Virginia Man Shot by Accident - Shooter May Get a Slap on the Wrist

Local news reports

A 22-year-old man in Colonial Heights suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach after an acquaintance accidentally discharged his firearm inside of a residence, according to the Colonial Heights Police Department.

At 8:30 on Tuesday evening, authorities responded to a call that someone had been shot within an apartment on the 1100 block of Lakeview Avenue, said Sgt. Rob Ruxer, with the Colonial Heights Police Department.

When police arrived on the scene, the victim was discovered to have been shot in the abdomen with a .40-caliber handgun, which had gone off while a man he was with was disassembling the firearm, according to the police.

Originally transported to the Southside Regional Medical Center for treatment, the victim suffered non-life threatening injuries and is expected to make a full recovery, Ruxer said.

Authorities would not release any names while the investigation is still pending, but said that the shooter faces a misdemeanor charge of reckless handling of a firearm.

Both the victim and the shooter were reported to be in possession of a firearm, Ruxer said. 

Virginia Man Wounded in Gun Accident - Idiot Gun Owner Faces a Misdemeanor Charge

Local news reports

A 22-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach after an acquaintance accidentally discharged his firearm inside of a residence, according to the Colonial Heights Police Department.

When police arrived on the scene, the victim was discovered to have been shot in the abdomen with a .40-caliber handgun, which had gone off while a man he was with was disassembling the firearm, according to the police.

Authorities would not release any names while the investigation is still pending, but said that the shooter faces a misdemeanor charge of reckless handling of a firearm.

Both the victim and the shooter were reported to be in possession of a firearm, Ruxer said. 

Disassembling a firearm with a round in the chamber which results in someone being injured should be considered more than a simple misdemeanor. This is gross and inexcusable negligence.  Stupidity is no excuse.

Virginia Gun Ban for Violent Offenders May Have New Life

Local news reports

Advocates for a bill that would ban anyone convicted of stalking, sexual battery or physical domestic abuse of a family member from possessing a gun for five years are trying to revive the effort.

The Senate passed the bill 29-6, but last week a House criminal law subcommittee tabled the bill on a voice vote, then later voted to send a letter to the Virginia Crime Commission for further study.

Lori Haas, with Virginians for Responsible Gun Laws, stressed that the bill would mean a temporary prohibition on firearm possession by people convicted of certain violent misdemeanors.

“This bill does not impact law-abiding citizens,” she said.

Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, opposes the measure because the convictions that the bill would apply to are misdemeanors and not felonies.

“If in the law, something is a misdemeanor, a minor crime, then it should not take away your rights,” he said. “How they draw those lines is up to the General Assembly.”

Virginia Woman Fatally Shoots Boyfriend Mistaking Him for an Intruder

Local news reports

A Moneta woman shot and killed her boyfriend Friday when he returned early and unannounced from a business trip and she mistook him for an intruder in their home, she told Franklin County sheriff’s deputies.

The woman was home alone Friday with her toddler son in the house she shared with her boyfriend, Herbert Aragon Jr., 37, in the 100 block of Peaks View Lane on The Waterfront golf course at Smith Mountain Lake, according to a sheriff’s office news release.

She had just given her son a bath and noticed that the front door, which she had locked, was open, she told deputies. Afraid an intruder was in the house, she got her handgun and searched the house.


Startled by a man, she fired the gun, she told deputies. The man, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was identified as Aragon, according to the news release.

Virginia State Police and Sheriffs Oppose Loosening Gun Laws

Pilot OnLine

On a largely party-line 65-34 vote Monday, the House passed Del. Todd Gilbert’s bill (HB705) to make it easier for someone with an out-of-state concealed handgun permit to carry the weapon legally in Virginia.

On a nearly identical 64-32 vote last week, the House passed Del. Dave LaRock’s bill (HB878), which would force the chief law enforcement officer of a locality to certify the transfer of a firearm within 30 days when such a certification is required under federal law for the transaction to occur.

The State Police opposed both bills. The LaRock bill was also opposed by the Virginia Sheriffs Association.

“We continue to see more and more of this extreme legislation that goes far beyond Second Amendment protections,” House Democratic leader David Toscano of Charlottesville said in a statement after today’s vote.

Both measures now go to the state Senate, where their fate is uncertain.

I suppose the cops in Virginia didn't get the NRA talking-point memo.

Toby Keith Bans Guns at His Virginia Restaurant

The Times They Are A-Changin' in Virginia

Media Matters

The campaign manager for Mark Herring, the declared winner in the Virginia Attorney General race, says they won the election because they ignored the conventional wisdom typically pushed by media pundits that supporting stronger gun laws is a political liability.

Media pundits often claim that it is electoral suicide for candidates to call for stronger gun laws, suggesting that National Rifle Association has the power to punish candidates who oppose any portion of its absolutist pro-gun agenda. After two Colorado state senators who backed stronger gun laws were unseated in a September recall election, the media hyped this narrative and suggested the Colorado recall served as a warning to politicians who would advocate for stricter gun laws. (MSNBC host Chuck Todd, for example, said the lesson of the recall elections was that "every Democrat south of the Mason-Dixon Line" should stay away from the gun issue.)

Guns Stolen from Virginia Restaurant Whose Owner is a Second Amendment Advocate

Washington Post reports

Burglars recently took seven guns from a restaurant in Virginia whose owner has drawn attention for his advocacy of the right to bear arms — and to carry guns into his establishment.

The burglary took place Nov. 23 at the Cajun Experience in Leesburg, town police said. About 12:45 a.m., they said, two people forced their way inside, broke into a padlocked closet and stole seven long guns described as rifles and shotguns.

The closet was off a private room and not where diners are generally served.

The restaurant drew attention after Crosswhite began offering a discount to diners for every weapon carried.

A Nov. 20 posting on the restaurant’s Facebook page read: “Today we celebrate the 2nd Amendment! Stop in for Open Carry Wednesday and get 10% off for exercising” the right to bear arms.

The idea of “open carry” generally applies to sidearms, such as pistols and revolvers, and not long guns, such as rifles and shotguns.

Police said they have identified a suspect and are looking for a second person.

McAuliffe Appoints Gun-Control Activist to Transition Team

The Washington Free Beacon

Democratic Virginia Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe has appointed Lori Haas, the Virginia State Director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, to his 54-member bipartisan transition team.

The Coalition to Stop Gun Violenceopposes the “insurrectionist ideology” of the National Rifle Association and supports banning so-called “assault weapons,” as well as rolling back concealed carry laws, according to its website.

During the Virginia gubernatorial election, McAuliffe said he supported Colorado’s gun-control measures that resulted in the recall of two state senators.

McAuliffe’s stances earned him an “F” rating from the NRA. The NRA spent more than $500,000 against McAuliffe in the election.

Virginia State Senator Creigh Deeds Stabbed - Son Shot Dead

Creigh Deeds hugs his son, Gus, in 2009.

Business Insider
Virginia state Sen. Creigh Deeds, a former Democratic candidate for governor, has been critically wounded after he was stabbed in his home this morning, Virginia State Police said at a press conference this afternoon. Deeds' son, Gus, is dead from a gunshot wound. 

A Bath County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman told Business Insider this morning that there had been an "incident at a residence in Millboro, Virginia." 

"Virginia State Police are on the scene of an assault of a state legislator that took place Tuesday morning," police said in the release. "Senator Creigh Deeds has been transported to U.Va. Hospital in Charlottesville for treatment of serious injuries sustained in the assault at his residence."

She said that police are not looking for any suspects in the incident, but that the "motive and sequence of events are still under investigation."

Gun Shop Owners Speak Out on Illegal Firearm Purchases in Virginia

Virginia Governor's Race Shines Iight on Gun Control

News Leader

After months of inattention, Republican Ken Cuccinelli II and Democrat Terry McAuliffe have drawn the polarizing issue of guns into the spotlight of the Virginia governor’s race.

For once, a Democrat is talking tough about gun control, as if daring the National Rifle Association to take him on. And gun-rights advocates are all too happy to take him up on the challenge.

It began with the Oct. 24 candidate’s debate at Virginia Tech University, the site of the worst mass shooting by an individual in U.S. history. In response to a question, Cuccinelli boasted of his A rating from the NRA. 

And then McAuliffe did something surprising: He said he didn’t give a fig about the powerful lobby’s rating. And, oh, by the way, he had earned an F.

Differences over gun control between Cuccinelli, the state’s attorney general, and McAuliffe, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, were not a secret before that debate. But Democrats rarely brag about their support for gun-control measures in statewide elections in pro-gun Virginia.

McAuliffe’s change in strategy suggested a play for his liberal base — but also hinted that he felt comfortable changing the playbook in the still-evolving swing state of Virginia.

Virginia 12-Year-old Dead in Accidental Shooting

Local news reports

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.

More on the Virginia Brothers - Parents Charged with Felony Child Endangerment

Local news reports further to our earlier post

A 10-year-old Amelia County boy has been charged with reckless handing of a firearm in an incident in which police said his 11-year-old brother was accidentally shot in the face two weeks ago.

The child, whose name was withheld because of his age, is accused of handling a pistol that apparently was involved in the Oct. 9 shooting in the family’s home in the county’s Mannboro area.

The boys’ parents, Patrick D. and Joanna E. Callaway, were charged last Tuesday with felony child endangerment in connection with the incident. Investigators said the Callaways had left their children alone during the time of the 6:23 a.m. shooting.

The 11-year-old victim was reported to be in stable condition and continues to improve at VCU Medical Center.

The Callaways and their 10 year-old son made their first appearances Monday in Amelia County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court.

I say they should leave the kid the hell alone and punish dad twice.

Virginia 10-Year-old Charged along with Negligent Parents in Accidental Shooting of 11-Year-old Brother

NBC12.com - Richmond, VA News

Virginia Man Shoots Wife Accidentally - Charges Brought

James Roger Clark

Martinsville Bulletin

A Bassett man was charged in connection with a shooting Thursday night, according to a release from Henry County Sheriff’s Capt. Eric Winn.

According to the release, James Roger Clark, 47, of 2610 Oak Level Road Bassett, told authorities his Springfield 40 caliber semi-automatic pistol accidentally discharged, and the bullet struck his wife, Tammy Leigh Clark, 46, in the leg.

She was struck in the right leg near the knee before the bullet exited the right leg, entered the left leg below the knee and exited, the release stated.

Tammy Clark was taken to the Memorial Hospital of Martinsville and Henry County by Bassett Rescue Squad, and subsequently transferred to Roanoke Memorial Hospital. Her injuries did not appear to be life threatening, the release stated.

James Clark was charged with a misdemeanor count of reckless handling of a firearm and a felony count of unlawfully discharging a firearm within an occupied dwelling. He was released on an unsecured bond.

NRA Spending Big Bucks in Virginia

McAuliffe and Cuccinelli II

The Washington Post

The National Rifle Association is wading into the Virginia governor’s race with a six-figure ad campaign, potentially reviving a debate over gun issues that has been mostly dormant in the contest.

Beginning Monday, the group will begin airing $500,000 worth of statewide television and online ads hitting Democrat Terry McAuliffe for his firearms stances, according to NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam. The campaign is designed to benefit Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II (R), a longtime gun rights advocate who has lagged behind McAuliffe on the financial front and can use the help on the airwaves.

McAuliffe spokesman Josh Schwerin used the news to portray Cuccinelli as out of step with Virginia voters on gun laws.

He added that Cuccinelli had shown “career-long opposition to common-sense measures that would keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill.”

Gun rights supporters have long outnumbered foes in Richmond, but there have been signs in recent years, as Virginia has become a more purple state, that the issue has lost some of its potency. Last year, Timothy M. Kaine (D) beat George Allen (R) in a high-profile Senate race despite Kaine’s “F” grade from the NRA and Allen’s “A.”

“I have called for universal background checks,” McAuliffe said. “My opponent doesn’t support that. I’m a strong supporter of the Second Amendment. I’m a hunter. I own guns. . . . There are certain individuals who just should not own a gun. There are individuals that have mental illness. I think this is such a critical issue for us. . . . As governor, I’m gonna push. Most importantly, we need universal background checks for everyone.”

Lawful Virginia Gun Owner Accidentally Shoots Someone - Receives Slap on the Wrist

The Rotunda

According to a release from the Office of Public Relations, Battle was injured when her friend Richardson showed her his personal firearm and a bullet reportedly caused an accidental wound to her leg.

According to the police report released by Chief of Farmville Police Doug Mooney, “The investigation revealed that another Longwood University student, 21 year old Jacob E. Richardson, was inside a residence with the victim trying to unload the handgun when it accidently discharged.”

He 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 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,” according to the Virginia General Assembly Legislative Information System website.

Naturally, according to the pro-gun folks, it was the system's fault that Aaron Alexis was able to buy a gun, but those same voices will approve of this young man continuing to be qualified to buy and own firearms.

My opinion: if you shoot someone accidentally you should never be allowed to own guns again.

What do you think?  Please leave a comment.

Virginia Woman Fires at Seven People, Including Children, for Turning Around in Driveway

Margie Rhea Ramey, 72

Times News reports

A Virginia couple who took their five children on an outing at Bays Mountain Park Sunday afternoon were greeted with gunfire shortly after crossing the Hawkins County line in an attempt to take a scenic route home.

Oscar Scott of Rose Hill, Va. told the Times-News that he and his family decided to explore a scenic way back into Virginia through Hawkins and Hancock counties.

Almost immediately after crossing the Hawkins County line, however, they came upon Bays Mt. Road which runs adjacent to the Sullivan County line.

“We came around the side of the mountain and saw a road that turned to the right that said Bays Mt. Road,” Scott said. “We figured we’d take it and see if it came out at Bays Mountain Park. We got pretty far down that road and you could see where it turned into an old log road, so I put the vehicle in reverse to turn around.”

Scott added, “Just as I got it into reverse she started shooting at us.”

Scott said a woman setting on her porch about 150 feet from the road fired two shots at the 1999 Chevy Tahoe he was driving. One shot actually hit the running board on the passenger side just a few feet from where his five children, ages 4-12, were seated.

How much you wanna bet the plea-bargain the charges down and granny gets to keep her guns? That's how they do it in rural Virginia. That's how the gun-nut cops and the gun-nut prosecutors conspire to help out the other gun nuts when they get in trouble.

Recent Shootings in Gun Friendly Virginia