This is another episode in David Waldman’s “GunFAIL” Daily Kos postings.  What is really incredible is the very small number of times the entries indicate police action—arrests, charging, etc, even when someone is injured.  Usually it is because state laws require some criminal intent. As in:

“Oh, I was cleaning my AR-15 and fired a round that went through three apartments and barely missed a sleeping infant.” — That is an “accidental discharge.”—No Intent, No Crime (usually).

The NRA and gun-extremists love to post reports of what is called “Defensive Gun Use (DGUs).  They use discredited research (except to the authors of that research) to claim over 2,500,000 DGUs each year.

Those results come from Gary Kleck’s survey of gun owners, in which he surveyed 5,000 households and found 196 claims of DGU—basically a prevalence of 4%.  This he extrapolates to the US population and gets—such an extrapolation is a risky enterprise.

More reasonable research puts DGUs at maybe 500,000 a year.  But, research has also shown that very often what people report as a defensive gun use is an illegal use of a firearm.

Other research shows that the most common use of a gun in the home is to intimidate a family member or acquaintance, especially a man intimidating a female partner—not exactly a “good guy with a gun stopping a bad guy with a gun.”

That doesn’t really count the number of folks each month who do really stupid crap with guns, acting like they are some sort of toy or kitchen appliance.

But, as Sonny and Cher so eloquently put it ─”The Beat Goes On!”

The second paragraph below sums up Waldman’s posting. But, I find it almost impossible to not read about each event.  It is rather like ….??

David Waldman’s Latest GUNFAIL

We pick up, then, where we left off, in mid-December. Hunting season was winding down, and the Christmas gun-giving rush was just beginning. Soon there would be thousands more gun owners—not to mention the merely gun-adjacent—who would be eligible to join our list. But for the time being, we had to rely on the guns we already had, not the guns we might want, or wish to have at a later time. And really, they were quite enough.

Enough for 23 people to accidentally shoot themselves, anyway. For eight kids to be accidentally shot. Enough for nine fatalities. And for seven people to accidentally shoot family members or significant others. For five people to be shot in hunting accidents, for four cops to be involved in GunFAILs, and three people to accidentally fire guns they claim to have been cleaning. In other words, an entirely typical week, the sorry-ass results of which are detailed below.

1. FRIDLEY, MN, 12/13/15: Authorities are looking for a man after a gun discharged at a Fridley Target store on Sunday while he was at the checkout counter. The Fridley Police Department responded to the Target store Sunday afternoon on 53rd and Central Ave. NE on a report of a shot fired. When officers arrived, they learned a man getting ready to depart the store was carrying a gun in his waistband. Police say the gun began to fall to the floor and the man tried to grab it, causing it to discharge. The bullet hit the floor and ricocheted to the ceiling. Nobody was hit or injured in the incident. The man recovered the gun and he headed to the parking lot with a female. Police say they do not have a description of the vehicle the two left in. The two are described as a white male and female. Authorities are reviewing store surveillance footage as the incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information should call the Fridley Police Department. UPDATE: A Mora, Minn., man is charged with illegal possession of a firearm after being identified as the person who lost control of the pistol in his pants Dec. 13 in a Fridley Target store. A woman told police she recognized Seth Allan Millner, 28, in media reports on an accidental gunshot at Target, according to the criminal complaint. She said she knew him to be a felon recently released from jail and he called her after the Target incident and told her not to call police. The woman called police and not only told them Millner’s name, but also the phone number he called from and the license plate of his Chrysler Sebring, according to the complaint. Police in Inver Grove Heights found the severely damaged Sebring abandoned in a wooded area the day after the Target incident. Three days after that, St. Paul police picked Millner up for driving a stolen vehicle. He also had illegal drugs and a stolen 9mm handgun, according to the complaint. Fridley police spoke to Millner in the Ramsey County Jail and he admitted that he was the one responsible for the gunshot at Target. “All right, it was me, it was me in the (expletive) Target,” he told an investigator, according to the complaint. “I was just walking with it, the stupid (expletive) went off, I didn’t fidget with it, it just went off.” Surveillance video showed the gun tucked into the waistband of Millner’s pants, according to police. The gun then slipped down into his pants leg and, as he attempted to grab it, the gun went off. No one was injured. Surveillance video showed Millner and a woman running away. Images taken from that video were shown by local media and led to the tip identifying Millner, according to Fridley police. Millner has a November 2014 conviction in Chisago County for possession of a “machine gun or short-barreled shotgun” and is ineligible to possess a firearm. He remains in custody in Ramsey County pending felony charges and will be transferred to Anoka County to face the firearms charge there.
2. ROCHESTER, MN, 12/13/15: The investigation into what is being described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound continues today, as authorities try to sort out exactly what happened. The case began about 7:45 PM Sunday, when Rochester police were called to a local hospital for a report of a gunshot wound. There, they found an 18-year-old with an injury to his knee area, said Capt. John Sherwin. The man, who the report describes as possibly under the influence, initially told a story that was “all over the board,” Sherwin said, then finally said he’d accidentally shot himself in a friend’s car earlier in the day with the .22 rifle. Authorities found other people who confirmed the story, Sherwin said, and recovered the gun from a mobile home at Oak Terrace Mobile Home Park. The car was also recovered. The case remains open, he said, as investigators try to establish who owns the gun and what led up to the shooting.
3. DELAWARE CO., IA, 12/13/15: A Worthington man was injured from a self-inflicted gunshot wound while trapping Sunday in Delaware County. Carey Ahlers Jr., 51, was transported to Mercy Medical Center-Dubuque for treatment of a non-life threatening injury, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources said. Ahlers was attempting to load his .22 caliber handgun while checking traps at 9 AM when it discharged, striking him in the leg. The incident occurred approximately four miles north of Hopkinton. The Iowa DNR is investigating.
4. PALO ALTO CO., IA, 12/13/15: At approximately 7:45 AM Sunday morning, 70-year-old David William Clark of Marshalltown, who was deer hunting near the Basswood Recreation area near Emmetsburg in Palo Alto County, was sitting on a log with a loaded shotgun when it accidentally discharged as he was changing positions. Clark was transported to the Palo Alto County Hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound to his hand.
5. APPLE VALLEY, CA, 12/13/15: Just before 4:50 AM on Sunday, December 13th, deputies from the Apple Valley station were dispatched to the 21300 Bear Valley Road to an accidental shooting. According to scanner traffic, an intoxicated male said that he was “messing around with the gun” when he accidentally shot himself. When deputies arrived to the home the man was not at the residence. The injured male was later located at the hospital being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The man was later, per scanner traffic determined to have 4 active warrants with bail totalling $650,000. At this time, the condition of the man is unknown. It is unknown if any arrests have been made.
6. DUBOIS CO., IN, 12/13/15: State conservation officers are investigating after two hunters were shot and injured in southern Indiana. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources says the hunting accident occurred at about 9:15 AM Sunday southwest of Ferdinand in Dubois County. The department says a 55-year-old Huntingburg man who was also in the hunting party fired three shots at a rabbit after it ran in between a 34-year-old hunter from Ferdinand and a 26-year-old hunter from Jasper. Both of them were hit with pellets from the man’s shotgun and suffered injuries that aren’t considered to be life-threatening. The department says the man’s view was obstructed by thick brush and an incline.
7. GARY, IN, 12/13/15: A Gary woman was shot in the buttocks Sunday morning in an apparent accidental shooting in the city’s Miller section, police said. The 27-year-old woman was taken to a hospital for treatment after the shooting about 8:40 AM in the 5800 block of Forest Court, Lt. Dawn Westerfield said. The woman’s wounds were not life-threatening. The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation, Westerfield said. She declined to release more details pending further investigation.
8. KANSAS CITY, MO, 12/13/15: Jackson County prosecutors have charged a 27-year-old man with involuntary manslaughter in the accidental shooting death of a teen driver earlier this month in Kansas City. According to court records: Bayron E. Cuellar of Kansas City was handling a gun while riding in a vehicle when the gun fired. A bullet hit the driver, Luis Palacios-Romero, 17, in the head as he drove in the area of Interstate 435 and Winner Road on Dec. 13. Palacios-Romero immediately slumped over. His front-seat passenger leaned over and worked the brake with his hand to get the car stopped. Cuellar, who had been riding in the back seat, and the two other passengers took Palacios-Romero to Children’s Mercy Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Cuellar told police he had been trying to “decock” the gun when it went off.
9. LEAGUE CITY, TX, 12/14/15: A Houston man suspected of robbery shot himself in the arm as he leaped over a fence while fleeing police, League City police said Tuesday. After police found him lying in the street, Edward Juangene Jones Jr., 19, and his alleged accomplice, Clint West, 26, of Houston, were charged with aggravated robbery with a firearm, police said. Jones’ bail was set at $100,000 and West’s at $80,000. Both were in the Galveston County Jail. Police gave the following account: About 4:45 PM Monday, police received a call about the armed robbery of a business in the 1800 block of East Main Street in League City. About the same time police received reports of two men running with a gun down Texas Avenue. Police quickly arrested West, but they said Jones eluded officers and ran. Neighbors flooded the police communications center with calls about a man running through back yards, then with calls about a gunshot. Jones was discovered after a  resident of the Sherwood Forrest subdivision flagged down a patrol car and told police about a man lying in the road. Police discovered Jones with a gunshot wound to his right arm. Jones was treated at Clear Lake Regional Medical Center and released into police custody.
10. GAINESVILLE, TX, 12/14/15: A Gainesville teen’s condition remained unknown late Tuesday afternoon as police continued to investigate a Monday night shooting.Officers responded to multiple calls of shots being fired in the 900 block of East Scott Street around 10:30 PM. Monday and at least one of the calls indicated someone had been shot, according to a news release issued by the Gainesville Police Department. When police arrived, a 15-year-old boy was discovered to have non-life threatening injuries, officials said. The boy was transported to North Texas Medical Center for a gun shot wound to his hip, said Belva McClinton, spokeswoman for Gainesville police department. The initial ivestigation indicates the incident was an “accidental self-inflicted shooting”, according to the news release issued Tuesday. A handgun discovered at the location of the shooting was listed as stolen and had been taken from a vehicle burglary reported to police earlier that same day, police said. McClinton said via email that the investigation regarding the firearm is ongoing. Gainesville Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Brasher said he “really couldn’t say” whether or not the 15-year-old boy was a student within the district. While many details are yet to be released due to the ongoing investigation, Police Chief Kevin Phillips confirmed “there was a group of people present at the time of the shooting.”
11. BOSSIER CITY, LA, 12/14/15: Bossier City police officers were called to the Mainstay Suites in the 1000 block of Gould Drive Monday night in response to a shooting. Officers found the man by a vehicle in the hotel’s parking lot with a single gunshot wound to the abdomen. Apparently, the man accidentally shot himself while inside one of the hotel’s rooms. Bossier City Fire Department personnel took the man to University Health where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries.
12. COLUMBUS, GA, 12/14/15: A Columbus business owner is undergoing surgery Wednesday hoping doctors can avoid amputating his finger.In an exclusive interview with News Leader 9, Willie Harvey explained how he was shot in the hand while struggling to save his and his brother’s life with two suspected armed robbers on Monday morning. “I’m not feeling up to par about anything; my brother he’s really my main concern. He was hit three times with a bullet, in the chest, the arm and stomach,” Harvey said. The brother underwent surgery and his condition has moved from critical to unsatisfactory.He is expected to make a full recovery. “I reached and grabbed the gun and as I did I pushed it away and he fired off another round. It was real scary but we got a hold of him until we got him down,” explained Harvey. The 60-year-old former U.S. Marine believes his tactical skills played a big part in their survival as he put the gunman in a chokehold. “Everything that I knew kicked in and I held on for my life and my brother’s life. I will give me life for my brother because he love me because what he did, he did it for me,” he said. The suspect was identified by police as 28-year-old Michael Rolf shot himself in the leg, according to Harvey. Police are still looking for the second suspect who got away with an undetermined amount of cash after taking money from the cash register.
13. IMPERIAL, MO, 12/15/15: A 4-year-old boy from Jefferson County accidentally shot himself in the groin Tuesday afternoon after finding his grandfather’s handgun, authorities said. Sheriff’s Lt. Col. Steve Meinberg said the boy shot himself about 3 PM in the 5400 block of Lakewood Terrace in Imperial. The boy’s mother, grandfather and younger sister were home at the time. The adults thought the boy had gone to sleep in his room when they heard a gunshot. Investigators believe the child was wandering around the home when he found the gun in the bathroom, took it into a bedroom and began playing with it. The bullet entered his groin and exited his buttocks, just missing his genitals, Meinberg said. The family drove the child to St. Anthony’s Medical Center for treatment. The child was then transferred to St. Louis Children’s Hospital. “The last I heard, he was talking and laughing with the doctors and asking for a soda,” Meinberg said. The handgun was legally registered to the boy’s grandfather, who may face charges in the incident, Meinberg said. No arrests had been made Tuesday, but deputies were still investigating.
14. CHESTER GAP, VA, 12/15/15: A 22-year-old Chester Gap man is being held without bond at RSW Regional Jail this week after police say he unintentionally shot and killed his girlfriend, Brittney Koster, at home just after midnight Tuesday. David Michael Williams of Nez Perce Way was charged by Rappahannock County Sheriff’s Office investigator Shawn Walters with three felonies — involuntary manslaughter, reckless handling of a firearm and unlawful discharge of a firearm in a dwelling. The investigation continues into the fatal shooting of Koster, a 25-year-old Prince William County resident, and neither RCSO nor Commonwealth’s Attorney Art Goff would comment on why Williams (according to the complaint filed Tuesday morning in district court) pointed a 9mm semiautomatic pistol at his girlfriend and pressed the trigger. The bullet struck the young woman in the neck, the complaint says, after which she stood up from couch and walked a short distance before she collapsed and died. The call came in to the 911 dispatch center at 12:15 AM. One law enforcement source said Williams had ejected the pistol’s magazine before pointing the gun at Koster but didn’t realize there was already a round in the firing chamber.
15. BURLINGTON, CT, 12/16/15: A Burlington woman is suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg after the weapon was accidentally discharged, state police tell News 8. Police say she may have been cleaning the gun when it went off and a bullet struck her in the leg. The injury is described as minor, and the woman is being treated at an area hospital. The woman’s name was not released. There is no word on when she will be released from the hospital.
16. BURLINGTON, IA, 12/16/15: Officials say surgery is expected for a southeastern Iowa sheriff who accidentally shot himself in the left hand while cleaning a gun. A news release from the Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office says Sheriff Mike Johnstone was cleaning his personally-owned handgun at his home when it fired around 11:30 PM Wednesday. Johnstone was taken to the Great River Medical Center’s emergency room for treatment. His injury is not considered to be life-threatening. The department’s release says the hospital has made arrangements to have Johnstone transferred to another medical facility where he could be treated by a surgeon who specializes in hand injuries.
17. INDEPENDENCE, IA, 12/16/15: The Buchanan County Sheriff’s office is investigating a hunting accident in the Crumbacher Wildlife Area in Independence on Wednesday. According to the initial investigation, a 28-year-old man was handling a shotgun along the outer edge of the timber when the gun fired, striking him in his left foot. The man was taken to a Waterloo hospital for treatment. His name is not being released.
18. DADE CITY, FL, 12/16/15: A Dade City man is behind bars after a Lacooche man’s body was found in a crashed SUV Wednesday night. Deputies received a call about a vehicle crash in the area of 21st Street and Powerline Road at 10:52 PM. When deputies arrived, they found the body of Casey Bailey, 24, of Lacoochee, in the 1999 red Ford Explorer. He had been shot in the chest and back. On Thursday, deputies said they had arrested Raul Castro, 23, in connection with his death. Detectives said he admitted to accidentally shooting Bailey, who was a friend of his. According to the arrest affidavit, the owner of the SUV said he and another man had gone to Bailey’s house to pick up Bailey and Castro. They were driving on 14th Street when they heard a loud gunshot from the passenger seats, then heard Bailey gasping for breath. The SUV’s owner said Castro then jumped over the console into the driver’s seat and started trying to drive away from the scene.  Eventually Castro stopped the SUV and the two other men got out. Deputies said the witness said they told Castro to get medical attention for Bailey, but he ignored their requests. The witness reportedly told detectives that Castro had been known to carry a firearm and that he had seen him be “careless” with the weapon. Detectives interviewed Castro and said he admitted to accidentally shooting Bailey, as he believed the gun, which had been given to him earlier in the day, was unloaded.  Castro said he racked the slide of the gun and pulled the trigger, then shot Bailey through the front passenger seat. Castro then said that he was trying to drive to a hospital when he crashed the SUV on 21st Street, and then ran from the scene after the crash. Detectives are now investigating whether a gun found along the road near the site of the incident is the gun used in the shooting. Castro is facing charges of manslaughter and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
19. SWANSEA, IL, 12/16/15: A retired East St. Louis police captain died unexpectedly Wednesday afternoon after a small handgun he was carrying inside of a small satchel discharged, striking him in the head. Sherman Jumper, 72, who lived on Dalton Drive in Swansea, was in his garage and appeared to be headed into his home when he dropped one of the two bags he was carrying, causing a small handgun that was concealed inside the bag to discharge, striking him in the head, police said. Swansea Deputy Chief of Police Craig Coughlin said police received a call Wedesday afternoon at 1:55 PM about a gunshot victim. “A small firearm had been concealed in a hand bag. It appears he dropped the bag with the gun in it and and the gun discharged through the bag,” Coughlin said. The case is being treated as an accidental shooting. City Manager Alvin L. Parks Jr., who knew Jumper, said, “It’s a very tragic situation. Here’s a man who made most of his living having utilized a weapon as part of his job. To have something like this happen, is very tragic,” Parks said. Jumper worked as a member of the East St. Louis Police Department for almost 29 years before retiring as a captain. Former East St. Louis Police Chief Lenzie Stewart graduated in 1969 from East St. Louis Senior High School with the man whose nickname was “Jump.” “He was a great guy and a good man. He was a great friend and a great co-worker. This is a tragic loss,” Stewart said. “My prayers go out to his family.”
20. CANEY, OK, 12/16/15: Investigators say an off-duty Caddo police officer accidentally shot his wife Wednesday night. It happened around 7 PM at the couples home in Caney. The woman was flown to a Plano hospital and is expected to survive. Atoka County Sheriff Tony Head says the officer was teaching his wife how to defend herself when he accidently shot her in the shoulder. The Caddo police chief Cody Borchardt says the officer has been suspended white the shooting is investigated. Charges are not expected to be filed.
21. VICTOR, ID, 12/16/15: St. John’s Medical Center in Jackson called the sheriff’s office to advise that a Victor man had shot himself in the hand while cleaning his gun. Deputies took a report of the incident.
22. AURORA, CO, 12/17/15: Aurora police said icy conditions led an officer to accidentally fire his weapon on Thursday night, critically wounding a car theft suspect he had been chasing. The officer was on icy ground, when he stumbled and lost his footing, causing him to accidentally fire the weapon he had in his hand, Aurora police said. He was using the weapon-mounted flashlight at the time, police said. The Aurora police officer was part of the Metro Auto Theft Task Force investigating a stolen vehicle ring out of Commerce City. The two Aurora officers and a Colorado State Trooper were following a stolen white Honda when the Honda pulled into UPS lot in Denver, abandoned the vehicle and got into another vehicle that sped away, police said. The officers followed that vehicle for several blocks  when near Stapleton Drive and Ivy Street the vehicle did an evasive maneuver and got high centered on snowpack and was pinned in, Aurora police Chief Nick Metz said during Friday afternoon news conference. The Aurora officer drew his gun and ordered the suspect to get out of the vehicle. The suspect was out of the car when the officer lost his footing and fired a single shot,  which hit the suspect, Metz said. The officer immediately radioed in that there had been an unintentional shooting and requested medical aid. The trooper provided medical aid and Denver police officers responded to the scene, along with Aurora police, as part of the joint Officer Involved Shooting protocol. The suspect is currently in critical but stable condition. Police said he had been shot in the “upper left quadrant.” He was identified as 20-year-old Christopher Padilla. He has two outstanding warrants out of Arvada for motor vehicle theft and another warrant out of Jefferson County for similar crimes. The officer involved has been placed on administrative leave as is standard protocol. He has not been identified but Metz said the officer is a 16-year veteran of the Aurora Police Department and is a recognized expert in auto theft crimes. He has no prior involvement in shootings, Metz said. Denver police are investigating the shooting since the shooting occurred in their jurisdiction. Denver7 has checked the numbers and there have been 11 officer-involved shootings since Halloween along the Front Rage, including this one.
23. DETROIT, MI, 12/17/15: Detroit police said a mother died after she was accidentally shot by her son Thursday night on the city’s west side. The son, who is in his 20s, had been arguing with his father around 10 PM at a home on Ferguson, according to Sgt. Cassandra Lewis, a spokeswoman for the Detroit Police Department. During the confrontation, a gun fell out of the father’s waistband, she said. The mother was trying to intervene when the son grabbed the gun, which discharged and struck her, Lewis said. The woman, whose name has not been released, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her son was taken into custody, Lewis said. Authorities did not release additional details Thursday night.
24. HUNTINGTON, WV, 12/17/15: Two 16-year-old boys handling a pistol ended with a frantic drive to the hospital Thursday after one boy shot the other at a home in the 5300 block of Longwood Road in Huntington, according to a report from the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office. Although sheriff’s deputies have ruled the shooting accidental, Sheriff Tom McComas said the incident serves as a reminder of the importance of gun safety. “This highlights the point that training is paramount when you’re handling guns, and that you safely know how to operate it,” McComas said.”It’s important that gun owners take responsibility that untrained people can’t access the gun and fire the weapon.” The shooting occurred around 1 PM Thursday after the two friends returned from an early school release. While rummaging through the garage in the victim’s residence, the two discovered a loaded .390 handgun in the trunk of a vehicle, according to the report. The boys attempted to remove the weapon’s magazine and clear the chamber when the weapon accidentally discharged, hitting the victim in the abdomen. The shooter then drove the victim to Cabell Huntington Hospital, where surgeons believed his injuries were not life-threatening. As a minor, his current condition has not been released. Although the frequency of accidental shootings tend to ebb and flow, McComas said it’s an unfortunate way to make a common-sense point. “It’s a sad way to bring an important matter to the forefront: that parents need to put up our firearms,” McComas said. “It’s a responsibility we owe to our children.” No criminal charges are expected to be filed.
25. GREENWOOD, IN, 12/17/15: A Greenwood man was listed in fair condition after the pistol he was carrying went off, shooting himself in the leg. Just before 6 AM Thursday, police responded to a report of a man who accidentally shot himself in the leg at his home in the 800 block of Carmen Lane, south of Smith Valley Road near Valley Oaks Drive, according to the police report. When police arrived, Aaron Smith, 54, was lying in the street, covered with a blanket, according to the police report. Smith told police the gun accidentally went off when he removed it from his pocket as he was getting into his truck, according to the report. Police found a hole through Smith’s clothing, but no exit wound. Smith was taken to Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, according to the report.
26. BOULDER CITY, NV, 12/17/15: 17, 2015, 10:08 AM. Police were called after a man accidentally discharged his 9mm gun and shot his dog in the tail. The dog was taken to Grateful Pet animal clinic where he is expected to make a full recovery.
27. MOORHEAD, MN, 12/18/15: There is new information about a gun shots fired in Moorhead. Police say it started when a gun accidentally went off. Moorhead police got a call around 1 AM from an apartment building in the 1300 block of 3rd Avenue North investigators say a gun accidentally went off inside after that, the 18 year-old gun owner panicked and decided to shoot his gun outside to try and confuse police. Moorhead police say the gun owner could face a number of charges including firing a gun within city limits and reckless endangerment. Four people were home at the time, no one was hurt but there was some damage to the building.
28. WILMINGTON, NC, 12/18/15: Wilmington police have investigated a shooting incident at a local firing range and gun store. The shooting, which involved a 25-year-old woman, was reported at BullZeye Shooting Sports, 5942 Market St., just before 2:30 PM, according to Wilmington Police Department Spokeswoman Linda Rawley. Police first reported the incident as an accidental shooting. They later determined that the shooting was a non-criminal matter, which resulted in a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Rawley said. The Wilmington woman was pronounced dead shortly after 3 PM Friday at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. No one else was injured during the incident. The woman’s name has not been released and police said the investigation is ongoing.
29. PEMBROKE PARK, FL, 12/18/15: Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies are investigating an accidental shooting at Big Al’s Gun & Pawn in Pembroke Park. Deputies said a man was getting out of his car when he accidentally shot himself in the leg. The man was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital to be treated for the non-life-threatening gunshot wound. His identity was not immediately known.
30. SCHENECTADY, NY, 12/18/15: According to Lt. Mark McCracken, the gunshot wound that sent a male to the Ellis Hospital McClellan campus was self-inflicted. McCracken said an investigation revealed that the male, whose name is not being released at this time. shot himself in the leg and then drove himself to the hospital to seek treatment. McCracken said the male was transported to the Ellis Hospital emergency room at Nott Street and was then moved to Albany Medical Center in serious condition. Criminal charges are expected.
31. PATTERSON, LA, 12/18/15: The St. Mary Sheriff’s Office says a 13-year-old died boy after an accidental shooting Friday night. Authorities say a deputy responding to an unrelated complaint was flagged down by several people who notified him of gunshots heard at a nearby apartment building near Grandwood Drive in Patterson. The deputy went to the source of the gunfire, and found an unresponsive 13-year-old male with a gunshot to the head. Authorities say evidence points to an accidental shooting, and that no foul play is suspected. The St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office as well as the St. Mary Parish Coroner is investigating the death. An autopsy is pending.
32. LABADIEVILLE, LA, 12/18/15: A 17-year-old Labadieville man accidentally shot himself in the head Friday evening, Assumption Parish sheriff Mike Waguespack said. Dronald Washington, of 117 Violet St., was pronounced dead shortly after being transported to Our Lady of the Lake hospital in Baton Rouge. Police said that Washington was playing with a .38 caliber revolver in his house when it went off.
33. CHALMETTE, LA, 12/18/15 [NEW]: The St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested a teenager accused of accidentally shooting a 16-year-old girl in the head while he showed her a handgun. Andrew Carroll, 17, of 2317 Pecan Drive, Chalmette, was booked with negligent injury, illegal use of a weapon and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile, Spokesman Steve Cannizaro said. The shooting occurred about 6 PM Monday (Dec. 18) in Carroll’s backyard. He was showing the pistol to the victim and a 14-year-old girl when the weapon fired, hitting the 16-year-old behind her ear, Cannizaro said. The bullet exited below her eye. The 16-year-old walked to the home of a relative on Riverland Drive and called the Sheriff’s Office. She was taken to University Medical Center in New Orleans where she was hospitalized, Cannizaro said. Carroll was booked into the St. Bernard Parish Prison. He was still being held there Tuesday afternoon on a $25,000 bond.
34. HOUMA, LA, 12/19/15:  A Houma man is facing a terrorizing charge after authorities said he entered a church Sunday (Dec. 20) wearing camouflage and displayed a handgun during Mass, according to the Houma Courier.Kevin Ledet, 38, entered St. Anthony Catholic Church in Bayou Black and sat in a pew, prompting several families to leave the church. Ledet did not threaten anyone in the church but Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s deputies were summoned to the scene, the newspaper reported. When deputies arrived, Ledet ran to his car and drove off. He was found a few blocks from the church and transported to a local hospital for a wound he sustained when he shot himself in the leg the night before at his home.
35. OMAHA, NE, 12/19/15: Omaha police say the fatal shooting of a man Saturday morning appears to have been accidental. Officers called to a house at North 124th Circle and Miami Street just after midnight found the body of 24-year-old Tyler Andersen. One person was taken into custody, interviewed and released. Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine has been briefed and will review the details of this case to determine if any charges will be filed. “He was a great friend, great man, great husband and a committed veteran,” said a friend of Andersen’s on Facebook. “He loved his friends and family, his country and enjoyed living the fullest life he could. I knew him since grade school and still can’t believe he’s gone. It really brings home the fact that each day is a gift, something to be grateful for.” MORE:No charges will be filed in an accidental shooting that killed a 24-year-old northwest Omaha man, Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said Tuesday. Tyler Andersen died at 12441 Miami St. just after midnight Saturday.Andersen and a friend had been drinking and were playing a game of “trust” with a handgun they thought was unloaded. Andersen put the gun in his mouth and told his friend that he trusted him and to pull the trigger. The gun went off, killing Andersen instantly.
36. SAN DIEGO, CA, 12/19/15: A 6-year-old child was hospitalized Saturday after accidentally shooting herself in the leg after she found her parent’s gun. The incident took place on the 3800 block of Caminito Aguilar around 3:15 PM, according to San Diego Police. Her father drove her to a fire station at 5855 Chateau Drive. The circumstances surrounding the incident are still under investigation but it is believed the child found the gun under a bed at her home. According to the Watch Commander, the girl was most likely transported to Rady Children’s Hospital for medical treatment, but her condition was unavailable.
37. FULTON CO., GA, 12/19/15: Officers were called to the Amhurst subdivision in South Fulton County at 8 PM Saturday on reports of a shooting.At this point, police believe it was an accident. An older brother tells Channel 2’s Steve Gehlbach the 13-year-old brought the pistol home after finding it in the neighborhood somewhere. He showed it to him, and neither thought the gun was real. According to the brother, there was no magazine in it, but the teen was playing with it and accidentally fired one shot, hitting his mother in the neck. The older brother says she’s now stable after having surgery. Fulton County police are still investigating. No charges have been filed. The home is the same one where a local store owner and uncle was killed a little more then a year ago.
38. COMER, GA, exact date unknown: A Comer man accidentally shot himself in the arm last week at his home, according to a Madison County Sheriff’s report. The 71-year-old man told officers he went to get his .38-caliber pistol when the clothing he was wearing became entangled in the trigger and it discharged, Chief Deputy Shawn Burns said Monday. Deputies were called to the Brickyard Road home about 1 PM, where they found the man bleeding heavily from his left biceps. The man was transported to an area hospital for treatment. Investigators determined the shooting was an accident and no charges will be filed.
39. SIMPSON CO., MS, 12/19/15: A 13-year-old Magee boy died Saturday after a gun accidentally discharged, shooting him in the face, according to a report from com. Family members told us that Jacob Allan, a seventh grader at Magee Middle School,was leaving his grandmother’s home and while walking down the steps, tripped making his rifle discharge. Family says Jacob and his brother had been visiting their grandmother and had been hunting early Saturday morning. We’re told funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time because Allan’s body will likely be sent for autopsy.
40. HOUSTON, TX, 12/19/15: A man with special needs accidentally shot a 3-year-old boy Saturday afternoon, according to Houston police. Police said the boy was in the care of his aunt when he was accidentally shot by his adult uncle, who has Down Syndrome. The child was transported to the hospital in stable condition. No charges have been filed at this time.
41. INDIAN LAND, SC, 12/19/15: An Indian Land man is accused of being under the influence of alcohol and marijuana when he accidentally shot his girlfriend while their 9-month-old son was sleeping in the next room. Russell Osborne, 35, of 512 Silver Run Road was arrested Sunday and charged with use of firearm while under the influence of alcohol or controlled substance, according to the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies were dispatched to Osborne’s home at about 10:30 PM Saturday in response to a report of a shooting. Osborne was the 911 caller. Deputies found Osborne and his 28-year-old girlfriend, who lives with him. The couple’s baby was sleeping in another room at the time of the incident. The woman had a gunshot wound to her neck so deputies performed CPR until EMS arrived, according to a press release. The woman was airlifted to a hospital and is expected to survive. Details of her condition are not available. Osborne told deputies he picked up his .22 caliber rifle thinking it was not loaded. He pulled the trigger and the rifle fired, striking the woman, the release states. Authorities said Osborne appeared to be under the influence and admitted to investigators that he had been drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana. “I am thankful this young lady survived this incident,” Sheriff Barry Faile said in a prepared statement. “I am proud of the efforts of our deputies to save her life until emergency medical personnel arrived. Alcohol and firearms do not mix, just as alcohol and automobiles do not mix.”