kids and guns ll

[Lady Cop]

there has been a spate of little kids shot to death in Indiana. usually it involves other little kids getting their hands on loaded guns. i have reported incidents in various threads, now i'm going to do a thread devoted to the kids who have been shot. by "accident". or carelessness. or goddamn stupid criminally negligent parents who leave loaded weapons around within easy reach. we'll see how long this thread gets :(
here is the case that inspired me tonight:

OSSIAN, Ind. – A 4-year-old boy who was fatally shot while fishing with his father in northeastern Indiana was struck in the head by an errant bullet, a sheriff and a family friend said.

Wells County Sheriff Monte Fisher told The Associated Press on Sunday that Jacob Michuda was shot in the head late Friday night while he and his father were fishing from a pier at a pond outside Ossian, a rural community about 15 miles south of Fort Wayne.

Trisha Ulmer told The Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne for a Sunday story that the boy's mother told her the boy was shot in the temple.

Fisher said an autopsy was performed Saturday.

Forty-six-year-old neighbor Bruce Pond was being held without bond on a preliminary charge of reckless homicide and due to appear in court Monday. Fisher told the Bluffton News-Banner alcohol was involved and Pond apparently shot at a light on the pier where the father and son were fishing.

"I think it was just a freak accident," Ulmer said.

Police and medics were called to the scene at 11:07 p.m. Friday. Police said an ambulance took the boy to a hospital in Fort Wayne, where he was pronounced dead at 3:12 a.m. Saturday. Police arrested Pond later that day.

The shooting was the latest in a recent string of children's death from gunshots across Indiana.

The shooting came just one day after a 4-year-old boy from Cedar Lake, in northwest Indiana's Lake County, accidentally shot himself at a suburban Chicago liquor store.

Two other Indiana boys also have died from gunshots in the past 3 ¹⁄₂ weeks. A 2-year-old Connersville boy died July 14 after accidentally being shot by his 5-year-old brother, and a 6-year-old boy died June 30 after being shot in the head with a .22-caliber gun at his family's home near Martinsville. The Martinsville boy's 11-year-old brother faces juvenile charges of murder and reckless homicide in that shooting.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

Fisher told the Bluffton News-Banner alcohol was involved and Pond apparently shot at a light on the pier where the father and son were fishing.

"I think it was just a freak accident," Ulmer said.

.

The guy was drunk and shot AT a light at the pond. It was NOT a an ACCIDENT

[Lady Cop]

an adult must be made responsible here!






Amina Kocer-Bowman is critical

Washington state
Shaking in his orange jumpsuit, a nine-year-old boy wept as he was accused of accidentally shooting a girl in his third-grade class.

Amina Kocer-Bowman, eight, was fighting for her life after being shot when a gun brought to a Washington school inside her classmate's backpack discharged.

The girl was in a critical condition in hospital tonight after having surgery on a bullet wound in her stomach, authorities said.

The third-grade boy has been arrested and is facing charges of suspicion of unlawful possession of a gun, bringing a dangerous weapon to school and third-degree assault.

As court officers led the boy away after the hearing, his father hugged him and gave him a kiss while they both cried.

the boy is being held at Kitsap County juvenile detention center after his bail was set at $50,000 during the preliminary hearing yesterday.

As court officers led the boy away after the hearing, his father hugged him and gave him a kiss while they both cried.

Authorities say the boy brought a .45-caliber handgun he found at his mother's house to the elementary school in Bremerton on Wednesday, and the weapon discharged from inside his backpack just before classes let out, critically injuring Amina Kocer-Bowman in the abdomen and arm.

Court documents stated that the boy told a classmate five days ago that he was going to bring his 'dad's gun' to school and run away. The gun discharged after the boy slammed his backpack down on a desk, it was reported.

Officials said both the child's mother and father have criminal records.

Police Lt. Peter Fisher would not discuss whether authorities were investigating any adults in connection with the shooting.
Court documents show Jamie Lee Chaffin, who is listed as the boy's mother, sued his father for failing to pay child support.

In 2005, Ms Chaffin was arrested for possession of meth in Bremerton but pleaded guilty to a drug paraphernalia charge.

She also was convicted of marijuana deliver and forgery.

Patrick Cochran (uncle) said the boy's grandmother adopted him but she died a year ago and he became the child's legal guardian. He said he lives with the boy's father and the boy's two sisters.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...z1nI1gi9qs

[Lady Cop]

A 3-year-old boy shot and killed himself at a Washington gas station after finding a gun in his family's car.

The family had made an early-morning stop at a Shell station off Interstate 5 in Tacoma last Wednesday.

The man, who had placed the gun under a car seat, began to refuel the car.

As the boy's mother went inside the station, leaving her son and the man's 5-year-old daughter unattended, the boy apparently got out of his child seat, found the gun and shot himself.

He was rushed to a local hospital and declared dead.

The girl was not injured.

The parents, who have not been named, were questioned by police officials, but no charges have been filed.

The incident was the third recent shooting of a child in western Washington, according to AP.

'It is incredible in light of the other ones,' said Naveed Benjamin, a Tacoma police Officer. 'You would think people would take more care, not less.'

Just last Saturday, the 7-year-old daughter of a Marysville police officer died when she was shot by a sibling.

[Lady Cop]

bad daddy! i wonder what the saudis do in a case like this. behead the kid?

An angry four-year-old Saudi boy shot and killed his father for refusing to buy him a PlayStation, Saudi media reported on Monday.

The Asharq daily, citing police in the southern Jizan area, said the child, aged four years and seven months, grabbed his father’s pistol and shot him in the head.

According to the newspaper, the child had asked his father to buy him a PlayStation and the shooting took place after the man returned home without the desired object.

As he was undressing, the man put the weapon down, which the child then grabbed and fired at him from close range.

[Cheyne]

bad daddy! i wonder what the saudis do in a case like this. behead the kid?

An angry four-year-old Saudi boy shot and killed his father for refusing to buy him a PlayStation, Saudi media reported on Monday.

The Asharq daily, citing police in the southern Jizan area, said the child, aged four years and seven months, grabbed his father’s pistol and shot him in the head.

According to the newspaper, the child had asked his father to buy him a PlayStation and the shooting took place after the man returned home without the desired object.

As he was undressing, the man put the weapon down, which the child then grabbed and fired at him from close range.

Saudi Arabia has neither a codified penal law establishing the acts that constitute criminal offenses nor a published official interpretation of Sharia law, which constitutes the basis for all laws in the kingdom; instead, judges have broad discretion to interpret and apply Sharia precepts in criminal cases.

Trial judges make decisions on whether a defendant is a child based on physical signs of puberty at the time of trial and not at the time of crime. Children have been tried as adults and sentenced to death for crimes committed at age 13.


As a boy, he's probably safe from capitol punishment. I wouldn't bet on the chances of a 5 year old girl getting away with killing her father though.

[Lady Cop]

and yet again...loaded gun in house where there is a toddler.

when will people ever learn???

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A three-year-old boy shot and killed his 15-month-old sister in their home in Radcliff, Ky., Sunday afternoon, police said.

Hardin Co. Deputy Coroner Barry Brown identified the slain child as Bella San Martin, daughter of Angelica and Christopher San Martin.

Police said the shooting occurred about 3:30 p.m. in the home on Keith Court. The parents were present, Ofc. Bryce Shumate said.

He called the incident "an accidental shooting." NO, IT'S CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE!

"It appears the three-year-old sibling had gotten a pistol from somewhere in the home, was playing with it, and in playing with it, it discharged a single round."

First responders arrived within minutes of the call, but there was little they could do.

"When our officers arrived, they found a (15)-month-old had received a single, gunshot wound. Our officers and fire department immediately started CPR, realizing that the (15)-month-old was deceased."

Detectives continued their investigation well into the evening.

Family and friends watched from outside the yellow police tape.

It was scene of fierce and raw emotions, even as other neighbors and officials kept an even-farther distance away, so not to make a tense situation any worse.

The coroner will conduct an autopsy in Louisville Monday.

The father is stationed at nearby Fort Knox. Fellow soldiers were assisting Sunday.

[ramseycat]

The saddist part of this is that poor 3yr old boy will grow up knowing he killed his sister. If only his parents had been more responsible, it would not have happened. No matter how much therapy this kid has or how much he is told it's not his fault, he will always feel guilty.

[Lady Cop]

another one.

A 16-month-old girl was shot dead by her 2-year-old brother in their Memphis home on Tuesday.

Calvuna Reese was killed on Tuesday when her brother allegedly accidentally pulled the trigger of a loaded gun.

The girl's father confirmed the shooting to neighbors, but the case is still under investigation by police.

This shooting comes just two days after a similar incident in Kentucky.

(Memphis) Memphis police are still trying to figure out how a 2-year-old got his hands on a gun and shot and killed his 18 month old sister, Calvuna Reese.

It happened at the LaPalomo Apartments near Lamar and South Parkway Sunday.

The child died yesterday at Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Hospital.

This is the second small child to die after being shot in less than a week.

The parents of that other child were arrested by the sheriff in Calhoun County, MS.

Memphis police are trying to sort through a similar case and decide whether or not there will be charges.

[ramseycat]

How many times does this have to happen before people get a clue? It's like the people that leave their babies in hot cars. People never learn.

[Lady Cop]

How many times does this have to happen before people get a clue? It's like the people that leave their babies in hot cars. People never learn.

yep. here's one today. i had a thread of kids left and dying in hot cars that was many pages long at 24.


May 04, 2012

NewsCore

HOUSTON – A seven-month-old baby died after being left inside the back of a hot pickup truck for most of the day in Houston on Thursday, officials told the Houston Chronicle.

Authorities said the baby's father left the child in the car from the time he dropped his older children off at school in the morning, until after his wife called him late in the afternoon to see how their kids were.

Upon receiving the phone call, the man realized he had left the baby in the vehicle all day and rushed outside to his pickup.

The baby had already died, officials said.

Police, who have not identified the baby's parents or the gender of the baby, have launched an investigation into the death, but are yet to lay any charges.

[Lady Cop]

edit to add: MOUNT VERNON — Three-year-old Lucas Heagren died early this morning, just six hours after shooting himself in the head with a gun that was left on the family television. A representative of the Summit County Coroner’s Office confirmed the toddler died at 12:10 a.m. :( so sad, so unnecessary.

ohio
Mount Vernon News
May 28, 2012

FREDERICKTOWN — Three-year-old Lucas Heagren has been flown to an undisclosed hospital following an accidental shooting this evening at 9620 Green Valley Road.

Capt. David Shaffer, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, told Mount Vernon News Reporter Alan Reed, the boy was wounded by what is believed to be a gunshot wound to the head. He was transported to Akron Children’s Hospital by a medical helicopter and was listed in critical condition just after 10 p.m.

“It appears around 6:04 p.m., or close to that time, we received a call of a 3-year-old who had been accidentally shot; that is the way it appears to us now. The child was transported to Knox Community Hospital and was flown from there.”

Kaitlin Campbell called 9-1-1 and reported her son had shot himself above his left eye with a 9mm weapon, and was still breathing.

Campbell told the dispatcher the gun was located on the top of the television “where he usually can’t reach it.” LOADED AND OUT IN OPEN!! ASSHOLES!!

Shaffer called the incident “an unfortunate accident” and said the information gathered during the investigation leads him to believe the victim is the one who pulled the trigger of handgun, although no make, model or caliber of the weapon was confirmed.

At the time of the interview, Shaffer said the family was currently with the child and had yet to be interviewed regarding the events that led up to the shooting.

[Lady Cop]

FLORIDA TODAY
The parents of a 4-year-old girl who accidentally shot herself in the chest while handling a gun left on a couch were arrested while visiting her in an Orlando hospital.

The pair will be brought back to Brevard County to face criminal charges, authorities say.

Leshumbia Stokes, 37, and Marie Buskey, 22, were taken into custody Wednesday after Titusville police issued warrants for their arrests in connection with the May 12 shooting at their Titusville home.

Stokes was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and tampering with evidence, and Buskey was charged with child neglect causing great bodily harm and culpable negligence.

Both were arrested at Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando and were expected to be extradited from the Orange County Jail to Brevard at a later date.

The child, who Titusville police said found a 9mm handgun left in the house and shot herself in the chest, continues a long, slow path to recovery after doctors brought her out of a medically induced coma Sunday.

However, detectives say the child is unable to speak coherently and remains heavily medicated because of her injuries.

Police said the handgun was left on a couch at the home while both parents were in other rooms.

The child found the weapon and accidentally fired a round. The parents rushed the girl to Parrish Medical Center in Titusville, but police said Stokes, who is a convicted felon, left the hospital to return home and dispose of the handgun before investigators arrived.

Stokes later told detectives he moved the weapon because he was afraid to go to jail and added that he would surrender the gun to detectives. The gun, however, has not been recovered, police add.

The pair, Marie Buskey, 22, and Leshumbia Stokes, 37, were taken into custody Wednesday after warrants were issued for their arrests in connection with the May 12 shooting at their Titusville home. / Booking photos

[LuciferLynn]

Why is it so hard for people to remove bullets from guns? Why is it so hard for people to teach gun safety, gun responsibility? Why is it so hard to make guns unaccessible? My children are growing up with guns in the house. They have never ONCE been shot or maimed. They have been taught properly on gun safety. In addition, no guns have ever or will ever be loaded and they are locked up, immediately after use. It isn't that hard, for chrissake.

[Lady Cop]

TODAY'S DARWIN AWARD GOES TO---

The Monitor

SOUTH OF ALAMO — A 17-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed himself with a semi-automatic handgun Monday night when the single round he fired at a butane tank ricocheted and hit him in the head, authorities said.

“It was just an accident under the influence of alcohol,” Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño said Tuesday.

The Sheriff’s Office, which received a call about a shooting about 11:15 p.m. Monday, quickly dispatched officers to the South Tower Estates home, but family had already transported the wounded teen to a McAllen hospital, the sheriff said.

Authorities identified the deceased teen as Israel Torres.

Deputies spoke to the teen’s “highly intoxicated” father, who told them he and his two sons were in the backyard when they heard a gunshot and saw Torres drop. But that version of events did not make sense to officers, and after a brief period of questioning, the father told a different story.

“All three are pretty drunk when someone pulls a .380-caliber, semi-automatic (handgun) and shoots it into the backyard,” Treviño said. “The 17-year-old gets it and tells his girlfriend, ‘Here, look, pull the trigger.’”

The teen’s girlfriend refused to handle the loaded weapon, so he pulled out the gun’s clip and turned to a butane tank, Treviño said.

“He fires one time and shoots himself in the head,” Treviño said.

Investigators did not find any indication of foul play or intentional suicide.

Deputies have not arrested anyone and were not planning on making arrests any time soon, the sheriff said, but they are looking into the criminal responsibility of the father and researching applicable laws.

The whole family is in the United States illegally, Treviño said. The boy’s parents moved to the country several years ago, but their two sons had just arrived about six or seven months ago.

[ramseycat]

How can there be no charges? The father was letting his 17 year old son drink and then he shots and accidently kills himself? Oh yea, there are charges to be filed there.

[Cheyne]

The parents can't be busted for allowing their sons to drink according to Texas law. They can be held responsible for the handgun and being in the country illegally though.

States that allow underage drinking

[Lady Cop]

INDEPENDENCE, MO (KCTV) -
The family of a 3-year-old boy who died Saturday says he shot himself with a gun he found in the home.

His family told KCTV5's reporting partner, The Kansas City Star, that the boy found the gun moments after his mother, Dawn Turner, went into another room. The boy died in his father's arms.

The sounds of children playing normally fills the Independence neighborhood near 20^th Street and Scott Avenue, but Saturday night there was one voice missing.

"When you hear a scream, blood-curdling like that, you know that something is wrong," neighbor Sierra Battles said.

A scream from the toddler's house was the first indication neighbors had of the tragedy playing out in the neighborhood. Police responded to a 911 call about 3:30 p.m. in the 11500 block of East 20^th Street. The toddler was dead from a gunshot wound when police arrived.

The family is still planning funeral arrangements. Independence police are expected to release more information about the shooting Monday.

Capt. Ed Turner with the Independence Police Department said family members were cooperating with the shooting investigation.

"They did seem like really good parents, and if it was one of the parents, it would definitely, definitely take me by shock," Battles said.

Turner said police are talking to everyone that was at the house at the time of the shooting.

"I know that when I've gone over there and hung out. They've brought out their guns and showed me," family friend Jeannel Anderson said.

Friends of the family say they can't imagine either of the parents intentionally hurting their kids.

"Oh, absolutely not, absolutely not, but the first thing I thought was, 'Why would they have a gun around a 3-year-old?'," family friend Julie Wilson said.

But the friends say, no question, the parents here loved their children.

"Young couple struggling to make their way, two beautiful little children," Wilson said.

The younger boy, friends say, just about 2 years old, is now an only child.

"I feel sorry for, especially the little brother, his big brother is gone now," Anderson said.

[ramseycat]

ANDERSON, S.C. (AP) — A two-year-old boy is dead after finding an Anderson County deputy sheriff’s gun and pulling the trigger.

Anderson County Deputy Coroner Don McCown says Josiah Tate was at home with his mother when the accident happened. McCown says a deputy who lives at the home laid his guns on a bedroom counter and left to run errands.

McCown says the boy’s mother saw him playing with the gun just seconds before he shot himself in the head Tuesday afternoon in the Colony Mobile Home Park.

Anderson County Sheriff John Skipper says because the shooting happened at a deputy’s home, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has been called in to investigate. Skipper declined to identify the deputy.

[koko]

i know everyone has a lapse in judgement now and then, but oh man you would think a deputy would know better than to leave his gun (or guns, like the article says) anywhere a child could get them, especially when you KNOW there is a child in the home.