Reminder: We Still Have No Idea How Often Children Accidentally Shoot and Kill People

Washington Post

What we do not know is just how often a child accidentally shoots and kills someone. We looked into the subject earlier this year after a 9-year-old girl in Arizona accidentally shot and killed her shooting range instructor with an Uzi, another shooting death that was so unusual — involving a child, an Uzi and a dead adult — that it was able to break through the noise and actually demand more attention, something that does not happen most of the time with gun deaths. And we were told at the time that the people and agencies who keep an eye on shooting deaths did not know for sure how often it happens.

It is a strange gap, this lack of information on accidental shootings involving children. This data is out there, of course, but the various agencies that compile statistics regarding shooting deaths said it has not been pulled together nationwide. There are media reports after these things happen, story after story after story of such unintentional shootings. And there are some systems that try to pull together the relevant numbers. The National Violent Death Reporting System, for example, combines information from death certificates, medical examiners and law enforcement reports to try to produce such data, but it operates in just 18 states.

The gap here is also accompanied by a larger one: uncertainty regarding the number of accidental shootings overall. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were 32,351 shooting deaths in 2011. Of those, 591 were deemed accidental, the CDC said. But these records rely on causes of death as determined by medical examiners, coroners and attending physicians, which may not be foolproof. A New York Times investigation last year found wildly inconsistent rulings from medical examiner rulings in several states.

Colorado Man Gets Probation for Accidentally Shooting His Friend

Local news reports

Following a last minute plea change, Carmello Cruz, 43, of Englewood, was sentenced to 12 months of parole for the Oct. 13, 2013, shooting of his friend, Rocky Mendez of Carbondale. Cruz originally pleaded guilty to second degree assault for the incident, which he has maintained was an accident. 

At a sentencing hearing on April 8, District Chief Judge James Boyd raised concerns that the charge might be qualified as a “crime of violence,” which would make probation problematic. The court delayed the sentencing by a day to address the issue. 

On April 9, Cruz withdrew his second degree assault plea and instead pleaded guilty to a count of tampering with physical evidence and a count of 3rd degree assault with a deadly weapon. “I think there’s still an arguable ambiguity about whether this is a crime of violence,” public defender Tina Fang said at Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, calling the incident “a horrible accident.” 

Both Fang and Assistant DA Ann Norton cited a Colorado Bureau of Investigation forensics report which indicated that the weapon may have had wear or damage that made it susceptible to inadvertently firing. 

Early on the morning of Oct. 13, Cruz was drinking with Mendez and another man, identified as Mendez’s nephew, in a shed near the end of Garfield Avenue just outside Carbondale. While handling a handgun reportedly owned by Mendez’s nephew, Enrique, Cruz fired two shots, one of which hit Mendez. He then fled the scene at the urging of his friends and threw the weapon onto a nearby hill.

Florida 14-Year-old Accidentally Shoots Herself at Gun Range

Local news reports

A 14-year-old girl accidentally shot herself Thursday at a gun range in Brevard County, the Sheriff's Office said.

The girl, whose name was not released, was with her father when the accident happened about 3:30 p.m. at The Gun Site indoor range, 125 S. Banana River Drive in Merritt Island, a sheriff's spokeswoman said.

The injury to the girl's thigh was not life-threatening, deputies said.

This is no different than any other kid shooting. A responsible adult should be held accountable. The idiot dad should be in jail overnight and should forfeit all his guns immediately upon his release.

But, as we all know, the investigators, the police, the gun-range owners and everyone else involved have a stake in nonchalantly treating these incidents as unavoidable accidents instead of the gross negligence that they are.

Minnesota 15-Year-old Charged in Friends Accidental Shooting

Local news reports

Prosecutors have charged a 15-year-old boy in an accidental shooting that wounded his friend in a St. Paul home this week.

The Ramsey County attorney's office charged the boy Tuesday with reckless discharge of a firearm within a municipality and possession of a pistol/assault weapon by a person under 18 years old, said Dennis Gerhardstein, office spokesman.

Police have said that the 16-year-old victim was shot in the abdomen with a small-caliber rifle, and that his injuries were apparently not life-threatening. It happened Monday night when the 15-year-old was playing with the gun in the basement of his home in the Como.

The 15-year-old's mother was home at the time and drove the victim to the hospital, police have said.

It's part of the nonchalance with which we treat these cases that the parents who own the gun and allowed the youngsters to play with it are not charged.

Iowa Shooting Range Death

Local news reports

The Mahaska County Sheriff's Office received a call around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday stating there was a person on the ground with what appeared to be a gunshot wound at the Hull Shooting Range four miles west of Oskaloosa.

Authorities released the victim’s identity on Thursday.

He was Daniel Eugene Karow, 73, of Oskaloosa.

The sheriff's office says deputies arrived and found Karow semi-concious.

He was taken by ambulance to Mahaska Health Partnership where he died a few hours later as the result of a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

Investigators said it appears Karow was unloading a revolver when it went off and struck him.

Just imagine how many stupid things this guy has done with guns during his long life. He may have even injured others or himself in the past. But, since we take such a tolerant view of gun mishaps, guys like this are allowed to continue on their way until they kill themselves or another. It's a tragedy which could be avoided.

New Jersey Cop Injures Himself in a Negligent Discharge - Reported in the Passive Voice as if it Were the Gun's Fault

The Republic

An off-duty southern New Jersey police officer suffered a minor hand wound when a pistol he was unloading at his home accidentally discharged.

Gloucester Township police say the shooting occurred just before 3 a.m. Sunday.

The officer's name was not disclosed, but authorities said he serves on the Gloucester force and the weapon involved was a pistol that he owns. The discharge occurred at his Bromley Drive residence in the township.

The officer was treated at a hospital and released a short time later. No other injuries were reported.

Authorities said the shooting remains under investigation.

Montana Gun Owner Exonerated in Friend's Death - It was Just an Accident

Justin Nelson recounts how his pistol discharged in August and fatally wounded Chad Goodman during a coroner’s inquest on Friday at the Missoula County Courthouse. The coroner’s jury ruled that the shooting was not a criminal act.

Missoulian

A coroner’s inquest Friday found that the fatal shooting of a Missoula man in August was not a criminal act.

Chad Goodman, 23, was shot with a semi-automatic pistol in the early morning of Aug. 18 by a 22-year-old acquaintance, Justin Nelson.

“It’s not uncommon for this type of accident to happen,” Marks said. “Unfortunately in this case, the gun was pointed at somebody when it happened.”

The verdict, which vindicated Nelson of any criminal responsibility, came after 30 minutes of deliberation by jurors and followed the testimony of Nelson, a witness, his roommates, Missoula police officers and experts at the Montana Crime Lab.

The total nonchalance with which they treat gun negligence is a crime, pardon the pun.  It should be a crime to point a gun at someone while manipulating the slide. This happens countless times each year but only a handful of them come to our attention, usually when someone is killed or injured.

In those cases, where it is proven that someone did this gravely dangerous action with a gun, they should be held accountable for it.

Mr. Nelson should never be allowed to own guns again. He has proven himself to be unfit to handle the responsibly.

What's your opinion?  Please leave  a comment.

Minnesota Carpenter Survives Nail Gun Shot to the Heart

Yahoo News reports

Minnesota carpenter Eugene Rakow has a second shot at life after he literally took a shot to the heart. Rakow of St. Bonifacius, Minn., is recovering from accidentally shooting a 3.5-inch nail into his chest that came within 2 millimeters of his coronary artery.

The harrowing incident unfolded Friday while the 58-year-old man was repairing his neighbor's deck when his nail gun kicked back, firing the spike through his chest and piercing his heart.

I couldn't help but wonder if this guy owns any real guns.

Moorhead City, North Carolina Police Officer Injured in Accidental Shooting

Rescue crews from Morehead City Fire and EMS Department and Vidant Medical Center helicopter crews prepare to load onto an awaiting helicopter the Morehead City Police Officer who sustained a gunshot wound during an accidental shooting in an early morning training exercise being conducted at the police department Wednesday. (Helen Outland photo)

A city police officer suffered a gunshot wound Wednesday morning during a training exercise.

The incident, which Mayor Jerry Jones called “a tragic” accident as he spoke during a news conference at the department, is under investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation. Police Chief Wrenn Johnson said that was protocol.

The mayor said the department has the city’s support and the incident was an accident.

“This is very tragic,” the mayor said. “We are very supportive of the police department. We are a big family. They (officers) train hard, but accidents can happen. We learn and improve. Both these officers are in our hearts.”

Police say the officer has a gunshot wound sustained in the accident in the rear parking lot of the police department about 8 a.m. and was transferred by helicopter from Carteret General Hospital to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville.

Now, wait a minute. Was the injury sustained during training or in the back parking lot? 

One thing is clear, the mayor and the police are all one big family.  They cover up each other's negligence every chance they get.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Accidental Shooting Update: From the Perspective of Jacob Richardson - The Negligent Shooter

The Rotunda

On Sunday, Sept. 15, Longwood University student Jacob Richardson, 22, accidentally discharged a firearm, causing a non-life threatening leg wound to Longwood student Kathleen Battle, 21.

According to a police report distributed by the Farmville Police Department, the act occurred around 8 p.m. and was later described as an “accidental shooting.”

In an email interview, Richardson gave the details on the happening. He stated that on Sunday, Sept. 15, he arrived at Battle’s home at 504 High Street around 7:50 p.m. to pick up a handgun that he left the previous night.

The handgun was a Springfield XD sub- compact .40 caliber handgun.

Richardson noted that he left his truck at another house and decided to leave the handgun in Battle’s room to avoid having it stolen from his truck.

“Upon my arrival to Kathleen's house on Sunday night, I realized that the handgun was still loaded and that I should unload it in order to make it safe,” Richardson said. 

Richardson described unloading the gun, and stated, “Battle was standing close to me.”

Describing the process, Richardson said he dropped the magazine out of the gun, then grabbed the slide of the gun and pushed it back in order to eject the bullet.

“As soon as I pushed the slide, the gun went off in my hand. My hand was immediately burnt by the explosion coming from the barrel (referred to as powder burn), and then I turned towards Kathleen and realized that the bullet had struck her in the leg,” Richardson said.

Richardson stated that he has never been previously charged with any criminal offense of any sort, including misdemeanors and felonies.

“I will also say that I have over 12 years of experience when using and handling guns,” Richardson stated.

As reported from the Sept. 18 issue of The Rotunda, Richardson was charged with Reckless Handling of a Firearm and was released pending a court appearance in Prince Edward County General District Court on Sept. 30 at 9 a.m.

Reckless Handling of a Firearm is classified as a Class 1 misdemeanor, according to the Virginia General Assembly Legislative Information System website. The website further details that the authorized punishment for a Class 1 misdemeanor is “confinement in jail for not more than 12 months and a fine of not more than $2,500, either or both.”

He added, “Almost any one that knows me will confirm that I am responsible and knowledgeable when it comes to all types of firearms and firearm safety. There is such [a] thing as an accidental discharge of a weapon, and it is extremely unfortunate that this happened.”

Just like our favorite pro-gun commenters, young Jacob cannot bring himself to take responsibility for his individual negligence. Even if the gun spontaneously exploded in his hand, which he seems to be saying, he was pointing it at the girl. Of course he didn't say a single word about his lousy and negligent muzzle control at the time of the supposed accident.

As we mentioned when we posted about this at the time of the incident, he has already been charged with the lesser of two possible crimes, one which will allow him to continue being the negligent danger to society that he always has been, all the time insisting he isn't and that anything which goes wrong is not his fault.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Lawful Gun Owner in Maine Shoots and Kills Co-worker - No Charges - It was Just an Accident

Local news reports

A Franklin pest control expert working in Maine is under investigation after he accidentally shot and killed a fellow worker.

Michael Warbin, 44, fired a single shot from a .22-caliber rifle that wounded and killed Manuel Adame, 57, on Aug. 19, according to a report from the Portland Press Herald.

Steve McCausland of the Maine Department of Public Safety said Warbin was shooting the rifle to kill rodents and stray chickens inside one of the farm’s egg houses.

McCausland said Adame collapsed while attempting to leave the barn and died as he was being taken to a Lewiston hospital.

The state medical examiner’s office said Adame died of a gunshot wound to the chest and neck.

Warbin on Tuesday referred all questions to his Portland, Maine, attorney, Jonathan Berry. Berry said Warbin is not and never was under arrest and is free to leave the state. He said he didn’t know whether Warbin had done so.

Maine Deputy Attorney General William Stokes told the Press Herald last week that investigators believe the shooting was unintentional but want to know why Warbin apparently didn’t know Adame was in his field of fire
.

Belmont NC Cop Back to Work after New Year's Eve Negligent Discharge

Local news reports 

 

Spokane Officer Barry O'Connell Gets One More Chance

The Spokane-Review reports

Two weeks before Spokane police Officer Barry O’Connell’s daughter accidently shot herself Easter Sunday with her father’s department-issued pistol, O’Connell had completed a gun safety refresher course stressing the importance of properly securing firearms – especially around children.

Documents obtained by The Spokesman-Review provide new details surrounding the near tragedy, including concerns from a departmental gun safety instructor who described O’Connell as having a nonchalant attitude about the importance of proper handling of loaded firearms. The documents also reveal, for the first time, that another child was endangered but unharmed during the incident.

Police officials suspended the 18-year veteran for three weeks without pay this summer for carelessly leaving his loaded police firearm atop his bedroom nightstand, where his daughter found it and shot herself in the leg. It was the 16th time O’Connell has faced internal investigation, and the decision to let him return to the force after his suspension was described as a “last chance.”

Officer Barry is a good example of the way in which some people are impervious to training safety warnings.They are absolutely incapable of handling firearms in a safe manner. The disgraceful coverup on the part of the police department and the "last chance" nonsense is not the solution.

When we discussed his case before we called it a police coverup and a slap on the wrist. That was about the criminal charges being dropped against this irresponsible character.  Now the internal investigation has done the same thing.

The accidental shooting came just 16 days after police Sgt. Matthew Cowles singled out O’Connell in the presence of other officers for mishandling his firearm during a mandatory safety course. The course had been ordered by the department following several incidents in Western Washington in which children were shot after finding their parents’ guns.

What is wrong with these people giving him another chance? Were they moved by his heartfelt declaration that he'd really learned his less on this time. 

“You have no idea what it’s like to carry (your daughter) in your arms bleeding out on your chest,” O’Connell said in the report. “There’s not a minute that goes by where I don’t second guess myself.”

It reminds me of the pathetic drunken gun owner who killed his brother.  In the Officer Barry case Deputy Spokane County Prosecutor Brian O’Brien declined to charge him with a crime. O’Brien wrote that O’Connell “accidentally” left the gun on the night stand, despite the officer admitting that he placed the loaded gun there to remind himself to clean it.

“By all study and legal review, this is an accidental shooting,” O’Brien wrote. “It may rise to the level of negligence, but does not constitute chargeable criminal conduct under these facts.”

What in the world is that supposed to mean? Even negligence is not chargeable?  If it's an accident we can shrug it off entirely, if it's negligence, still no charges are called for.

This is a problem.  Gun safety needs to be taken more seriously. 

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.