Joe Nocera Blog: The Gun Report: December 12, 2013

BB guns are often thought of as a coming-of-age diversion, something young boys shoot in the woods. They are regulated in the same manner as air guns, which is to say, not much: They are not regulated federally, nor are they regulated by most state and local governments. But some states are beginning to recognize the destruction the weapons can cause.

In New Jersey, BB guns must be registered and are subject to the same laws as firearms—under the state's Graves Act, a conviction could lead to prison time. Virginia treats BB guns as firearms if they are used during criminal conduct. But manufacturers generally do not think of their guns as deadly weapons.

"Our products are not firearms as there is no combustion in the chamber," said a spokesperson for Daisy, a BB and air gun manufacturer based in Arkansas. But they can be just as dangerous as firearms.

* On Aug. 30, an 18-month-old boy died after being shot with a BB gun in Atlanta, Ga. Jesse Sellers told authorities that he was playing with the gun, trying to scare his son, Jesstin, when it went off, hitting him in the chest. He was arrested and charged with second-degree cruelty to children and felony murder.

* A 4-year-old boy was shot in the chest with a Daisy Roger .177 caliber BB gun in Freeport, Fla., on Dec. 7. The victim's 14-year-old cousin was standing six feet away when he pulled the trigger. The boy underwent surgery and was last reported to be in critical condition.

* A 5-year-old girl was shot in the eye and seriously wounded with a BB gun in Dayton, Ohio, on Nov. 20. She was lying on the floor of a home when another child pointed the gun at her and accidentally pulled the trigger from less than two feet away. The victim's father told police he usually keeps the gun hidden in the garage and doesn't know how the kids found it.

* Skyler Richardson, 10, died a week after his 13-year-old brother accidentally shot him in the head with a BB gun in Frostproof, Fla. The pair had been playing with their new Daisy Powerline 880S BB guns, which fire pellets at up to 800 feet per second, when Taylor Richardson shot his brother at close range. No charges were filed. "This is a tragic accident," said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. "The boys were acting irresponsibly, but they were just kids being kids."

* Marina Rybak, 12, was killed after being shot in the neck with a pellet gun wielded by a 6-year-old boy at a birthday party in Delta Junction, Alaska, on Oct. 26. The pellet gun belonged to a relative of the boy, who didn't realize the victim was in front of the muzzle when he pulled the trigger.

Here is today's report.

—Jennifer Mascia

Lance Holger Anderson, 60, is believed to have shot and killed his wife and sister in Santa Clarita, Calif., Wednesday morning. Lisa Nave, 58, Anderson's sister, was shot in the head while in lying in a bed at a nursing and rehabilitation center in the North Hills area. Nave had been at the facility for five years and was in a vegetative state. An hour later, a woman believed to be Anderson's wife, who reportedly had medical issues, was pronounced dead after being shot at a home in the Canyon Country area. The suspect is in custody.

—KTLA5

Three people were killed and two others were wounded in shootings across Chicago, Ill., Tuesday and Wednesday. Deonte Womack, 21, was killed in a shooting in the South Shore neighborhood Tuesday afternoon. A few hours later, Kevin Johnson, 30, was shot to death in the Morgan Park neighborhood. A few hours after that, Demarcus Brandon, 25, tried to rob a cell phone store on the South Side, and the store's owner shot and killed him.

—Chicago Sun-Times

Three men were shot and wounded in east Arlington, Tex., Wednesday afternoon. Police discovered the victims in an S.U.V. carrying seven others, who were taken in for questioning. No weapons were recovered at the scene and no one was charged.

—Dallas News

Two women and a man were wounded when someone opened fire in the Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw area of Los Angeles, Calif., Wednesday afternoon. No word on suspects or a motive.

—Los Angeles Times

A teenage boy was shot in the leg while urinating in some bushes in south Seattle, Wash., Tuesday afternoon. The boy, who left school early, heard an engine accelerate behind him, turned around and saw a black sedan. The victim said two or three rounds were fired from a window, and he didn't see who shot him. Gang unit officers are investigating.

—The Seattle Times

A man in his late 20s was killed in a drive-by shooting in the Watts area of Los Angeles Wednesday evening. The man was standing outside a home when someone fired a round, striking him in the chest. The suspected assailant fled the scene in a vehicle and remains at large.

—Los Angeles Times

Denzel Hayden, 21, was shot in the stomach and killed and another person was wounded at an apartment complex in Greenville, S.C., Tuesday night. Police said three people came to the door of an apartment and a fight broke out, sparking a shootout. Clint Lewis Wright, 19, has been charged with murder.

—Fox Carolina

A man in his 20s was fatally shot in a parking lot in Vallejo, Calif., Tuesday night. It was the second fatal shooting of the day: A man in his 20s was found fatally shot in a car parked in front of a supermarket Tuesday afternoon, drawing a hostile crowd that took four law enforcement agencies to contain.

—San Jose Mercury News

One person was shot and wounded at a Publix supermarket in DeKalb County, Ga., Wednesday night. A person on the scene was fatally struck by a car. No word on whether the two incidents are related.

—WSB-TV

Thomas Shaquille Rader, 20, was shot and killed at a home in Sanford, Fla., early Wednesday. Authorities haven't ruled out the possibility that the shooting was accidental. It is the third shooting death in Sanford in four days: Travis Richardson, 30, was killed late Sunday, and Stacey Lamont Morrison, 31, was killed early Monday.

—WRAL.com

One person was killed and another person was wounded in a shooting behind the Velvet Creamery restaurant in north Modesto, Calif., Wednesday afternoon. The victims ran to a nearby McDonald's for help, where one of them collapsed. A witness said the man who died was clutching a large bag of marijuana. Police detained three people believed to be connected to the shootings.

—The Modesto Bee

Jared Christopher Vincent, 22, was killed and another person was injured in a shooting at a south Baton Rouge, La., townhouse complex early Wednesday. No word on suspects. Detectives recently began conducting an undercover investigation at the complex after receiving tips about drug deals.

—The Advocate

A man was shot and wounded on the east side of Indianapolis, Ind., Wednesday night. No word on suspects or a motive.

—WISHTV.com

A man was shot in the leg and wounded at an apartment complex in east Gainesville, Fla., Tuesday night. Buddy J. Fleming, 19, who had written on Facebook that he planned to shoot the victim, turned himself in the next day. Police also arrested Trevis Avante Strawder, 19, an inmate at a nearby work-release center. Police said the shooting may be gang-related. Last month, a pregnant woman was shot and killed by her boyfriend at the same apartment complex.

—WCJB-TV

Police say Rochelle Dixon, 44, was shot by her estranged boyfriend in southeast Columbus, Ohio, Wednesday night. Family members said they witnessed the shooting. The victim was reportedly afraid the suspect would come after her.

—10TV.com

Radonna L. Holman, 55, was shot and killed in her home in La Russell, Mo., Monday night, and her husband, David K. Holman, 54, was arrested. The suspect had called 911 to report that his wife had been shot and offered no resistance when police arrived.

—The Joplin Globe

Fuad Ali, 31, was shot in south Minneapolis, Minn., early Wednesday, and died about 12 hours later. The victim, originally from Somalia, was the owner of two event halls and the father of two young boys, with another child expected soon. No arrests have been made.

—StarTribune

A man was shot and killed in Kansas City, Kan., Wednesday night. No word on suspects.

—The Kansas City Star

Two men were shot, one fatally, in Richmond, Va., Wednesday night. Police are asking anyone with information to come forward.

—WTVR.com

Two people were shot, one fatally, at an apartment complex in Chandler, Ariz., Tuesday night. Officers aren't looking for suspects.

—MyFoxPhoenix.com

A man and a woman in their 30s were shot and wounded when someone opened fire on their car in Ferguson, Mo., early Wednesday. The couple had been to a nightclub and were dropping off a friend when the shooting occurred. Police don't know a motive and don't have any suspects.

—St. Louis Post-Dispatch

A 26-year-old man was found with a fatal gunshot wound to the head at a home on the south side of Billings, Mont., Tuesday afternoon. Police said it is unclear if foul play was involved.

—Billings Gazette

Ernesto Chaires, 35, was killed and 34-year-old Jose Morales was critically wounded following an argument in Ripley, Miss., Wednesday morning. Isidro Mercado, 26, is in custody.

—WREG

Narcisco Carrera, 27, was shot in the chest and throat in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Springfield, Tenn., Wednesday evening. Two suspects fled on foot.

—The Tennessean

A man was found fatally shot in the head on a street near an apartment complex in southwest Houston, Tex., early Wednesday. The victim and his roommate may have had an altercation in a nearby apartment when the gunfire erupted. "It's a sad situation, and it keeps happening over and over again," a neighbor said. In a phone call to neighbors, the roommate said he didn't do it.

—KTRK.com

Deontre Miles, 23, was shot and killed in West Ashley, S.C., Wednesday night. No suspect has been identified at this time.

—WCSC

According to Slate's gun-death tracker, an estimated 11,428 people have died as a result of gun violence in America since the Newtown massacre on December 14, 2012.

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