Utah toddler shot and killed with rifle left in home

The writers of the Kid Shootings blog have been unable to keep up with the number of kid shootings of late. We do refer you to The Gun Report, a regular compiling of actual shooting incidents published several times per week in the New York Times. Unfortunately every one of these reports starts out with the shootings of and by children, some as young as toddlers.

That said, we report today on yet another shooting of a toddler with a loaded gun left around in a home where he could get his hands on it. In Utah, a three year old accidentally shot and killed her two year old brother. From the article:

A 2-year-old Cache County boy died late Friday, hours after his sister shot him.

Authorities said the shooting happened about 6:40 p.m. at a home near 3600 West and 2200 South, in an unincorporated part of the county. The boy’s 3-year-old sister shot him with a .22-caliber rifle that had been left in the living room, the sheriff’s office said.

Cache County sheriff’s Lt. Mike Peterson said the gun had been used earlier in the day by the children’s father, who set it down after returning home. The firearm was unloaded but did have live rounds in the magazine, he said.

"We believe the 3-year-old had to manipulate the action enough to chamber a live round," Peterson said in a news release.

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

8-year-old shoots his 9-year-old cousin

An 8-year-old boy and his 9-year-old cousin were riding in the back seat of a car in Richfield, Utah. According to reports:

The boy accidentally shot the girl with a .45-caliber handgun.
The bullet "entered and exited the victim, and then exited the vehicle. At this time the victim is expected to be fine and is in stable condition," according to police.

Police have not released any other information, including how the boy got hold of the gun.

Another Utah Police officer shoots and kills family including 5-year old and 7-year old, then self

Kelly and Joshua Boren, ages 5 and 7 (source)

A Utah police officer, Joshua Boren, failed to show up at work, so his coworkers went to his home to investigate, in Spanish Fork, Utah.  They discovered him and four of his family shot to death in the home, apparently at his own hand.

He had killed his wife, Kelly Boren, his 7-year old son Joshua, his 5-year old daughter, Haley, and his 55-year old mother-in-law Marie King, before killing himself.

From an article, which has many other images and details:

Police said the five were found dead about 11pm when co-workers became concerned that Boren didn't show up for his night shift as a patrol officer at the Lindon Police Department. 

Officers who looked through the window saw blood on the carpet and shell casings in the front room of the two-story home, police said.  

After officers entered the home, they discovered 'a large quantity of blood on the stairway leading to the second floor of the residence,' police told KSL.  

After officers entered the home, they discovered "a large quantity of blood on the stairway leading to the second floor of the residence."  

After officers entered the home, they discovered "a large quantity of blood on the stairway leading to the second floor of the residence."  

When they went inside, they found Boren's 55-year-old mother-in-law Marie King dead in a bedroom, and Joshua Boren and his immediate family dead in the bedroom next door.

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5 and 7 year old Utah children shot and killed by police officer father

A family tragedy in Utah resulted in a police officer shooting his 2 young children, his wife, mother-in-law and himself:

A 34-year-old officer with a small Utah police department shot and killed his wife, mother-in-law and two young children and turned the gun on himself, authorities said Friday. (...) 

Spanish Fork Lt. Matthew Johnson said the couple had been experiencing marital problems in the past few months, but co-workers say Boren appeared upbeat and didn't show signs of distress before the killings.

"There were no warning signs," Johnson said, adding that police had never been called to the home. "This was a total shock to everyone." (...) 

The five deaths come just days after another Utah murder-suicide that left three people dead.

Kyler Ramsdell-Oliva, 32, fatally shot her two daughters, 13-year-old Kenadee Oliva and 7-year-old Isabella Oliva, on Tuesday evening before killing herself at their home in Syracuse, police said.

The murder-suicide happened a day after the Ramsdell-Oliva's fiance packed up to move out of the house, authorities said

15 year old Utah girl shot by 16 year old friend

A 15 year year old girl was shot in the stomach by a 16 year old friend:

Police said a 16-year-old shot a 15-year-old in the abdomen.  Cops said the 16-year-old boy was showing off a gun and this appears to be an accident.

It was a startling discovery for neighbor Brad Blair. Just after 4 p.m., the victim showed up on  Blair’s doorstep.

“He was still awake and everything, but he was bleeding pretty good,” Blair said.

The victim was with a female friend.  They were trying to call 911.  Moments before, the teens were hanging out with a 16-year-old acquaintance outside the apartment building.

“It sounds like he tried to fire the gun a couple times, it wasn’t working but at some point it did discharge,” said Lt. Matt Elson of the West Valley City Police Department.

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

13 year old Utah girl injured after accidental shooting

A Utah teen ager was injured in an accidental shooting when her brother discharged a gun in the home. From an article:

A 13-year-old girl was in stable condition Thursday night after her older brother accidentally shot her in their home with a handgun.

The round from the .22-caliber handgun struck the girl in the shoulder, Clearfield Police Chief Greg Krusi said. The 15-year-old boy immediately rushed to tell his parents, who were home at the time and called 911.

The girl was hit from behind, police said, and the bullet exited through her arm. She was conscious and communicating with paramedics as she was taken by medical helicopter from her home at 221 N. 360 West to Primary Children's Medical Center.

Investigators will be inquiring where the gun came from, whether it was properly secured and what exactly happened before the gun went off, Krusi said. At this point, it doesn't appear any charges will be filed, he said.

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

10 year old Utah boy dies after accidental gun discharge

There has been another accidental shooting of a child. This time it was a 10 year old in Utah who was playing in a garage with other kids when they found a gun. He died of his gunshot injuries. From the article:

A 10-year-old boy accidentally shot himself in the chest Tuesday afternoon at a Miramar Ranch condominium complex while playing in a garage that a resident described as a “clubhouse” for kids in the close-knit neighborhood.

The shooting was reported about 4:15 p.m., and the boy died shortly afterward at Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego police homicide Lt. Jorge Duran said.

The boy had been playing in the garage with a 9-year-old girl who lives in the condo, Duran said. Her 14-year-old brother was in charge of them and there were no adults home at the time, police said.

A garage-door repairman who identified himself only as Mark said he was working outside at a neighboring condo, on Ivy Hill Drive near Scripps Poway Parkway, when he heard a single gunshot and a girl screaming. He rushed to the garage just feet away.

He saw the injured boy and called 911. A dispatcher instructed him on how to perform CPR, and he began chest compressions, he said.

The boy’s mother and father came running from their condo, several doors down. He said the father cradled his son’s head as CPR continued. A police officer arrived moments later, and she took over CPR until paramedics arrived, he said.

Neighbor Mike Mee also rushed to the scene. He had been outside washing his trash cans when he heard a pop, not knowing at first it was a gunshot. He said the boy was on the garage floor in the fetal position and was not moving. The girl was “crying and very upset,” he said.

Police found a 9 mm semi-automatic gun at the scene, police Acting Capt. Joseph Ramos said. There was a couch in the garage, along with boxes and clothing, Ramos said.

Mee said he saw the gun on the couch.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

17-year old Utah boy injured by uncle while hunting

A 17-year old boy was hunting deer with his father and uncle near Logan, Utah.  The uncle unintentionally discharged his muzzle loader, and the boy was injured by debris and shrapnel.

No charges.

From an article:

The boy had been hunting for deer with muzzle loaders in the Boulder Mountain area of Logan Canyon with his father and uncle, according to the Cache County Sheriff's Office. 

While driving in the canyon, the group spotted several deer. The 17-year-old and his uncle jumped out of the truck and put primers on their guns, police said. 

As the deer ran off down a ravine, the teen walked about 10 feet ahead of his uncle. 

The uncle had cocked his gun but decided not to shoot, police said. The gun then accidentally fired, and the bullet hit the ground in front of the teen, police said. 

Bullet fragments and rocks hit the 17-year-old's right foot, calf, thigh and hand, police said. The teen was taken to Logan Regional Hospital. His injuries were not life-threatening. 

The Cache County Sheriff's Office has deemed the shooting accidental. No criminal charges will be pursued.
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2 year old Utah child who shot himself identified

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo from linked article

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

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

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

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

The father is an active police officer.

From an article and news video:

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

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

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

–Tim Taylor

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

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

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

No charges will be filed, according to the report.

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

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

2-year old boy shoots and kills himself with grandfather's unsecured gun

A 2-year old boy from Denver, Colorado was visiting his grandparents in Sandy, Utah, for a summer vacation.  He went into the grandparents' bedroom, alone, and found a loaded, unsecured handgun there, and shot himself in the head, dying from the wound.

From an article:

Police in Sandy, Utah say the 2-year-old boy was visiting from Colorado for a summer vacation and accidentally shot himself in the head.

Police Sgt. Jon Arnold says the boy was airlifted to Primary Children's Medical Center after emergency crews were called about 7 p.m. Tuesday, but he died at the hospital.

It was not immediately clear how the boy got hold of his grandfather's 9 mm handgun.

Arnold says the boy was alone in a bedroom at the time of the shooting, but that other family members were elsewhere in the house.

The name of the child has not been released. His family lives in the Denver area.

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

17-year old Utah boy unintentionally shot by older brother while camping

Cameron Bryce Charlton, age 17

17-year old Cameron Charlton idolized his older brother, 27-year old Eric Charlton, who was a Marine.  Cameron wanted to be a Marine just like his brother.  Cameron and his older brother, along with a friend, were camping in northern Utah and were drinking alcohol and sitting around the campfire in the early morning hours when Eric decided to show off his "firearms techniques" with his .45-caliber handgun.  


The gun discharged and shot Cameron in the head, killing him.


From an article:

Orme said investigators don't believe the shooting was the result of any fight, but said a lot of alcohol was involved. 

'It doesn’t appear to be an argument at this point, more of just visiting, a discussion,' the sheriff said. 'And then the gun was brought out and it discharged.' 

Orme said Eric Charlton, who is in the military, owned the gun and brought it camping for self-defense. 

'Mix alcohol and firearms and you have a recipe for disaster,' he said. 

'You have a whole family that is traumatized by this.'

Eric has now been charged "with a second-degree felony count of manslaughter and misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment and carrying a dangerous weapon under the influence of alcohol."

11-year old Utah girl threatened by armed robber

An 11-year old girl at home, alone, in Sandy, Utah, confronted an intruder, who then threatened her by putting a gun at her chest.  She ran to a neighbor and was unharmed.  The intruder escaped.

From the article:

The girl was in her home near 9200 South and 2300 East watching TV.

The girl told police she went to the kitchen to get a snack around 2:45 p.m. She noticed her back door was open, and then she saw a man with a gun.

"She reached for her cellphone, (and) the male suspect knocked her hand away from the phone," said Sandy Police Sgt. John Arnold, "… (He) actually put a gun to her chest and told her not to call, not to pick up the phone."

Arnold said the girl turned and ran out the front door to a neighbor's house. But the next-door neighbors weren't home, so she kept running until she found a familiar face two doors down.
"Their door was unlocked," Kim Jensen, the girl's mother, said. "My daughter walked right in through the front door and started yelling, 'You need to call the cops!'"

The neighbors, startled, jumped into action. "She was so hysterical, and she told my husband, 'I need your help! Somebody put a gun at me!'" neighbor Michelle Benson said. "So he called the cops and was able to calm her down after about five minutes."

By the time officers arrived, the man was gone. But he didn't get away with anything from the home.

"(We're) getting the impression that he wasn't expecting to have anyone in the residence at the time," Arnold said.

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17-year old Utah boy with Down's almost shot because of toy gun

Police in Clinton, Utah spotted a shadowy figure with a gun late at night.  He didn't respond to verbal commands, and nearly got shot before they managed to see the tiny red tip at the end of the toy gun he was holding.  The boy turned out to have Down's Syndrome and had gotten out of his home late at night.

From the article:

"I saw someone crouched by the van," Benedict said. "At that time, the deputy I was training stated that she saw a gun."

They pulled around for a closer look, from about a couple dozen yards away.

"As I flipped around, I did see a gentleman crouched down by the van in a tactical position, and he was pointing a gun," Benedict said. The officers had to be careful and their training kicked in.

"I called out the location, asked for additional units," Benedict said.

Then the teen turned and pointed the gun toward the officers. As officers pulled their weapons, calling for the boy to drop his, Benedict said the teen just turned around, keeping the gun at his side.

It was a standoff for a few seconds. "As he was walking away, we were closing the distance, giving verbal commands to drop the weapon," Benedict said.

But it wasn't until the officers got much closer that they could see the 17-year-old was holding a plastic toy gun with an orange tip and that he had Down syndrome.
....
Still, toy or not, deputies said in the dark it all seems very real and dangerous. "(What was) going through my mind is that this was a threat to mine and my partner’s lives," Benedict recalled.

Police say parents need to be aware that those real-looking guns, even the ones with orange tips, can be dangerous, especially since some criminals have painted orange tips on their real weapons.

The teen’s mother said the boy loves the police and was playing “policeman.”

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Children endangered in Utah road rage shooting incident

A case of road rage in Utah spiraled out of control near Beaver, Utah, leading one driver to shoot into the cab of another driver's car.  Children were present in both vehicles, but luckily no one was injured.  The shooter, a security guard from California, has been arrested.

From the article:

Beaver County Sheriff Cameron Noel said Jose Rosales Casas, of California, brandished a gun on I-15 south of Beaver Sunday night, and ultimately fired one shot into the cabin of another truck he claimed was trying to run him off the road. The other driver accused Casas of tailgating him, Noel said.

Noel said Tuesday it was unclear who started the road rage incident — Casas or the other driver — but neither driver appeared to back down until the shooting.

“Instead of just pulling off the road, they both had ample opportunity to exit the freeway and they chose not to do that,” Noel said.

Children were in both trucks at the time of the incident, Noel said, and it was fortunate nobody was hurt.

According to sheriff’s investigators, Casas had been working as a security guard in California and was traveling with his wife and two children to Colorado to begin work at a new job.
Noel said there were two men and a woman — all students at Utah State — traveling in the other truck. They were also with a young child.

“Regardless of the situation, we do not feel that [Casas] was justified in any way, shape or form to take that kind of action,” Noel said.

The Beaver County Attorney is screening the case.

Casas, deputies said, had marijuana in his car and was also booked for investigation of a drug possession count.

Noel acknowledged charges are possible against the people in the truck that now has the bullet hole in the side.

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5-year old girl and girlfriend killed by pro-gun blogger and shooting instructor in murder/suicide

An ex-marine in Central, Utah, Landon S. Jorgensen, had recently moved in with his girlfriend, Adria Jordan Parker, and her 5-year old daughter, Eliza Kate Parker.  But neighbors say they argued all the time.  After another argument, it appears that Jorgensen was moving out, but then he shot and killed the woman, child, and then himself.

Jorgensen was a pro-gun blogger, shooting instructor, and frequent contributor to pro-gun forums.

From the article:

Friday, Washington County Sheriff's Lt. Rob Tersigni said a preliminary investigation showed that Jorgensen, 24, shot and killed 25-year-old Adria Jordan Parker and her daughter, Eliza Kate Parker, before shooting and killing himself. 

Jorgansen apparently had recently moved into the home with Parker. The bed of his  pickup truck parked outside the house was filled with his possessions, leading investigators to speculate that he may have been moving out. 

One neighbor said he often heard screaming and yelling coming from the house at all hours, but police had never been called.
....
Eliza attended kindergarten at Enterprise Elementary School. School secretary Tammie Evans said students were told Friday morning that there had been a death, without going into detail, and that a crisis team from the Washington County School District was available if they needed to talk.
.....
Jorgensen is a former U.S. Marine and gun enthusiast, according to neighbors and investigators. He had a blog, "Guns, Freedom and Politics: One young man's perspective," in which he said he aspired to own a gun shop and shooting range one day. Jorgensen was also the former president of the Red Cliff rifle group. 

Jorgensen taught a tactical pistol class as late as June, a post on the Southern Utah Pistol & Revolverwebsite states. He also offered to teach a class for people to receive their Utah concealed firearms permit.
....
On his blog, he wrote, "I am a USMC veteran and was medically discharged for my back issues. When I was discharged I immediately got into being a firearms instructor. My passion is to teach people the correct way to use firearms so that they can be both safe and fun."
He listed "Arguing With Idiots" by Glenn Beck as his favorite book. 

At the forum of the website concealedcarryforum.com, where Jorgensen was a frequent contributor, many people expressed shock and sadness over his death.

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15-year old Utah boy injured in neck in home shooting

A 15-year old boy was injured in the neck when a gun went off in his home. 


From the article and news footage:

"He was conscious and able to talk to (emergency responders)," Adams said. "But he is in serious condition and has been flown to Primary Children's (Medical Center)."

Investigators are trying to figure out what kind of weapon was used and who — if anyone — was with the teen when the gun went off.

From another article:

Police say the boy was at home with his father, who was putting away a handgun and it accidentally went off, shooting the boy in the neck.

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Two children held hostage at gunpoint by father in car chase

A male and his two sons were driving on Interstate 15 in Utah when an officer tried to pull him over for a traffic infraction. What happened next was hours of police chase and hostage situation, where the man held his two sons, one aged 6 or 7, the other a high schooler, hostage at gunpoint, sometimes pointing the gun at his own head.

From the articles HERE and HERE:

This incident began just before 11 a.m. Monday when a La Verkin police officer attempted to stop a car for a traffic infraction. Corporal Todd Johnson of the Utah Highway Patrol said that when the vehicle refused to yield, a chase ensued....

In essence, from what is streaming live on County Dispatch, the suspect is apparently known to have emotional issues, may be paranoid that his ex-wife is going to take his children away from him, but is said to be very attached to his children.

“The two children [were released] and then he surrendered and the three were taken into custody.”

Abbot said that the offender maintained contact with [the] negotiations team and they were able to talk him into peacefully surrendering himself around 8:30 p.m.

The children did not appear to be physically harmed and were taken into the custody of Child Protective Services. “Everything seems to be okay that way,” said Abbott.

The offender was arrested and transported to Purgatory Correctional Facility for booking. Abbott said that he would be charged on the traffic violation and evading arrest, with La Verkin Police Department as the arresting agency since they were involved in the incident’s inception.

No determination has been made as to the offender’s mental condition or other factors triggering the day’s episode. Abbot said of investigators developing the case, “they’ll work through all that.”

Luckily, no one was injured.