13-year old boy caught at Virginia school with gun and loaded magazine

A 13-year old boy was caught at Wilder Middle School, in Henrico, Virginia, with a gun and a loaded gun magazine for it.

School officials acted quickly on a tip, and disaster was averted. The school was briefly locked down during the encounter.

From an article:

Authorities today confiscated an unloaded handgun from the bookbag of a 13-year-old student who was carrying a loaded magazine in his pants pocket at Wilder Middle School in Henrico County, police said this afternoon. ....

The student was located in the cafeteria by the school resource officer and administrators, and the magazine was seized.

"The student’s bookbag was in another location within the school. When the bookbag was searched, an unloaded handgun was found.  At this time, there are no reports that the gun was used in a threatening manner," Henrico police said.

The student is in police custody and charges are pending.

The lockdown was lifted shortly after noon.

The article didn't say how the boy got the gun and magazine.  Will the gun owner be held accountable?

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

12 year old Virginia boy dies in accidental shooting

Another child has found a gun and was unintentionally shot to death. From an article:

A 12-year-old boy was killed Saturday afternoon in the woods near his house in Madison County in what authorities, and the boy’s father, are calling an accidental shooting.

Dax Dixon of Pratts, a small community in Madison, died Saturday afternoon while playing with a neighbor friend, the boy’s father, Dan Dixon, said Sunday.

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office responded to what it described as an accidental shooting involving two juveniles shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday, a news release said. Deputies found Dax Dixon dead at the scene, the release said.

The investigation is ongoing. The Sheriff’s Office would not comment further on Sunday.

Dan Dixon said he was at work at the time and did not know his son was at the neighbor’s house. He said his son had been staying with a relative over the weekend, and was unaware that the boy had been brought back to the neighborhood.

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

More kids shot over the past 5 days

It's been hard to keep up with all the shootings of and by kids in the last week or so. We refer you again to Joe Nocera's Gun Report in the New York Times. In the July 10th report, Nocera reports on 2 children injured in Washington state and 2 in Virginia. In the July 11th report, more child shootings occurred. From his article:

A 1-year-old boy and a 7-month-old boy were shot on the front porch of a home in Hampton, Va., late Wednesday. The boys were with a caregiver when they were both struck in the torso. A nearby house and car were pockmarked with bullets after the shooting. Anyone with information is urged to call police.

—Wavy.com

A 4-year-old girl is in critical condition after being shot by a stray bullet while watching television in Columbia, S.C., Monday night. According to preliminary reports, shots may have been fired between a group of people on foot and a silver Dodge charger near the Colony Apartments. Police have released surveillance video of the suspects.

—Columbia Patch

Tyrese Short, 9, was killed in a drive-by shooting in St. Louis, Mo., early Wednesday. The boy was a passenger in a car with his father and two others when he was shot in the head. Officials have not released details on possible suspects.

—KSDK.com

Logan Allen, 15, died Wednesday morning after being accidentally shot Tuesday at a home in Edina, Mo. Officials say Allen and a couple of other boys were hanging out when Allen was accidentally shot in the back of the head with a .22-caliber firearm.

—HeartlandConnection.com

That's 3 injured and 2 dead in one day. States where these occurred- Missouri, South Carolina, and Virginia.

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

7-year old Virginia boy killed by July 4 celebratory gunfire

A 7-year old boy, Brendon Mackey, was walking with his father in a parking lot, getting ready to

Brendon Mackey, age 7.

watch fireworks, in Midlothian, Virginia, when he fell to the ground.  

Upon investigation at the hospital, it was found that he had been struck in the top of his head by a bullet, likely fired by someone as a means of celebrating.

Brendon died from his wound.

From an article and news video:

“A large crowd had been gathering over by the reservoir to watch fireworks and a young boy, seven years old, was walking through the parking lot with his dad. He was a few step behind his dad and he [the boy] fell to the ground,” Chesterfield Police Capt. Brad Badgerow said. “Initially they thought he was just passed out. They saw some blood. They thought he may have hit his head.”

But when the child was taken to the hospital, doctors made a startling discovery.
“When medical personnel were treating him, they found what they believe to be a bullet wound in the top of his head,” Badgerow said. 

Police said it is unlikely that the shot was intentionally fired at the boy, and that the bullet likely came from a gun fired off the premises. 

“We don’t think this was an intentional shooting. We think that somebody in or around the Brandermill area was celebrating the Fourth of July. Unfortunately we think they were shooting a gun in a reckless manner and this young boy is a victim,” Badgerow said.

What goes up must come down.  Celebratory gunfire kills.

15 year old Virginia teen shot on Sunday

A 15 year old was shot and wounded on Sunday in Virginia. From an article:

Henrico police are investigating a shooting that sent two people to the hospital.

It happened around 9 p.m. Sunday in the 1400 block of Almond Tree Drive in Eastern Henrico.

Police sources told CBS 6 News that a 15-year-old and 21-year-old were wounded in the shooting. Both suffered non-life threatening injuries according to those sources.

Detectives said they are in the preliminary stages of the investigation.

15 year old boy shot and badly injured in Virginia shooting

A 15 year old Virginia boy is in serious condition after a shooting last week:

A Richmond teen was shot multiple times at his apartment Thursday night.

He's in critical but stable condition at Chippenham Hospital. Police say a van pulled up Thursday night, and a 15-year-old stumbled out, with blood everywhere.

They say his family drove him there, because they live two miles up the Chippenham Parkway.

The shooting happened on Drumheller Drive, close to where Forest Hill Avenue meets the Chippenham Parkway. Police were on the scene around 9 p.m., and they say there are no suspects and no motive ready to be released

One Virginia teen dead and one injured in related shootings

In Virginia, one teen is dead and one injured in a shooting yesterday:

A 13-year-old boy is dead and a 17-year-old boy is in serious condition following shootings outside a convenience store in Newport News.

Newport News police said early Tuesday morning that both shootings occurred shortly before 11 p.m. Monday. Investigators believe the shootings are related.

Police say Lutrell Kittle was shot once in the upper body while standing in front of the store. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Several minutes later, the 17-year-old was shot multiple times in his upper and lower body. He also was standing in front of the store. He was taken to a local hospital. His name hasn't been released.

The investigation is continuing.

10 year old Virginia girl shot and killed by 14 year old

A ten year old Virginia girl was killed by a 14 year old with a loaded gun and the incident is under investigation. From the article:

A 10-year-old girl is dead and police say it was another child who pulled the trigger.

There are still many unanswered questions, including the identity of the young girl.  It is still an ongoing investigation. Police have not released many details because they are still trying to figure out whether it was an accident or something else.

Albemarle police responded to the 1400 block of McAllister Street in Crozet about 10 a.m. Tuesday for reports of a gunshot wound.  It was later confirmed a 10-year-old girl was killed and a 14-year-old boy pulled the trigger.

"It's incredibly tragic. Anytime you respond to a scene like this it's difficult but to have a child involved and to have a child a victim here it's very difficult," said Carter Johnson, spokesperson for the Albemarle County Police Department.

The shooting happened at a home near the Open Door Ministry Center. The family of the victim is affiliated with the well-known church which runs the ministry center.  Neighbors have identified the family as the Hollifields and say they are rallying around them and offering support, but there are still many unanswered questions. 

Police have not said where the gun came from - whether it was found in the home or brought in from the outside and how it got into the hands of the teenager. Police have also not released the identity of the victim. They say they are still trying to figure out whether this was accidental.

"Right now we're just going through that process to make sure that we do our part to really look into this and make sure we do everything we can to investigate the crime properly," Johnson said.

The medical examiner's office in Richmond was able to confirm it received the body of a 10-year-old girl Tuesday, but was not able to confirm a name.

The ordeal is a tragedy no neighborhood is prepared to deal with. "It's hard to process. It's hard for everyone who's involved and certainly it's not something we see in our community very often so that's a good thing that we don't see crimes like this but when we do it's difficult," Johnson said.

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

17-year old Virginia boy shot and killed when entering wrong home

A 17-year old boy had been out drinking with friends, in Loundoun County, Virginia, when his friends dropped him off in his neighborhood, where he had lived for only a year or less.

But instead of going to his home, he instead entered the home of a neighbor, and apparently tried to go upstairs.

The homeowner heard him, got his gun, and shot the boy to death.  The boy was unarmed, and apparently gave no struggle beforehand.  

From an article:

The teenager had been drinking, and his friends drove him to his home in Sterling at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday, law enforcement officials said. But instead of walking into his house on the quiet cul-de-sac, they said, the teen entered a similar-looking red brick home in the same block. 

Inside, the startled homeowner confronted the teen, authorities said, before shooting and killing him. The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office described the shooting as a homeowner killing an unknown intruder, although officials released few details about the shooting. 

Sheriff’s officials declined to release the name of the teen or the homeowner. No criminal charges have been filed. 

It is unclear why the teen went into the wrong home, how he got inside or what kind of exchange he had with the homeowner. Law enforcement officials said that they believe the teenager did not have a gun and that it is possible he entered the home through a rear window, although they were still investigating. It was unclear whether the homeowner and the intruder knew each other; neighbors said the teen was relatively new to the neighborhood.

The article doesn't mention how the boy got into the home or whether the homeowner gave any warning.

7-year old Virginia boy threatens kids on bus with loaded gun and brings it to school

A 7-year old, second-grade boy brought a loaded handgun onto his bus, in Richmond, Virginia, and threatened other students with it.  He then brought the gun into his school before being discovered.

Luckily, he did not fire the weapon.

From an article:

A 7-year-old boy brandished a loaded handgun Monday morning on a school bus bound for a Henrico County elementary school, according to police. 

No one was injured in the incident, which involved a second-grade student at Ratcliffe Elementary School, but the boy displayed the gun while on the bus and threatened other students, Henrico police officials said. 

"He brandished it at several students while making a threatening statement," said police Lt. Linda N. Toney, who declined to elaborate on the nature of the threats. 

The gun wasn't discovered by officials until after the boy got to the school, located on Thalen Street in East Highland Park. 

School officials learned the boy had a gun at about 8:40 a.m., according to police. The gun wasn't discovered until after the students were unpacking their bags at the school, said schools spokesman Andy Jenks. Upon further investigation, officials learned the gun had been brandished on the bus. 

"To my knowledge, nobody said anything to the bus driver or immediately coming off that bus," Jenks said.  .... 

The incident occurred less than a week after school officials held a public forum on school safety and security as part of the local response to the mass shootings at a Connecticut elementary school. 

At the forum Thursday night, Henrico schools Superintendent Patrick J. Russo told a crowd of several hundred that Henrico schools are in the upper echelon when it comes to security.

The article didn't say where he got the gun.

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

4-year old Virginia boy gets hold of gun and shoots great uncle in head, killing him

A man in Richmond, Virginia, 58-year-old Casper R. Jones, was babysitting his 4-year old great-nephew when the boy found a loaded, unsecured handgun and discharged it, hitting Jones in the head.  Jones was taken to the hospital, but later died from his wound.

From an article:

Jones was rushed to VCU Medical Center with life threatening injuries; he remained in serious condition until his death Tuesday. 

Jones' four-year-old great-nephew is believed to be responsible for the accidental shooting. It is unclear how the juvenile came into contact with the firearm. 

A neighbor who lives down the street is still in disbelief. 

"He always watches the kids all day, it's crazy. He watched his nieces, nephews, grandsons...he is the babysitter for the family," said Tramel Woodson. "That's why I am sorry it happened to him. His own nephew." 

Police continue to investigate the tragic accidental shooting. No charges have been brought forth at this time, but police say any possible charges will be placed by the Commonwealth's Attorney's office.

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

(thanks to the Ohh Shoot blog post on this for a heads-up)

11-year old boy threatens 9-year old in Virginia School with BB gun

An 11-year old boy brought a realistic-looking BB gun to school with him, at the Fred Lynn Middle School in Woodbridge, Virginia.  He then used the gun to threaten a 9-year old boy.

From an article:

Prince William County police said they were called to Vaughn Elementary School in Woodbridge on Monday to investigate an altercation between an 11-year-old boy and a 9-year-old boy that occurred on school grounds after school hours on Friday. Police said that during the altercation the 11-year-old, who is a sixth-grader at Fred Lynn Middle School, displayed a BB gun to the 9-year-old and pointed it toward him. 

The altercation occurred outside the school building but on school property. Police said no shots were fired and no injuries were reported. 

The 11-year-old juvenile has been charged with brandishing a weapon on school property and assault and battery.

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

Gun found in high school locker in Virginia

A gun was found in a locker at a high school in Fairfax, Virginia.

From an article:

According to John Torre, spokesman for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), students at Robinson Secondary School were not in danger following the discovery of a gun at the school on Wednesday.  

"There was no disruption to the school day and no one was in any imminent danger although, as the KIT stated, we recognize the danger associated with any weapon in the school and a weapons violation will result in disciplinary action," said Torre. 

Lucy Caldwell, public information officer with the Fairfax County Police Department, also confirmed the information included in the KIT, but could not discuss the incident further because the investigation is ongoing. 

"Police are aware of the situation and we're working with school officials to address the incident," said Lucy Caldwell, public information officer with the Fairfax County Police Department.

Details about the discovery of the gun are still unknown. 

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

Sixth-grade Virginia boy brings gun and ammo to school

A 6th-grade boy in Abington, Virginia, was caught with an unloaded gun, ammunition, and knife at school.

From an article:

Media outlets report that the boy has been suspended from Damascus Middle School. He was assigned to a home electronic monitoring system during a hearing Tuesday in Washington County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. 

School and court authorities say the boy is accused of bringing an unloaded .22-caliber pistol, a knife and several rounds of ammunition to the school Monday morning. He didn't make any threats to anyone at the school. 

Another student saw the ammunition and told a teacher.

The article didn't say if the parents would be held accountable.

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

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

Christopher Peterson, age 13

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

From an article:

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

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

Matthew Peterson, age 16

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

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

.... 

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

His friend, Alter said, seemed “morose.” 

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

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

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

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

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

.

11-year old Virginia boy unintentionally shoots mother in head with gun that father hid in boy's bedroom

An 11-year old boy in Loudon County, Virginia, found a loaded handgun that his father had hidden in the slats of the boy's bunk bed.  While he and his parents were together in the boy's room, the boy put the gun to the back of his mother's head and pulled the trigger, thinking the gun wasn't real.  The gun fired and hit her point-blank.  She is now in serious condition.

Police found two other guns hidden in the room as well.

The boy and his three other siblings were removed from the home.

The father had other charges in his past as well.

From an article:

37-year-old Daniel Duggan, of Loudon County, Tennessee bought a .22-caliber Derringer handgun for protection. He hid the loaded, unlocked gun between the mattress and the slats of a bunk bed in his 11-year-old son's bedroom. Wednesday night the boy found the gun and unintentionally shot his mother, Stacy, at point blank range in the back of the head.

Duggan told reporters that the three of them were in the same room when the shot was fired. "I didn't see the gun," Duggan said. "I just saw the flash and I knew what it was. He (Duggan's son) said,'Oh God, I thought it was a fake gun.'"

Stacy was taken to the hospital where she is in serious condition.

Duggan has been arrested and charged with child abuse by neglect for leaving a gun where his son could get access to it. All four children in the home have been taken into Department of Children's Services custody.

Police took three guns out of the child's bedroom.

Both husband and wife have arrest records that include DUIs, drug and theft charges. The couple has also faced child abuse charges in the past. In 2011, Duggan was charged in connection with an automobile accident that left his son with motor skills problems. In another incident, the boy was run over by a lawn mower at his home, losing three of his toes. 

The current incident is still under investigation and the sheriff's office said Stacy could face the same child abuse charge.

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

2-year old Virginia boy finds unsecured, loaded gun and fatally shoots himself

A 2-year old boy found a loaded, unsecured gun in his parents' closet in Hampton, Virginia and shot himself in the head.  His 1-year old and 4-year old siblings were also home at the time, as was his mother.  The boy died from his wound.

From an article:

Police said the boy found the gun in an upstairs bedroom closet. They said the boy’s mother and two siblings – a 4-year-old and a 1-year-old – were home at the time of the shooting.

Authorities said the identity of the victim is being withheld until the family is notified.

Police said they are still investigating the shooting, which happened in the 100 block of Flinton Drive.

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

Two teens killed along with mother in Virginia by 19-year old brother in murder/suicide

Lily Romando

Three people were found dead in an Albemarle County, Virginia home, and a fourth died in the hospital, in what appears to be a murder/suicide.

19-year old Noah Philip Romando apparently shot to death his mother, Elizabeth Walton, and his two younger siblings, Lily Romando and Andrew Romando, whose ages have not been released.

A motive or any information regarding the firearm have not yet been released.

From an article:

Andrew Romando

Noah Romando was remembered by friends Thursday as a happy young man, who apparently showed no signs of distress before the crime. According to his Facebook page, Romando was a 2011 graduate of Albemarle High School who worked at Harris Teeter and was attending Piedmont Virginia Community College.
....
Lily was an avid photographer and her memorial was decorated with signatures of friends and fellow students, as well as copies of her photographs tied to lilies.

Holding a film camera a student donated in her memory, photography teacher Susan Oliveri remembered a bright student who took to the craft quickly.

“She started photography in ninth grade and she was very enthusiastic and excited and sometimes that doesn’t last, but it lasted with her and it became her passion,” Oliveri said. “She had a bright smile, and every day she was so enthusiastic and the kids used to joke with me and say ‘Well, she’s your favorite.’”

....

Facebook groups sprang up Wednesday and Thursday memorializing both Lily and Andrew Romando. Lily Romando had a remembrance page that appeared to be exclusively maintained by former campers and counselors from the Camp Alleghany girls’ summer camp in West Virginia.

A search of Noah Romando’s name on Facebook turned up a private personal page. Remembrances of Noah Romando appeared on a second memorial page created for his sister and on the website of a group called the Satanic International Network.

County schools spokesman Phil Giaramita said the Romando children had attended Stony Point Elementary, Sutherland Middle School and Albemarle High School. The youngest brother, Andrew, was an eighth-grader at Sutherland this year.

“They were both very good students, and [Andrew] was very well-liked at Sutherland,” Giaramita said of the two younger Romandos. “It was just horrible, inexplicable really. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families.”

(a related article)
.

17-year old and young man injured in Virginia drive-by

A 17-year old girl and a young man were talking on the porch of a home in Chesapeake, Virginia, when a car with young men drove by and shot at them.  Both were injured.  Motive is unknown.

From an article:

Johnathan Neal was hit twice in his leg.

“We were on the porch just talking about shoes and listening to music.  The next thing you know, a car pulled up.  They didn’t even stop. They just rolled past and started shooting,” said Neal.

Neal had just gotten off his shift at an area restaurant where he works as a cook.
“I love to cook food for people.  I love working. I’m mad I can’t go to work today,” said Neal.

Now, he’s temporarily out of work, with medical bills and a one-year-old baby to support.

“Hopefully I can pull through.  Hopefully I can get some type of insurance to help with my medical bills, because I didn’t even sign up for my insurance yet. I was just about to sign up for my insurance.”

He had just started the job about a month and a half ago.

The other victim was a 17-year-old girl who asked not to be identified.  She was also shot in her leg.  The bullet is still lodged in her calf muscle.

She had just stepped outside for a few minutes when the men pulled up.

“They didn’t say nothing. They just took off.  That was the scary part about it. I have no idea who it was or who it could be,” she said.

Both of the victims were released from the hospital Wednesday morning and say they’re doing ok.

.

4-year old Virginia boy finds unsecured gun in truck and kills himself

Kyrell Kyyon McNeill, age 4

A 4-year old boy, Kyrell Kyyon McNeill, went into an unoccupied truck, in Woodbridge, Virginia, and found a loaded, unsecured gun.  He unintentionally discharged the weapon, hitting himself in the head.  He died at the scene.


From an article and news footage:

Next-door neighbor Javiar Garcia used to give quarters to the boy, and enjoyed watching the child push his scooter up and down the sidewalk that runs in front of their homes. 

He had just parked his own car after running an errand when he heard the mother's screams and rushed to help. 

"She said 'My baby's dead. My baby's dead,'" he said.

"I saw the baby in the back seat with (his body) down, and they had blood around and a little hole in his head too, and I said 'Oh my God, we have to call 9-11,"" he said. 

The mother had already phoned to ask for help, he told 9News Now. 

Neighbors expressed sadness and concern for the family, but one had strong feelings about what should happen next. 

"My opinion is that the owner should be charged.

"Whether it's an illegal, weapon or a legal weapon, he should have had his vehicle locked," said neighbor Dave Brain.

From another article:

[Grandmother] Lylla Scales says she doesn't blame anyone for the accident that claimed the life of her grandson, Kyrell McNeill, but she does think that there are too many guns available. 

"I hate guns. I realize that in certain jobs you have to have them or they're required of you, but there are too many," Scales says.....Scales says she was told Kyrell got into the locked pickup truck and got a hold of the gun by climbing through the sliding back window. 

Scales says she last saw her grandson a little more than a week ago. She says he loved to come over and play, especially basketball. He was really excited about starting school in the fall. 

She says she can't bring herself to accept the fact that he's gone, and the fact that he was taken away so suddenly and so tragically. 

"I hate it. I hate to think that he left like that, so young," says Scales.

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