 10-12 years old, pulled out a gun on a Philadelphia street and threatened some young ladies, and later tried to rob a man.

Two teen boys, between 14-16 years old, were seen taking the gun from the boy and later using the gun to threaten other kids.

The gun was either real or a realistic-looking pellet gun.

The three boys involved in the threats and robbery attempts with a handgun

From an article:

Wearing a backpack, red T-shirt and shorts, a young boy was captured on surveillance video trotting up to a group of girls walking in the Tioga section of Philadelphia around 6:30 p.m. Monday. 

The boy, believed to be between 10 and 12-years-old, pulls the handgun out of his pants and points it at one of the girls. The young woman can be seen putting her hands in the air as she slowly walks across the street. Moments later, an older boy comes up to the child with a backpack and takes the gun away. 

That boy then walks down Ontario Street, drops to one knee and points the gun in the direction of a group of kids walking towards him. He then jumps up and runs towards the group brandishing the weapon. 

"He obviously has some kind of handgun. A toy, maybe, doesn't look like a toy," Philadelphia Police Lt. George McClay said. "The other guy is following the boy closely to make sure he gets that gun back, so I would never presume that it's a toy gun." 

Twenty minutes later, police say the same boys approached a 27-year-old man. Police say one of the boys then reached into his backpack, pulled out the handgun and said “Hey, buddy.” 

The man then ran into a nearby home and called 911 and the youths fled, according to police.
Philadelphia Police say they are searching for three kids involved in the incidents. Their identities are unknown. Police believe the smaller boy is between 10 and 12-years-old and that the two others are between 14 and 16-years-old.

The article did not speculate on how the boy was able to get the gun.

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

14-year old Kansas boy unintentionally fires gun and hits 6-year old girl in leg in chiropractor office

A 14-year old boy was in the waiting room with his aunt and her three children, while carrying a loaded 9mm  handgun in his hooded sweatshirt pocket, when he unintentionally fired the weapon.

The round hit one of his young cousins, a 6-year old girl, in the leg, causing a serious but not life-threatening wound.

From an article:

As Andrew Bonci treated a patient at his Mission chiropractic office Tuesday, a “huge bang” echoed from his waiting room. 

Rushing to see what happened, Bonci encountered a 6-year-old girl with a bullet hole in her lower leg and her 14-year-old cousin saying again and again, “I’m sorry.” 

“I told him to give me the gun,” Bonci recounted hours after the incident in the 6000 block of Martway Street left the girl hospitalized and her cousin in police custody. 

The boy complied and then ran from the office while Bonci’s secretary called 911. 

“He was scared,” Bonci said. “He wasn’t crying, but he knew he had erred.” 

Police found the teen walking in the area about an hour later and took him to the Mission Police Department for questioning. 

Bonci said there was a large hole in the pocket of the teen’s hooded sweatshirt, and it appeared the youth had been carrying the 9 mm handgun in the pocket when it discharged. 

Although the girl’s injury was serious, Bonci said it was not life-threatening. An ambulance took her to Children’s Mercy Hospital. Her condition was not available Tuesday night. 

The girl’s mother had come to the office with her three children and nephew, Bonci said, and were the only ones in the waiting room at the time. He said the bullet went through the girl’s leg, ricocheted off the floor and into a wall. 

“Thankfully no one else was there,” he said.

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2013/04/17/2764292/boy-6-shot-at-mission-building.html#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy

The article doesn't say how the boy was able to get a loaded gun.

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

New York mother helps three teens shoot out windows of cars with BB guns

In the past two weeks, there have been at least 60 windows shot and damaged by BB guns, in Hauppauge, New York.

It turns out that a 43-year old woman, Susan Becker, had purchased the BB guns, given them to her 13-year old son, 15-year old daughter, and another 15-year old boy, and drove them around town, urging them to shoot out the windows from her car.

She has since been arrested.

From an article with an audio file and news video:

Susan Becker, 43, of East Northport, was arrested after police allegedly learned she had been driving around with her 13-year-old son, her 15-year-old daughter and another 15-year-old boy, encouraging them to shoot out car windows with a BB gun she had bought for them. 

Police had been investigating more than 60 incidents of car windows being shot out in Commack, Hauppauge, and Islandia over the past two weeks. ... 

Becker was arrested late Friday afternoon, and charged with multiple counts of criminal mischief and endangering the welfare of a child. She was arraigned in Suffolk County First District Court on Saturday, bail was set at $30,000.

BB guns are not toys.  

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

7-year old Kansas boy shoots and kills self while handling gun with father and brother

Gavin Brummett, age 7

7-year old Gavin Brummett was with his father and brother, handling a gun on their rural, Salina, Kansas property, when he unintentionally shot himself in the head.  He died soon after.

From an article:

Saline County Sheriff’s officials said that’s when Brummett’s father heard two shots and saw that Gavin had shot himself. He was rushed to Salina Regional Health Center, and then airlifted to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, where he died. 

Deputies say the incident highlights the importance of extreme caution with firearms–especially around children. 

“Just the basic firearm safety,” Rick Heinrich of the Saline County Sheriff’s Office said. “Where the parents are with the child and supervising very closely watching what they do and working with them and having that close parental supervision right there with them.”

Or, better yet, keep guns away from young children.

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

11-year old New Hampshire boy brandishes an assault rifle at a statehouse pro-gun rally

An 11-year old boy, who took part in a pro-gun rally at the New Hampshire statehouse, was seen brandishing an AR-15 assault rifle, along with a pro-gun flag.

From an article:

Organized by the Granite State Patriots Liberty PAC, the "Honor Your Oath" rally charged that lawmakers who voted to repeal the state's "Stand Your Ground" law last month violated their oaths of office and should be impeached, according to the Union Leader. The rally organizers said the event was not "gun rally."

But that didn't stop 11-year-old Hunter Cogswell of Concord from bringing an AR-15 and a big white flag with black lettering: "Come and Take It." 

The boy said he was there to "stand up for gun rights." 

"I believe in gun rights. It's our constitutional right," he said, adding the gun was real but "not loaded."

As TPM reported Saturday, the New Hampshire State House was closed due to a "threat relative to possible violence" received by police and an email sent out to lawmakers around 3 p.m., shortly after the rally ended.

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

1-year old Brooklyn boy and child's father shot by police officer mother in double murder/suicide

A police officer with 13-years of experience on the Brooklyn police force inexplicably shot to death her boyfriend, then her 1-year old son and son of the boyfriend, then turned the gun on herself, in their Brooklyn, New York apartment.

A 19-year old son escaped alive.

From an article:

When authorities entered the first-floor apartment, they found the officer's 33-year-old boyfriend dead in the doorway. The bodies of the 43-year-old officer, a 13-year cop with the 108th precinct, and the child were found in the bedroom. 

All three victims died of gunshot wounds, authorities said 

The officer's teenage son told police he spoke with his mother when he first woke up Monday morning and everything seemed fine. Then, around 8 a.m., he told police he heard a gunshot -- then more gunshots -- and he saw his mother standing in the apartment with a gun in her hand. 

The teenager told police he asked his mother what was happening and she apologized, according to law enforcement sources. Then the officer went into her bedroom and placed the baby on the bed. The 19-year-old son heard another gunshot and jumped out the window to find police. 

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16-year old Massachusetts boy unintentionally shoots himself with illegal gun

A 16-year old boy was in a Fitchburg, Massachusetts apartment with two men when he was handling the men's handgun.  He then unintentionally shot himself in the abdomen.

The gun was illegally owned by the men, who were trying to flee with the gun when police arrived.

The boy will likely survive the wound.

From an article:

The 16-year-old boy shot himself in the abdomen at around 4 p.m. Sunday at an apartment complex, said Fitchburg Deputy Police Chief Philip Kearns. An investigation revealed the incident was an accident, he said. 

When officers responded to the scene, one noticed Luis Robles, 25, and Efrain Molina, 24, both of Fitchburg, in a car quickly backing out of a nearby driveway, Kearns said. In their possession was the gun used by the teen. 

“Somebody was trying to get the gun away before police showed up,” Kearns said. “After some investigation, it is believed Mr. Robles put the gun in the car so Mr. Molina could drive it away.” 

Molina, the driver, and Robles, the passenger, were placed under arrest. Molina and Robles’s connection with the victim is not yet clear, though they weren’t strangers, Kearns said. 

Molina and Robles are charged with illegal possession of a firearm and will be arraigned Tuesday at Fitchburg District Court. Kearns said it’s likely the two could face additional charges, such as improper firearm storage. 

The 16-year-old is still recovering at Worcester’s UMass Medical Center with injuries that are not considered life-threatening, Kearns said.

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

9-year old Oregon girl unintentionally shot and killed by man "practicing his draw"

Shayla May Shonneker, age 9

A 9-year old girl, Shayla May Shonneker, was playing in her backyard, in Oregon City, Oregon.  Inside, here mother's boyfriend, 32-year-old Joseph Wolters, an Iraq war vet, was "practicing drawing his gun" when he unintentionally discharged it.  

The bullet exited the house through a wall, traveled 50 yards, and hit Shayla May in the face.  She soon died from her wound.

No charges have been filed.

From an article:

Police said Shayla May Shonneker was in her back yard when she was shot from inside the house, and it appears to be an accident. Her mother's boyfriend, 32-year-old Joseph Wolters of Gladstone, was practicing holstering and unholstering a handgun when it fired. The bullet went through a wall and hit Shonneker, who was about 50 yards away from the house, according to police. 

Police said Wolters had recently been hired for an armed security job with an armored transport company. He told police he was practicing drawing the gun in preparation for his new job. 

Neighbor Cindy Gill said she heard the shot, and the screams that followed. 

"He was trying to start CPR, but he was crying so hard and so hysterical," Gill said. "He was having trouble keeping it going. He would stop and say 'breathe baby,' and I said 'you can't stop. You have to keep going.'" 

Shonneker was taken by LifeFlight helicopter to Oregon Health and Science University. She died when she arrived at the hospital. 

"You'd figure they'd be safe when the kids are outside, but that wasn't the case. It went off," Gill said. "It's just the most heart-wrenching pain, and there's nothing you can do to stop their pain." 

No charges have been filed against Wolters at this time. 

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15-year old boy found dead in southern Oregon from self-inflicted gunshot

A 15-year old boy was found dead in Sutherlin, Oregon, in an apparent suicide using a gun.

From an article:

According to the Sutherlin Police Department, officers responded to a home in the 500 block of E. Sixth Ave., after a juvenile was reported missing. 

Police say they discovered a 15-year-old male deceased, who had suffered a single gunshot wound. 

The Douglas County Medical Examiner responded to assist at the scene. 

Sutherlin police are continuing the investigation.

It doesn't say where the boy got the gun and ammo.

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

4-year old New Jersey boy shoots 6-year old brother in head with family rifle

(updated. see below)

Brandon Holt, age 6

A 4-year old boy and his 6-year old brother, Brandon Holt, were playing outside their home in Tom's River, New Jersey, when the younger boy got hold of a loaded .22-caliber rifle.  That's when he decided to do "pretend shooting" and discharged the gun, hitting his older brother in the head.

Brandon has now died from his wound.

A number of other guns were retrieved from the home.

From an article:

The incident occurred yesterday at 6:30 p.m. in Toms River, NJ. The younger boy took the rifle into his backyard. A neighbor told the Star-Ledger that "he fired once from 15 yards away, striking Brandon [Holt] in the head. The older boy was sitting in a go-kart at the time, said Toms River Police Chief Michael Mastronardy at a press conference with Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato. While the 6 year old lies in critical condition at an area hospital, detectives continue their investigation, which included seizing a collection of guns from the 4-year-old's home, said another neighbor." 

Little Brandon's uncle says that bullet went through the boy's head—it's apparently lodged in his brain. It's unclear if anyone will be charged. 

Another neighbor told WABC 7, "I'm sad for the children involved and their families, but I'm angry with whoever owns that gun and allowed a little child to get hold of it. A 4-year-old can't load a gun."

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

UPDATE (4/10/13):  Brandon has now died from his wound.

FURTHER INFORMATION ON BRANDON;

The family of Brandon Holt has decided to donate some of his organs after his death. From an article:

But even as they struggle with their grief, the Holts are looking for some good to come out of the tragedy. That's why his parents have decided to donate their son's organs.

"Me and my wife, we both decided it would help carry his name that he is helping somebody," Ron Holt said. "We didn't want to but we felt he could do some good."

Added Randy Holt: "If you could avoid another family, what they went through ...."

But the family wants to do more.

Randy Holt, 39, of Toms River, created a Brandon Holt Memorial Fund. The family is deciding what the foundation will do.

But Brandon's mother, Christine, wants to stop gun violence from touching any other family's life.

"(Christine Holt) has a lot of strong feelings with it, and she is getting passionate with the gun control," said Randy Holt. "And if she can assist other families (who are) going through tragedies..."

But even in their sorrow, the Holts are grateful to the community that has embraced the family in the aftermath.

"So many people came through for them the, police, the town, the church, the funeral home has been amazing," Randy Holt said. "It is a tragic event and it is unfortunate that it takes a tragic event to get everybody to see the great side of people."

People "have been phenomenal. Unfortunately nothing will bring him back," Randy Holt said.

"You can't ask for more than what people have done," Randy Holt said. "It is making a bad experience better."

13-year old Michigan girl unintentionally shot to death by 14-year old brother

Paige McGinnis, age 13

13-year old Paige McGinnis was home alone with her 14-year old brother when the boy was handling a shotgun.  He unintentionally fired the weapon, hitting Paige in the head and killing her.

From an article:

The boy told sheriff’s officials that he was home alone with Paige handling the shotgun when it accidentally discharged, killing his sister. He said he believed that the weapon was unloaded. 

Clinton County Sheriff Wayne Kangas told reporters that he believes the shooting was accidental. The boy has not been taken into police custody. .... 

“[Paige] was such a delightful kid, she was one of our students of the month a couple of time,” he continued.  

“I just think of her as a wonderful student, one of those great kids you look forward to having in the class.” 

Cunningham added that Paige’s brother was also a good boy. 

“They are the kind of kids who are not troublemakers,” he said. “We’re grieving with the family as a community and a district and we hope and pray for the best.” 

Kangas stressed the need for parents to be vigilant about gun safety. 

“We always tell parents to make sure those firearms are locked up, they’re unloaded, and if you can at all secure them in a safe or someplace where young people can’t [get to] or touch those guns,” Kangas told reporters.

Or, better yet, don't have a gun in the home at all, with children.

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

4-year old Missouri girl shot and killed by 6-year old boy

A man left a loaded handgun under a jacket in a home in Kansas City, Missouri, in the presence of three small children, two boys ages 5 and 6, and a girl, Trinity Ross, age 4.  After the man left, the 5-year old boy found the weapon and shot it, hitting Trinity in the head.  She later died from the wound.

She had just turned four years old.

From an article:

A 58-year-old woman who lives at the home said Trinity is her husband’s daughter. The girl had just gotten out of the Freda Markley Early Childhood Center at 11:30 a.m. The woman was watching the three kids. She left them in the living room while she went outside to get something from her car, police said. She heard a gunshot, ran back inside and found Trinity wounded. 

The woman put the gun on the TV and called police. She pressed a cloth to Trinity’s forehead to try to stop the bleeding while waiting for an ambulance. 

Police determined that the older boy apparently found the five-shot revolver under a jacket on a chair and fired it. The woman told police she didn’t know the gun was there. She said the gun belonged to a relative of the boys.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/01/22/4025115/4-year-old-kc-girl-dies-after.html#storylink=cpy

A related news video.

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

Car with child in it was shot at in Florida

A man was driving with his child when someone shot out his window, in Jacksonville, Florida.  Luckily, neither was injured.

From an article:

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office aggravated battery unit responded to the Pelican Pointe Apartments at 1333 Dunn Avenue to reports of a shooting, according to Lt. Jeff White. 

The victim was driving into the complex with his daughter when he rounded a turn and shots were fired. 

The back passenger's side window of the man's white Mercury was shot out. No one was injured in the shooting, White said. 

The man then drove to the Zone 6 JSO substation, which is nearby, to call police.

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Massachusetts school bus with kids hit by pellet gun

A school bus in Worcester, Massachusetts, loaded with children, was hit by a man shooting a pellet gun.  Luckily, no one was injured.  Motive is unknown.

From an article:

Police tell the Telegram & Gazette that a 10-year-old boy sitting next to the window that was struck said he felt something strike the side of his head, but paramedics did not find he had any injury. 

School safety liaison Robert Pezella said the elementary school bus carrying 18 students was two stops from the end of its route when it was struck. He said the students were frightened, and parents came to pick them up. 

Police said the bus driver was unaware of what happened. 

Police said a witness told officers a man pointed an object at the bus, and the window shattered. The man reportedly ran away.

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Milwaukee girl shot in both legs

A girl in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was shot in both legs.

From an article:

Milwaukee police are investigating after a girl is injured in a late night shooting. 

Officers were called out to the area of 62nd Street and Silver Spring Drive around 9:30 p.m. Friday night. 

A juvenile female, whose exact age is not being released, was shot in both of her legs.
She was taken to a local hospital for treatment, but is expected to be ok. 

Police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting and a possible motive. 

There is word on any suspects.

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14-year old Chicago boy shot and killed

A 14-year old boy, Michael Orozco, was walking out of a store with two teen girls when he was shot to death by someone in a van.  The motive is unknown.  The two girls are uninjured.

From an article and news footage:

Michael Orozco had just left the store at the corner of 23rd Place and Leavitt Street around 4:30 p.m. Sunday when a light green van passed, stopped and backed up, according to a police report. A gunman jumped out and fired at the three teens, then got back in and the van sped away, the report said. 

Orozco was shot in the chest and pronounced dead at Mount Sinai Hospital at 4:56 p.m., the Cook County medical examiner's office said. 

Officers at the scene got a description and partial license plate of the van, and police stopped a minivan after it was spotted speeding down Cermak Road, the report said. Three people were taken into custody, police said.

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4-year old Tennessee child gets loaded handgun and shoots woman to death

Wilson County Deputy Daniel Fanning, age 51, was showing off his guns to another relative in the bedroom of his home in Wilson County, Tennessee, during a gathering, when a 4-year old child, related to him, entered the room.  The child got hold of one of the loaded handguns put on the bed by the deputy and fired it, hitting Fanning's wife, Josephine, and killing her.

From an article:

The shooting occurred while Wilson County Deputy Daniel Fanning, 51, was with another relative looking at guns in a bedroom of the home, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

The 4-year-old and Josephine Fanning walked into the bedroom where a loaded weapon was on top of the bed, TBI spokeswoman Kristin Helm said. The child picked up the gun and fired one round, which killed Josephine Fanning.

Alcohol was present at the gathering, Helm said. Daniel Fanning was not on duty at the time of the shooting.

The gun fired by the 4-year-old was Fanning’s personal weapon and not a police gun, Helm said. The 4-year-old was a relative of Daniel and Josephine Fanning, police said.

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

11-year-old pronounced dead after unintentional shooting

Joan Plumb, age 11

11-year-old Joan Plumb of Casa Grande, Arizona has been pronounced dead after being
unintentionally shot by another child. According at an article:

Deputies arrived on scene, and found 11-year-old Joan Plumb shot accidentally by another juvenile in the home. There were three other children in the home with the girl's father. The children were in the family room of the house when the shooting occurred. 

Joan was rushed to Casa Grande Medical Center where she was stabilized for air transport to the trauma center at Phoenix Children's Hospital. At 10:54 p.m. the doctors pronounced the girl deceased. 

Based upon initial interviews and evidence detectives have determined the shooting appears to have been an accidental discharged of the gun while being handled by a juvenile. 

The case will be submitted to the Pinal County Attorney's Office for review.

Joan's obituary.

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

Parents charged in shooting death of their son

Chris Swartz, 36, and Shanna Swartz, 34, of Decatur, Ohio have been charged with Child Endangerment in the death of their 9-year-old son Sebastian. According to an article:

The Probably Cause Affidavit on the charges reads: "On Feb. 18, 2013, a shooting occurred at 10198 State Route 125, Decatur. The shooting occurred as a result of a Glock 34 9mm pistol being left out and unsecured. The firearm was left out in plain view, fully loaded in the presence of children. One or more children gained possession of the firearm, which resulted in the shooting and eventual death of 9-year-old Sebastain Swartz."

The couple faces a charge of third-degree felony, which has a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

17-year old California boy killed at house party

A 17-year old boy, Kevin Tatum, was at a house party in Lancaster, California, when a fight broke out.  Someone pulled out a gun and shot him, killing him.

From an article:

Los Angeles County sheriff's detectives said the shooting took place about 1 a.m. Saturday. As people were leaving a house, deputies said, a fight broke out and someone pulled out a handgun and opened fire. Seventeen-year-old Kevin Tatum of Compton was shot and killed. 

The shooting is believed to be gang related. No arrests have been made.

Read more here: http://www.modbee.com/2013/03/30/2646809/teen-killed-at-calif-house-party.html#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy

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17-year old Chicago boy shot and injured by police after he aimed gun at them

Police responded to a "shots fired" report in Chicago.  They found there a 17-year old boy, Marvin Thompson, with a handgun, which he raised at the officers.  The officers then shot the boy in the left leg.  The boy is now being charged.

From an article:

Marvin Thompson, 17, is accused of pointing a blue steel Colt Cobra .38 caliber handgun at officers at 3:12 p.m. Friday in the 2000 block of East 94th Street, according to court documents. 

The officers shot Thompson in the left leg and he remained at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn on Sunday, authorities said. A police officer stood in Thompson’s place before Cook County Judge James Brown. 

Before Thompson was wounded last week, Area South detectives heard shots fired near East 95th Street and South Jeffrey Boulevard and called for backup as they followed three people fleeing north, according to the Chicago Police. 

The detectives ordered one of the suspects, Thompson, to drop his gun, but instead he pointed it at detectives, who opened fire and shot him, police said. 

Thompson was charged with three counts of aggravated assault to a police officer with a firearm and one count each of aggravated discharge of a firearm at a police officer and unlawful use of a weapon.

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

Six teens shot and killed in separate incidents in Columbus, Ohio over weekend

From an article about Columbus, Ohio:

The violence began just before 10 o'clock Saturday evening. Police were called to South Ohio Avenue in South Columbus on a report of a teenager shot in the leg.  

A 16-year-old was taken to the hospital in stable condition. 

Just before 11 o'clock Saturday evening, a fight broke out inside a Community Outreach Center on Cleveland Avenue. Police say the fighting continued minutes later outside the building and several shots were fired. 

A 14-year-old was struck by gunfire and taken to Nationwide Children's Hospital. Two others, 16, 17, were also struck and taken to Grant Medical Center. 

After 1 o'clock on Sunday morning, two other teenagers were shot outside a home on Eureka Avenue in Columbus' Hilltop neighborhood. 

Police say the shootings were the result of an altercation in front of the home. One teenager, 15, was shot in the face with buckshot and the other, 17, was shot in the chest. 

Police have not made any arrests in these incidents

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14-year old Kansas boy shot and killed

Two boys were walking down the street in Kansas City, Kansas, when they got into an argument with people in a car.  The occupants in the car then opened fire, hitting one of the boys, 14-year old Miguel Garcia.  The boy died soon after.

From an article:

Police said Garcia and another teenager were walking down the street when they were approached by a vehicle.  An argument broke out between the occupants of the vehicle and the two teens.  Then things got worse. 

The vehicle circled the block and came back to where the teens were standing.  The occupants of the vehicle began shooting at the teenagers. 

Garcia was struck by the gunfire. 

Shortly after the shooting subsided, several strangers ran up to help the boy. 

“He lifted up his shirt and it was right in his chest,” said one witness.  “He went to collapse and grabbed me and I helped him inside and that is when he collapsed on the floor and started puking up blood.” 

The witness told FOX 4 News the teenager kept asking to call his mother before the teen said he couldn’t breathe any more. 

So far, police have no one in custody.

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4-year old St. Louis girl injured by convicted druggie with gun

A 4-year old girl was with a group of people on the streets of St. Louis, Missouri, when a convicted felon with a gun opened fire, hitting her.  Luckily, she will survive.

From an article:

Twenty-three-year-old Nathaniel Pool is charged with six counts of first-degree assault and seven counts of armed criminal action. 

Investigators say Pool opened fire on a group of people at Louisiana and Itaska from a passing car. One bullet hit the girl in the shoulder as she and her mother walked up the front steps of a nearby house. 

The girl was treated and released.

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4-year old Alabama boy gets loaded, unsecured gun and shoots himself to death

A 4-year old boy was visiting relatives in Prichard, Alabama, when he found a loaded, unsecured gun and shot himself in the chest.  He died from his wound.

From an article and news video:

Authorities say the child was visiting relatives, and was shot inside a home. 
According to a Prichard spokesperson, the child accidentally shot himself in the chest.
The child was taken to USA Children's & Women's Hospital.

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