Airborne Combat Engineer

Negligent discharge/shooting 2007.10.14

A 19-year-old Lodi [CA] man who accidentally shot his friend in the face was arraigned Friday on charges including gross negligent discharge of a weapon and is jailed without bail.

The victim, Joshua House, also 19 and of Lodi, spent more than a week at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento and will still need more surgery, said his step-father, David Madigan. House has some motor-sensory problems that make him fall and drop things, and he's getting tired of eating soup, Madigan said.

House and Noori were in a home in the 700 block of Rutledge Drive on Sept. 20 when Noori accidentally fired a .40-caliber handgun, according to witnesses and Lodi police. The round struck House's cheek, just missed an artery in his neck, and sailed past another friend before hitting a wall.

Lodi News-Sentinel

Negligent discharge/shooting 2007.10.13

Brandenton, Manatee County, FL --The teenager injured Thursday in what authorities are investigating as an accidental shooting has died.

Francisco Vazquez, 18, of Palmetto, died at Bayfront Medical Center on Friday, a day after he suffered a gunshot wound to the head.

Vazquez was shot in the home of Kyle Bolles, 19, in the 3700 block of Seventh Avenue West, after Bolles said a .22-caliber rifle went off.

Bolles told detectives Vazquez was lying in the bottom bunk with a 16-year-old girl when Bolles tried to pull the weapon off the top bunk. It slipped from his hand and went off, Bolles told investigators.

The 16-year-old girl, whose name is not being released by the sheriff's office, corroborated Bolles' story.

Both Bolles and the girl have been interviewed by detectives, but so far detectives believe the shooting to be an accident.

Bolles had not been charged with a crime, and the investigation is going to take quite a bit of time to complete, said Dave Bristow, Manatee County Sheriff's Office spokesman.

"At this point that is what they told us, so we are looking at this as an accident," he said. "But we still have a lot of investigating to do on this case."

Brandenton Herald

more in the continuation

Negligent discharge/shooting 2007.10.05

In Minnesota, an 11-year-old boy who was hunting with a 22-caliber rifle told police he was aiming at a squirrel when he hit a truck driver instead.

According to the Duluth  News Tribune, the incident happened on U.S. Highway 53 near Orr – about 90  miles north of Duluth.

The trucker – who wasn’t named – was hit in the arm, but  kept driving because he was outside of any cell phone coverage.

He was treated and released from a hospital.

A sheriff’s officer told the News Tribune the shooting appears to have been an accident, but is  still under investigation.

Land Line Magazine

another in the continuation

Negligent discharge/shooting 2007.10.04

A Mineral [WA] man was injured Oct. 2 when he was shot accidentally at Fish Lake north of Conconully.
     Randy C. Hugh, 44, had been fishing and returned to his vehicle, said Okanogan County sheriff Frank Rogers.
     "He was taking off his gear and putting it in his vehicle," said Rogers. "He was wearing a .44-caliber pistol in a holster."
     Hugh apparently took off the gun and tossed it into the vehicle, where it struck an air compressor and went off, said the sheriff.
     "The round struck the victim in the back and came out his chest," said Rogers.
     Hugh drove himself back toward Conconully and ran into a Forest Service employee, who contacted the sheriff's office.
     The injured man was transported to Mid-Valley Hospital, Omak, and then airlifted to Central Washington Hospital, Wenatchee.

Chronicle

It was actually a .44 caliber pistol, and not a revolver, that narrows down the brand considerably.

Apparently, from the rest of the report, the kids had a habit of pointing guns at each other.

Negligent discharge/shooting 2007.10.03

A Philadelphia Police officer was injured in an apparent accidental shooting while serving a warrant in the West Oak Lane section of the city Tuesday.

The shooting happened while the officer, acting on a tip, was serving a warrant in the 1900 block of Plymouth St. just before 12 p.m.

According to police, as detectives were attempting to serve the warrant, a pit bull ran outside of the home and bit the officer.

The officer fired twice; accidentally striking himself in the leg and wounding the pit bull. 

KYW3

more in the continuation

Negligent discharge/shooting 2007.10.02

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - An Afghan man was killed and a child injured Tuesday in an accidental shooting by Canadian troops.

A Canadian combat logistics patrol was on a resupply mission to Canada's forward operating base at Ma'sum Ghar when a motorcycle approached the convoy in downtown Kandahar outside the governor's palace. The driver of the motorcycle, a 35-year-old male, was shot and the passenger, an eight-year-old child, was injured.

It is unclear whether the shooting was a result of an equipment malfunction or human error. "While the exact cause of the incident is unknown at this time, it is clear that this was an accident and not the result of enemy activity," said Capt. Josee Bilodeau, spokeswoman for Canada's Joint Task Force Afghanistan.

Canadian Press

more details in the continuation

Negligent discharge/shooting 2007.10.01

Married, father of three -- RIP

A Gary [IN] reserve police officer was killed in an accidental shooting over the weekend when another officer's weapon discharged at a Hammond gun range, police said.

Kevin Weaver, 49, was training with other Gary officers at Deb's Gun Range in the 6800 block of Kennedy Avenue in Hammond at about 3 p.m. Saturday when he bumped into an officer trying to clear his .45-caliber Glock pistol, Hammond Police Chief Brian Miller said.

One version:

[Another reserve officer, 52-year-old Gerald Horton] "was trying to clear a round in the chamber when [Weaver] bumped into him and [Horton's] gun discharged and [the bullet] struck [Weaver's] right arm and then his chest," Miller said. Weaver, of Merrillville, died a short time later at St. Margaret Mercy Hospital in Hammond.

Chicago Tribune  Chicago Sun-Times  Channel 18

Another version:

"Police say Weaver was training with other reserves when an officer, emptying his gun, headed back to the firing line. As he was turning with the weapon, Weaver bumped into him. The officer fell back and shot Weaver in the upper torso."

According to the video report, Kevin Weaver had already qualified and was helping others.

WBBM 780   ABC7 (see photo and video)

What can we deduce from what we read about this tragedy ? [It's not "just a terrible accident" but it is a tragedy.] What can we learn from it, from what we know now? [The details will no doubt be clarified later, as an investigation has been initiated, naturally.]

more details in the continuation

There are no "accidental discharges"

Ten things to know about concealed carry permitholders, #6

"6. We do not believe in the concept of "accidental discharges". There are no accidental discharges only negligent discharges or intentional discharges. We take responsibility for our actions and have learned how to safely handle firearms. Any case you have ever heard of about a gun "going off" was the result of negligence on somebody's part. Our recognition of our responsibility and familiarity with firearms makes us among the safest firearms owners in America."

Progressive U

See the other nine things there.

Negligent discharge/shooting 2007.09.28

Marshfield, MO — A wandering aggressive pit bull triggered a chain of events that led to the accidental shooting of an 18-year-old in Webster County.

The sheriff's department said the pit bull, named Kujo, has been captured and its owner might face charges for letting the animal run free. The dog ventured onto Susan Gohn's property around 12:45 p.m. Friday, she said. The dog went after Gohn's 18-year-old brother Shane Gohn twice outside the home at Patterson Road, four miles northeast of Marshfield.

Susan Gohn said she beat the dog with a shovel, but the animal was not deterred. She had another brother obtain a rifle for her, and shouted for the brothers to get out of the way. When she fired at the dog, the bullet ricocheted off a concrete patio block, she said. Shane Gohn then approached her and informed her he was shot in the chest. "I thought he was joking. He didn't holler or anything," she said.

Shane Gohn was taken to St. John's Hospital and released Saturday, Susan said. Shane said he was "doing good" when interviewed Wednesday.

News Leader

Negligent discharge/shooting 2007.09.27

A bystander who was wounded in a shootout following a July armed robbery was hit by a police officer, not by the robbery suspect, authorities said Friday.

Sean Moran, 36, better known as DJ Flare to hip-hop fans, "was struck by an officer's bullet that was discharged when they were attempting to shoot the suspect," said Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

San Mateo police initially reported that Moran had been shot by Adam Nicholas Ramirez, the robbery suspect. Ramirez, 43, of Hayward, was killed in the exchange of gunfire, which took place inside the Central County Mental Health Center on La Selva Street after a chase.

Moran, a former member of the seminal hip-hop group Invisibl Skratch Piklz, has been hailed for inventing the influential "flare scratch" technique, a staple of modern turntablism.

San Jose Mercury News  | 07SEP2007