Children's Defense Fund releases 2013 "Protect Children Not Guns" report

Every year, the Children's Defense Fund puts together an extensive report called, "Protect Children Not Guns". The 2013 report is now out. There is a lot of good information in this report about the number of children and teens who are affected by gun deaths and injuries every year. This is a thorough report with much to study. Here are a few of the main points of the report:

Guns killed more preschoolers in one year than they did law enforcement officers in the line of duty. Ask yourself if this is really what we as Americans mean by putting our children first?

American companies manufacture enough bullets each year to fire 31 rounds into every one of our citizens. How many more mass-murders will it take to get Congress to pass sensible gun regulation?

America’s military and law enforcement agencies have four million guns. Our citizens have 310 million. Has this made our children safer?

The number of children and teens killed by guns in 2010 was nearly five times the number of U.S. soldiers killed in action that year in Iraq and Afghanistan. Shouldn’t our legislators be as concerned about the wars at home as they are about the wars overseas?

The number of children and teens killed by guns in one year would fill 134 classrooms of 20 students each. Too many children and teens are still being killed and injured by gun violence. Isn’t it time to demand more common sense ways to protect them?

— From the “We Can Do Better” Campaign, created for CDF by Fallon Worldwide

We post stories on this blog about real incidents of shootings of and by children. There are so many that we can't keep up with them. This report verifies the frequency with which children die and are injured by guns. We hope you will take the time to read it.

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.

8th-Grade Michigan boy brings gun to school and commits suicide

An 8th-grade boy brought a gun to his school, Davidson Middle School, in Southgate, Michigan, went into the bathroom, and shot himself to death.

A note was left, but authorities haven't released what it said.

From an article:

Davidson Middle School officials put the school on lockdown and contacted parents around 9:15 a.m. to pick up their children, saying at first that the school had a "police situation." WXYZ officials said that some children looked "visibly upset" when exiting the school. 

According to WDIV, Southgate Schools Superintendent William Grusecki said the boy did leave a note.

From a related article:

Students were put in the gym and auditorium and parents were called to come pick up their students at about 9 a.m. The school also arranged for transportation for students to get home. 

"I feel so horrible for the family of the child. I can't even imagine," said parent Sherri Zacharski
Grusecki said out of respect for the family, the boy's name wouldn't be released. But he said the boy was known as a good student, somewhat popular and had never gone to school officials with any problems he was experiencing. 

School was canceled for the day Thursday and Friday. Counselors are being provided for the community, some coming from surrounding districts. .... 

When asked about how a gun got into the school, Grusecki said there are no metal detectors in the building. He said school officials will review and look into what they can do in the future. 

Director of Public Safety Thomas Coombs said investigators are still looking into who owned the gun. He couldn't answer whether any charges would be filed.

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

15-year old Oklahoma boy shoots self to death in school bathroom

Triston Stephens, age 15

A 15-year old ninth-grader, Triston Stephens, brought a loaded gun to school, in Coweta, Oklahoma, went into the bathroom, and shot himself to death.

From an article:

The ninth-grade boy died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound about 8:35 a.m., Superintendent Jeff Holmes confirmed at an afternoon news conference.  

The school was placed on immediate lockdown, and police arrived within seconds, he said.  

Police Lt. Donnie Krumsiek said the student died of a single gunshot wound just as the first-hour classes had started. Police don't think anyone else was in the restroom at the time.  

"Unfortunately, a life was lost, but it could have been a lot worse," Krumsiek said, referring to other school shootings in which multiple people have been killed.  

The state Medical Examiner's Office identified the boy as Triston Stephens.  

"According to his principal and counselors, he was a very fine young man," Holmes said.  

Authorities don't know how the teenager carried the gun into the building or where he kept it, Holmes said. He also said they did not know how or where he obtained the gun.  

Krumsiek said the school was not equipped with metal detectors.  

Police have not received any information indicating that Stephens had been bullied, and they are continuing to investigate the circumstances of his death, he said. 

....
At a candlelight vigil Monday night just outside Coweta High School, students, parents and area residents wept openly, still in shock over the tragedy that hit too close to home.  

"I'm sad and depressed," said freshman Jeremy Summers, who described Stephens as "a good friend" who participated in activities just as his peers did. "He was a happy guy. Triston would always make people laugh."  

Griffin Qualls, a freshman, said Stephens appeared to be well-liked and that no one saw any indication that the boy would take his own life. 

It is not known 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.

14-year old Utah boy commits suicide with gun in front of other kids

A 14-year old boy in Taylorsville, Utah, committed with a handgun on a pedestrian bridge at the edge of the junior high school, shooting himself in the head in front of other kids.  The boy died shortly after.

From an article:

Granite School District spokesman Ben Horsley says the 14-year-old boy had left Bennion Junior High with his mother about 1:30 p.m. Thursday. 

The ninth-grader later returned to a pedestrian bridge near the school just before 3 p.m. and came upon several students who had just gotten out of school for the day, said Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal. He pulled out a handgun and shot himself in the head, Hoyal said. 

He was taken by ambulance but died a short while later. Police are not yet identifying the teenager. 

The bridge where the shooting took place is just off school grounds near the southwest corner of the campus. 

Later Thursday evening, more than 200 people gathered at the bridge, candles in hand, for a vigil. The Salt Lake Tribune reported that they remembered him as a kind and friendly soul. 

"He was one of the sweetest guys I've ever known," said Hunter Evensen, a fellow ninth-grader. He remembered when the teen had bought him a drink and never expected to be paid back for it. 

Unified Police detectives are interviewing students who witnessed the shooting, Hoyal said. Police and school district officials said they don't yet what led the boy to take his own life, but said they are working to determine that. 

"It is a very sad situation," Hoyal said. "A very traumatic situation for these students who witnessed this." 

Horsley says the school district is providing crisis counselors to talk with students and families in the wake of the death. 

Taylorsville is a suburb located southwest of Salt Lake City.

The article didn't say where the boy got his gun.

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

15-year old Texas girl critically injured by 10-year old brother, who then fatally shot himself

10-year old Coby Tucker was at home with his mother an sister in Bedias, Texas, just west of Huntsville, when he accessed a loaded, unsecured handgun.  He then went into the room of his 15-year old sister, Ashley Tucker, and fired at her multiple times.  He then turned the gun on himself and committed suicide.

Ashley is in the hospital in good condition.

From an article and news video:

Investigators have not said how Coby got the gun, but they did say that the family has a gun safe in the home. The motive for the shooting is under investigation. 

Deputies said the children's mother was at home at the time of the shooting but was apparently unaware that her son had a gun. 

"Once she heard the shots, she responded and called 911," Detective Greg Williams said. 

The children's father was at work at the time of the incident, investigators said. 

Officials have not said if the parents will face any charges.

From another article:

After investigating the crime scene, deputies said they believe that Coby Tucker got access to the handgun from a locked safe in the home. No charges have been filed in the shooting. 

“There is no reason for us to believe that this was a case of negligence by the parents,” Walker County Sheriff Clint McRae said. “The firearm was in a secure safe, but the boy was somehow able to gain access. This is a terrible tragedy that happened and our thoughts are with the family.”

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

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

Jose Rodriguez Jr., age 14

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

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

From an article and video:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Its contents were not made public. 

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

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

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

13 year old Oklahoma boy shoots himself at school

Cade Poulos, age 13

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

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

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

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

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

Cops were investigating where the student obtained the gun.

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

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

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

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

15-year old Oregon girl commits suicide after being bullied

Kaitlyn Boris, age 15

15-year old Kaitlyn Boris was described as "full of life and always joking", who could "light up a room with her smile."  But, after constant bullying at school and the resultant low self-esteem, Kaitlyn took a .45-caliber handgun and shot herself to death.  It was only afterward that her parents found notes indicated what had been going on at school.

From an article and video:

"She was at home with her sister, and dad came home and found her," said Patricia Nesbitt, Kaitlyn's grandmother. 

The 15-year-old had loaded a .45 caliber gun and taken her own life within a matter of seconds. 

"None of us could believe what happened," Nesbitt said. 

Within the last week, Kaitlyn's family found notes she had written about "kids tripping her down stairs" and "footballs getting thrown at her face." 

After reading these notes, her family said it all became clear that their daughter was a victim of bullying. 

"We're finding notes saying how she despised herself," said Dennis Boris, Kaitlyn's father. 

"When she looked in the mirror, she just saw nothing but ugliness, and she was so beautiful. There was nothing wrong with her." 

Kaitlyn's family said she would draw to cope with the pain. 

"In the last picture we have from her, those are tears coming down her face," Nesbitt said. 

Kaitlyn's family is hoping to raise awareness about bullying in the community to help keep a tragedy like this from happening to someone else.     

"Parents need to ask those tough questions, push it out of your kids and don't just let it go," said Kelly Boris, Kaitlyn's mother. "Just always give your kid a hug, because you never know."

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

13 year old New York boy shoots himself on quiet street

Suicide by gun is the most frequent cause of gun deaths. This rural New York boy shot himself in the head on a quiet street of his town. 

A teenage altar boy committed suicide by shooting himself in the head on a quiet village street.  

Hundreds attended the funeral of 13-year-old William Rudloff on Monday.

His distraught mother asked the congregation to focus on how her son had lived and not on his death. 

Police have closed the investigation into the teenager's death on August 2 which left his small community reeling.

William walked out into the street, close to his home in Sloatsburg, New York and fired a gun at his head. 

He died two days later in Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla.

Officials said there was no criminal wrongdoing, calling the death a 'tragedy'.

More will likely be revealed about this sad and tragic case. It seems as if this shooting was pretty unexpected to the boy's family and friends but there were some family problems. From the article:

photo from linked article

The death of the Suffern Middle School student has left the small community in shock as they believed the young man to be a popular athlete with plenty of friends.

Reverend D. Francis Dias, of St Joan of Arc Church, told Journal News last week that he had trained William as an altar boy for five years.

The priest said that the teenager had stopped coming to church last year because he was experiencing family problems.

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

Florida teen dies in game of Russian Roulette

17-year-old Thorin Montgomery, of Largo, Florida, died Friday night while playing a game of Russian Roulette with three of his friends. According to reports:

Montgomery was with three friends, aged 19, 18 and 16, on Friday night when they decided to play the deadly shooting game.

The teens were sitting on the back porch of Montgomery's home when the fatal shot was fired.

Montgomery was the first to hold a loaded .38 caliber handgun to his head and pull the trigger.

The teenager collapsed in front of his horrified friends who called paramedics.

Montgomery was airlifted to the hospital where he later died from his injuries.

A spokesman for Pinellas County Police said the investigation was continuing and they were focusing on how the teens obtained the gun.

Article: Gun Culture May Contribute to Suicide Rate in Rural America

From an article in The Atlantic:

Gun Culture May Contribute to Suicide Rate in Rural America

Excerpt from the article:

According to a recently published survey of Midwestern mental health clinicians, one of the challenges rural therapists face is telling parents of troubled youths to lock up their guns. The Midwestern counselors in the survey "agreed that nearly everyone owned and used guns," and said that in a lot of their clients' homes, guns were so commonplace that they became "part of the furniture." 

Parents in these areas often need to be reminded that guns are involved in half of all youth suicides, and that having them in the home makes it easier for young people to end their lives.

.

New documentary, "Bully" focuses on the issue of bullying of children

Bullying is a factor in many kid shootings.  Bullied children sometimes get so depressed that they take their own lives.  Some have become angry and brought guns to school, often with tragic consequences.  And some bullies, too, bring guns.  We see cases of these things all the time here at Kid Shootings.

A new movie, "Bully", focuses on this issue, the consequences, and potential solutions.

HERE is an article that talks about the movie and cases that are highlighted.  You can see trailers for the documentary, as well.

From the article:

The high-profile documentary “Bully,” released in limited U.S. cities Friday, features Sioux City’s decade-long anti-bullying program and a Sioux City student who moved after being harassed repeatedly, especially on the school bus.

The Sioux City district plans to show the film at schools, incorporating a curriculum now under development, said spokeswoman Alison Benson. Other Iowa districts are weighing use of the film as a teaching tool.

The film follows the stories of five bullying victims. 

....

The trailer says 13 million kids will be bullied in the United States this year.

“The problem is real,” the narrator says. “The problem is being ignored.”

The film shows parents in various school districts pleading for their children’s safety, and officials making assurances that all is OK.

“Kids will be kids. Boys will be boys. They are just cruel at this age,” an official says. A parent describes a student getting punched, strangled and sat on. The film shows some of this.

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

14-year old Miranda Campbell commits suicide with gun due to bullying

Miranda Campbell, age 14

14-year old Miranda Campbell was a bright student who was well-loved at her Hopkinsville, Kentucky school.  Unfortunately, she was endlessly bullied for being bisexual, and wound up shooting herself to death.

( article and news footage )

From a related article:

Felty and Campbell's father, Travis Campbell, said the teen was bullied because she was bisexual. Hopkinsville High School principal Demetria Choice said she was not aware of any bullying in the classroom, where she said Campbell was well-liked. She said the school has a zero-tolerance policy for bullying.

Now an anti-bullying campaign has been started in her name, the "Miranda Campbell Challenge" :

During the service, Miranda’s father spoke about his commitment to the challenge movement.

“I’m going to take the tenacity and perseverance that I gave my daughter and feed it into the Miranda Campbell Challenge,” Travis Campbell told the crowd. “This challenge is now my child.”

Several of Miranda’s friends also attended at the service. Dabbing away tears from their eyes, many spoke of their feelings of loss.

“Never have I ever lost a friend like this until now,” student Mackenzie Russell said at the service. “I don’t have any words to describe all of this.”

What is lacking in all of this are some very important questions:  Where did Miranda get the gun?  Why was it left loaded and unlocked where she could reach it?  Why didn't anyone recognize any warning signs?

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

12-year old Wisconsin girl committed suicide due to bullying

Payton Ruth Ann Richardson, age 12

12-year old Payton Ruth Ann Richardson was visiting her grandparents in Ladysmith, Wisconsin.  When her grandparents woke up and looked for her, they found she had committed suicide with her grandfather's gun, which had been stored unlocked.

From the article:

“This was a total shock to the grandparents and everybody that’s known her. This was way out of the ordinary for her,” Kaminski said.

The sheriff said the pistol was registered to the grandfather.

While it was stored in a secure location, investigators said it was not locked up.

“She was very safe with the weapons and knew how to use the weapons. So this is something that was not accidental,” Kaminski said. 

Though the school denies it, Payton's mother says she has proof that the girl was endlessly bullied by classmates.  Now she is trying to make it possible to pass a law to hold bullies accountable.

“She was a happy-go-lucky kid and it was so tragic because none of us actually knew what was happening,” Richardson said.

She said bullying by middle school classmates lead her daughter to take her own life.

“There was a group of girls that I have proof in my hands that were bullying her and I think with some other things that were happening in her life the bullying was the top of the cake and that was it,” Richardson said.

Richardson said the she was shocked to hear the Chetek-Weyerhaeuser School District tell WEAU that there’s no merit to allegations of bullying.

“When I seen the first news broadcast and the information that I had from Payton’s Facebook and her iPods, yeah I think they tried to brush it under the table,” Richardson said.

Payton’s mom said she’s trying to turn this tragedy into something positive for not only her family but the entire state of Wisconsin.

She said she’s raising money for a scholarship for students who stand up to bullies and that’s just the start of it.

“They are actually in the process of writing some paperwork to take to legislative committee so that we can make a law so that a bully is held responsible for their actions and what they’re doing to other students,” Richardson said.

She said they want to name the legislation Payton’s Law.

“I need to do this for my daughter and if I only save one student I served my purpose,” Richardson said.

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

Parents not charged in suicides of Las Vegas 10-year old and 13-year old

Kameron Asgari, age 10

On December 13 of last year, on the same day, a 10-year old boy and a 13-year old girl committed suicide with their family's unsecured guns, both shot in the head.  Prosecutors are not charging the parents with those deaths.  At least one parent was home at the time of each shooting.


From the article:

The parents, who have not been named by police, faced possible felony charges of child endangerment with substantial bodily harm. 

Prosecutors with the district attorney's office said last week they declined to pursue charges in the two cases because evidence indicated the children wanted to kill themselves. The parents had no idea that their children were suicidal, prosecutors said. 

Marina Momcheva, age 13

"As much as we want parents to be responsible for the safety of their children, you're not in the head of the child," said Chief Deputy District Attorney Alexandra Chrysanthis. "If you have no indication they are contemplating taking their life, it's very difficult for us to second- guess what a parent should have done." 

Chrysanthis said each case was "tragic and heart-wrenching."

But there is something the parents could have done.  They could have better-secured their guns, keeping them locked and unloaded.  Or, better yet, not had guns in the home with their children.  Children are naturally impulsive, and it isn't always possible to know when they are depressed or suicidal.

On Dec. 13 about 2:45 p.m., 10-year-old Kameron Asgari shot himself after finding a weapon at a home in the 5800 block of Ponderosa Way, near Russell Road and Jones Boulevard. 

Shortly after 11 p.m. that night, 13-year-old Marina Momcheva shot herself at a home in the 2100 block of Dragon Claw Lane, near Lake Mead and Holly­wood boulevards. She died from her injuries five nights later. Marina was an eighth-grader at Bailey Middle School. 

Lisa Teele, supervisor for the Metropolitan Police Department's Abuse and Neglect Detail, strongly believes adults have a responsibility to secure firearms to keep children safe. She told the Las Vegas Review-Journal as much before and after the two child suicide cases were submitted to the district attorney's office.

....
She said Kameron's mother saw him go upstairs. Two minutes later, she heard a gunshot. The boy had retrieved the gun from the master bedroom. Chrysanthis said the gun was not secured. 

In Marina's shooting, Chrysanthis said police submitted a case against her mother and father. She said Marina's father was home during the shooting. 

Chrysanthis added that Marina apparently picked up the unsecured gun from a kitchen counter. She shot herself in a bathroom. 

The child's father apparently asked Marina's sibling for a glass of water about 11 p.m. Minutes later, he heard a gunshot. 

Chrysanthis said the family kept the gun in the kitchen "out in the open to protect themselves from the outside." 

(italics was added to the quotes)


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


(images taken from HERE and HERE)

17-year old Tennessee girl commits suicide by gun, rumors of bullying

Morgan Johnson, age 17

17-year old Morgan Johnson had her life to look forward to.  She was an above average student in Englewood, Tennessee, and popular.

But there were rumors of bullying.  And then she was found dead next to her car in her church parking lot, the victim of a self-inflicted gunshot.  A note was found, but its contents have not been released.

It's a sad commentary on our society that a bright and beautiful young woman could feel it necessary to take her own life, and that bullying may have led to this.

It is an equally sad commentary that young people are able to access firearms to commit such an act.  Guns are FAR more likely to kill in a suicide attempt than other causes.  More than 90 percent of suicide attempts with a gun are fatal.  In comparison, only 3 percent of attempts with drugs or cutting are fatal (Miller, 2004).

From one good source on youth suicide, around 43% of youth suicides are performed with a gun:

Information on how youths obtained the gun
they used in a suicide was recorded by police or
the coroner/medical examiner for 44 of the 63
firearm suicides. Among the 44, 82% used a
gun belonging to a family member, usually a
parent. Among the cases in which a youth used
a family member’s gun, 75% of the reports
(n=27) included information about how the gun
was stored. Among those, 64% were stored
unlocked. When the gun was stored locked, the
youths either knew where the key was kept,
learned the combination, or broke into the
cabinet.

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

17-year old Houston girl commits suicide by gun after online warnings

Ashley Duncan, age 17

Ashley Duncan, age 17, had been depressed and making repeated threats to kill herself online, at Tumblr and Twitter. No one took the threats seriously, even after she tweeted, "Finally got a gun" and posted a picture of the gun.

From the article:

By all accounts, Duncan was a popular student at Bellaire High School. She played volleyball and interacted with hundreds of friends between her Twitter and Tumblr pages.

But there were hints that Duncan's life had taken a darker turn in recent posts on the social media sites.

"Life ain't worth the pain. if you know or have known what it feels like to want to die every minute second hour day week month year then you feel me…. I might not struggle financially but I struggle emotionally and mentally and I think that’s the worst struggle," Duncan wrote on Tumblr Sunday. "So in asking why can’t it be my choice to die now? … I’m miserable. One day I won’t be here anymore and that’ll be the happiest day of my life… I’m tired and I’m done with this life."

The same day she posted this ominous statement on Twitter: "It's like God is torturing me by keeping me here."

On Monday, the day she ended her life, Duncan tweeted: "Finally got a gun."

Later, she posted a picture of a revolver and wrote on Tumblr "I’m tired as f*** and ready for this s*** to be over and the s*** I’m referring to is my life! peace."

Friends at Bellaire High said they thought she was joking.

No information was released about where she got the loaded gun.

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