The shooting incidents in this appendix are a snapshot of gun death and injury in the United States as reported in the news media during one randomly selected week. This snapshot, however, illustrates only a small fraction of all gun deaths and injuries that actually occurred during that week. This appendix demonstrates that most gun death and injury in the United States is not reported in the news media at all. As a result of this media whiteout, Americans are poorly informed about the extent of gun violence occurring around them every day and everywhere.
These shooting incidents were as many as could be found in U.S. news media during the week of Monday, August 1, 2011, through Sunday, August 7, 2011. They were gathered by extensively searching Google and Nexis. The fifty-two shooting incidents that were found are summarized below. They resulted in seventy gun deaths and twenty-two nonfatal gun injuries.
However, as discussed in chapter 1, there have been an average of 582 gun deaths per week in the United States during the twenty-first century. This is more than eight times the number of deaths that this survey found in news media. Likewise, if this was an average week, 1,319 persons were injured by guns but did not die—almost sixty times as many gun injuries as were reported in the media during the week in question. Nevertheless, these incidents fairly illustrate that the range of gun violence in America goes far beyond the stereotypical, mistaken belief that it happens mostly in the course of other crimes. In fact, as these anecdotes and national data show, routine gun violence in America includes suicide, murder-suicide, rage killings, mass murders, and domestic violence.
Probable suicide: Fort Huachuca, Arizona. U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Jose J. Algarin-Colon, thirty-eight, was found dead in his quarters of a gunshot wound. Base officials refused to say whether Algarin committed suicide. However, he had been arrested and escorted back to his quarters by military police the same day for bringing his personal handgun to the base’s headquarters.1
Suicide: Lee, New Hampshire. Andrew Hubbard, twenty-seven, killed himself with a shotgun after being involved in a car crash. Neither driver was seriously injured in the head-on collision, but Hubbard grabbed a shotgun out of the back seat of his car, then fatally shot himself behind the premises of a nearby business.2
Murder-suicide: Hillsboro, Wisconsin. Joseph C. Satterlee, fifty-five, rammed his wife’s car on a street with his own vehicle, climbed into her car, and shot her to death with his .357 Magnum revolver. He then shot himself to death. Satterlee fired a total of eight rounds from his six-shot revolver, pausing once to reload. His wife, Anita K. Satterlee, had filed for divorce on June 20, 2011.3
Murder-suicide: Kensington, Maryland. Police officers found the bodies of Margaret F. Jensvold, fifty-four, and her son Ben Barnhard, thirteen, in their residence in a Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C. Investigators concluded that Jensvold, a psychiatrist, had shot her son to death and then killed herself. The son had a number of special needs, and Jensvold was reportedly distressed that the local public school system would not pay for his attendance at a private school.4
Murder-suicide: Deerfield, Ohio. Troy Penn, an eighteen-year-old high school senior, shot and killed his ex-girlfriend, seventeen-year-old Amanda Borsos, with a shotgun in an outside pet exercise area at Four Paws Pet Care and Kennel. He then went home and killed himself with the same gun.5
Homicide: Alice, Texas. Mitchell Christopher Soliz, twenty-six, allegedly shot Juan Antonio Sifuentes III, twenty-seven, to death while he was visiting Soliz’s home. Sifuentes was the grandson of Juan Antonio Sifuentes, a singer in the Tejano Roots Hall of Fame. Soliz was arrested on suspicion of murder.6
Homicide (police legal intervention): Chicago, Illinois. Claude A. Ellis, thirty-five, was shot to death by police after he allegedly attacked two officers, striking one of them in the face and injuring the other. Police had been called to Ellis’s home on a domestic violence complaint. Ellis reportedly had five previous felony drug convictions.”7
Homicide: Richmond, California. Vincent Stephenson Jr., eighteen, was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting while he was standing outside a residence.8
Homicide: Phoenix, Arizona. Edgar Sigala, twenty-four, was shot and killed outside a Baskin-Robbins ice-cream shop. His companion, an unidentified twenty-six-year-old woman, was seriously injured. Jose Acuna, twenty-two, was arrested and charged in the shootings.9
Unintentional fatal shooting: St. Petersburg, Florida. Wilfredo LaFontaine, fifty, accidentally shot himself to death while simultaneously talking on the phone to his girlfriend and cleaning his handgun. The girlfriend heard a “pop” over the phone and rushed to their apartment, where LaFontaine was found slumped against a door. He explained he had been cleaning his gun. He died later at a hospital.10
Homicide: Pensacola, Florida. Elena Rendell, seventeen, allegedly shot and killed her adoptive sister, Christina Sneary, fourteen, with her father’s 9mm handgun during an argument between the siblings over a cell phone. Authorities charged Rendell with manslaughter.11
Suicide: Jersey City, New Jersey. A twenty-three-year-old man whom police did not publicly identify shot himself in the head with a handgun while sitting in a Cadillac sedan on a public street.12
Murder-suicide: Windsor, North Carolina. Frank Cowan, eighty-seven, shot to death his wife, Dorothy Cowan, eighty-six, and then killed himself with the same gun.13
Homicide: Staten Island, New York. Shytik Bowman, seventeen, was shot to death in the course of an apparent street robbery. Authorities later charged Stanley Bowens, twenty-one, with the murder, which allegedly happened when Bowman was being robbed of a bracelet worth less than fifty dollars.14
Homicide and nonfatal shooting: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Kimberly Wade, forty-five, was shot in the stomach when at least one gunman sprayed her house with bullets. Shortly thereafter, her son, Chris Michaux, nineteen, was shot to death outside a friend’s house.15
Murder-suicide: Santa Clarita, California. Martin Fred Strassner, sixty-four, picked up his in-laws, Leo Moss, ninety-five, and Jean Moss, ninety, from an assisted-living home. He drove them to his own residence, where he parked in the driveway. He shot both of the Mosses to death with a handgun while they were sitting in the car, then turned the gun on himself and committed suicide.16
Would-be robber shot with own gun: St. Petersburg, Florida. Almedin Muratovic, twenty-five, attempted an armed robbery of a twenty-five-year-old woman at an automated teller machine. The woman’s twenty-nine-year-old boyfriend jumped out of his car and wrestled with Muratovic, who was shot with his own 22 caliber handgun during the struggle. Muratovic was charged with two counts of attempted armed robbery.17
Homicide and nonfatal shooting: Detroit, Michigan. Alphonso Thomas, thirty-six, an employee of the Pretty Woman Lounge strip club, was shot to death by an unidentified person who was apparently refused admission to the club, pulled out a handgun, and started shooting. A manager of the club was also shot.18
Homicide: Tucson, Arizona. Loran Langston, thirty-four, was shot to death after an altercation with his neighbor Brian Dillon, forty. Dillon claimed he shot Langston in self-defense. No arrest was made pending investigation.19
Homicide (mass family murder): Ocala, Florida. James Edward Bannister Sr., thirty-one, allegedly shot to death eight-year-old CorDarrian Hill, six-year-old CorDerica Hill, fifty-two-year-old Bridget Gray, and twenty-seven-year-old Jocalyn Gray. He then set fire to the home. Bannister has been indicted on four counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a firearm and one count of arson of a dwelling.20
Homicide, nonfatal shooting: Jacksonville, Florida. Marquis Bing, eighteen, was found shot to death in a car. An unidentified injured woman was also in the car. Police later arrested Clarence Lee Jones, twenty, for the murder. Another suspect, Joseph Donte Patterson, eighteen, was arrested for attempted murder. Patterson allegedly also discharged a firearm in the incident, but his shots did not hit anyone.21
Homicide: Los Angeles, California. Marco Antonio Gonzalez, twenty, was shot and killed in his car after a dispute with another driver. Authorities said the dispute appeared to be gang-related.22
Unintentional nonfatal shooting: Thonotosassa, Florida. Oscar Thayer Dean, forty-three, was allegedly mishandling a .357 Magnum revolver that he thought was unloaded when he shot his wife in the stomach. When police responded to the emergency call, they observed that the “residence was heavily infested with insects and there was very little food” and concluded that the home was unfit for the couple’s six-year-old daughter. Dean was arrested on a charge of child neglect.23
Murder-suicide: Farmington Hills, Michigan. Lisa Mazzola, fifty-two, shot and killed her husband, Robert Mazzola, fifty-three, with a handgun, then shot herself to death. The couple were divorcing.24
Nonfatal shooting: Buffalo, New York. Darnell Mobley, twenty-four, was shot in the stomach when he ran away from a man with a black revolver who was attempting to hold him up. Mobley was hospitalized and listed in fair condition after the shooting.25
Homicide (police legal intervention): Chester, Pennsylvania. Daniel Simms, twenty-one, ran away from a police officer who was attempting to stop him during a routine patrol. When the officer gave chase on foot, Simms pointed a loaded handgun at the officer. The officer fatally shot Simms, and was later cleared of wrongdoing.26
Murder, attempted suicide: Englewood, Florida. Frank Olms, sixty-six, shot his wife, Nancy Olms, forty-eight, and then shot himself. Nancy Olms died, but Frank Olms survived and was later charged with first-degree murder.27
Suicide: Prospect Heights, Illinois. An unnamed sixteen-year-old boy shot himself to death with his father’s 45 caliber pistol.28
Nonfatal shooting: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Lataya Anthony, thirty-one, suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach. Ms. Anthony would not cooperate with police, who had no suspect for the shooting.29
Homicide, nonfatal shooting: Oakland, California. Lashawna Candies, twenty-five, was killed and her thirty-four-year-old aunt was wounded when they accidentally drove into the middle of a shootout between rival groups.30
Murder-suicide: Lincoln, Nebraska. Jerry Crook, fifty-seven, shot and killed Sueann Bedlion, forty-seven, then killed himself with the same gun. Bedlion’s twenty-year-old daughter was present and fled the apartment.31
Homicide: Bradenton, Florida. Roman Hall, forty-three, was found shot to death outside the backdoor of his residence.32
Homicide: Fort Worth, Texas. Larry Lampkin, eighteen, was found dead in a breezeway of the apartment complex in which he lived. He had been shot multiple times. Police later arrested one juvenile and were seeking another for the shooting, which apparently was the result of an argument.33
Homicide and nonfatal shooting: Petersburg, Virginia. Corey M. Lewis Jr., sixteen, was shot to death. An unnamed twenty-eight-year-old man was also found shot near by. Police later arrested five suspects, including two juveniles, in connection with the shootings.34
Suicide: New Port Richey, Florida. Christos Marangos, thirty, shot himself in the head after exchanging gunfire at his residence with Pasco County sheriff’s deputies. Authorities had come to the home to question Marangos, who had a criminal record, about several burglaries. He opened fire when the deputies entered the mobile home.35
Homicide: Jersey City, New Jersey. Rakim Priester, twenty-one, was cut down in a hail of more than two dozen bullets. The single bullet that struck Priester out of the many fired at him inflicted a fatal wound. Police later arrested Aziz R. Wright, nineteen, and Donelle L. Golden, twenty-one, in connection with the murder.36
Homicide: New Brunswick, New Jersey. Jesse Simons, sixty-one, a hospital worker, was found on a street, mortally wounded by gunshot. He later died in the hospital. No suspects were arrested.37
Homicide: Chester, Pennsylvania. After responding to a report of shots fired, police found a thirty-seven-year-old man lying on the ground mortally wounded by gunfire. The man died shortly later. He was not identified.38
Nonfatal shooting, homicide of police officer, homicide (police legal intervention): El Cajon and San Diego, California. Dejon White, twenty-three, approached Martin Hana, twenty-three, who was in his car at an El Cajon In-N-Out Burger. White fired one round with a shotgun, hitting Hana in the face. Hana survived his wounds but required intensive surgery and care. White sped away and shortly afterward pulled up beside a San Diego police car and fired another round through his passenger-side window, killing officer Jeremy Henwood, thirty-six. Investigators tracked White’s car to his home address. When they arrived, a shootout ensued, and White was killed by police gunfire. White may have intended so-called suicide by cop.39
Homicide, nonfatal shooting: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Yavonne Burch, twenty-two, was shot to death, and another woman in her early twenties was injured by gunfire in front of a residence. Authorities later arrested Vincent “Huddy” Leach, twenty-six, in connection with the shootings.40
Homicide, nonfatal shooting: Chicago, Illinois. Six-year-old Arianna Gibson was shot dead and two teenagers were wounded when a gunman opened fire through the living room window. Arianna was sleeping on a couch. Authorities believe one of the teenagers was the intended target of the shooter.41
Homicide (mass shooting), nonfatal injury, homicide (police intervention): Copley Township, Ohio. Armed with two handguns, Michael Hance, fifty-one, went on a ten-minute rampage through the neighborhood in which he and his girlfriend lived. Hance shot seven people to death and critically wounded his girlfriend. The gunman apparently stalked specific targets, including an eleven-year-old and two teenagers, while allowing others to escape. Hance was shot to death by responding police.42
Nonfatal shooting (self-defense): St. Petersburg, Florida. Would-be robber Anthony Lawrence Hauser, seventeen, was shot four times by Raven Smith, thirty-four, when he attempted to hold up Smith’s girlfriend in the parking lot of an Applebee’s restaurant. Smith had a concealed-carry permit and police ruled the shooting self-defense.43
Homicide: Houston, Texas. Salem Saif Al Mazroui and his father, Saif Bin Musallam Al Mazroui, were confronted by two men as they were unloading their vehicle in front of the father’s apartment. One of the men opened fire with a pistol when the father and son attempted to flee. The son was fatally injured. He had been visiting his father from the United Arab Emirates. Two suspects were later arrested and charged with capital murder.44
Nonfatal shooting: Fort Lauderdale, Florida. James McIvery, seventy-nine, fired two bullets at the ground, one of which struck twelve-year-old Traves Neal in the stomach. McIvery asserted that he did not mean to shoot anyone and merely intended to scare off a group of youths who had been repeatedly pestering him and his disabled daughter.45
Attempted murder-suicide: Lake Villa Township, Illinois. After a domestic argument, Gordon D. Olsen, fifty-two, shot his forty-nine-year-old wife in the head and chest, then shot himself. Olsen died. His wife, who was not named in news reports, survived and was expected to make a full recovery from her injuries.46
Unintentional nonfatal shooting: Warren, Rhode Island. An unnamed twenty-six-year-old man was shot in the abdomen and buttocks when a firearm accidentally discharged. He recovered. A twenty-four-year-old man was taken into custody on the misdemeanor charge of firing in a compact area.47
Homicide, nonfatal shooting: Boston, Massachusetts. Elvis Sanchez, seventeen, and his mother, Elvira Pimentel, forty-three, were shot dead in their home, and another unnamed male was wounded.48
Murder-suicide: Buena Park, California. William Schilling, fifty-three, fatally shot his wife, Susan, forty-eight, in the head in the couple’s bedroom. He then fatally shot himself in the head. Schilling had recently inherited from his father the 30-06 rifle he used.49
Murder-suicide, New Port Richey, Florida. Stephen Michael Searce, fifty-eight, fatally shot to death his wife, Penny Lynn Searce, forty-eight. He then shot himself and died.50
Homicide, nonfatal shooting: New Orleans, Louisiana. Jamaal Stewart, twenty-eight, was found shot to death in his vehicle. About an hour later, an unnamed seventeen-year-old boy was shot in the back, thigh, and buttocks while riding his bicycle.51
Murder-suicide (family annihilation): Brooklyn Park, Maryland. Kelly Brian Thompson, thirty-three, shot and killed his wife, Nina Thompson, thirty-four, and her fifteen-year-old twin children, Taishawn Pugh and Treshawn Pugh. He fatally shot himself when police arrived.52