The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees U.S. citizens the right to bear arms. Unfortunately, many gun owners in this country are not responsible and this is demonstrated on a frighteningly regular basis. Here are 8 tales of irresponsible gun owners who should never be allowed to own or wield a firearm again (and really should not have been allowed to have one to begin with):
Fresno, CA man opens fire on family of four
Visalia police arrested John Litchfield outside a home in the area of Feemster Avenue and Dollner Street around 7 p.m. Saturday. They say he got angry after he was nearly involved in a crash with a car carrying two adults and their two children.
The 53-year-old is accused of shooting one round at the victims as they drove away. No one was hurt, and officers did not find any damage from the gunfire.
Litchfield was booked into jail on several charges, including assault with a deadly weapon and child endangerment.
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Charleston, S.C. man shoots off own finger
According to the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, a 56-year-old man was handling a weapon in his garage when the gun accidentally went off blowing off one of his fingers.
Officials with the Sheriff’s office said the self-inflicted shooting happened around 8 p.m., and that the man was unaware that the weapon was loaded.
The man was later taken to the hospital to treat his wound.
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Man shoots self in hand during church service
The man was sitting in an evening service at a church in Altoona, Pa., when he stood up. Worshippers heard a gunshot, and witness Jason Wagler said he saw a man pass a handgun to another man and try to act like everything was fine, WTAE reported. Wagler managed to snap several photos of the weapon to back up his account, the station said.
Police later determined that a man was legally carrying the handgun in his pocket with the safety off. As he stood up, the trigger became tangled in his pants, firing the weapon.
The man was briefly hospitalized with a hand injury, police said. His name was not released.
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Man shoots and kills woman, injures her 12-year-old son after they laughed at him
The shooting Wednesday occurred in front of a Hawthorne police cruiser, prompting officers to shoot the gunman.
The gunman and the woman, 36-year-old Denise Berry, were killed and the boy was wounded.
The Los Angeles Times reports Friday ( http://lat.ms/1BYiuBl ) that police pieced together the events based on statements by the boy, who was hospitalized in stable condition.
The shooter has been identified as 38-year-old Robert Washington.
Two men in the Cadillac, ages 24 and 19, were arrested. It’s unclear what charges, if any, they may face.
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Georgia man shoots 9-year-old girl while assembling gun
Tyler Lewis, 25, was taken into custody Wednesday and is being held in the Barrow County Detention Center.
The shooting happened Monday at a house on Highway 82. Investigators said Lewis shares the home with his girlfriend and her three children.
Barrow County Sheriff’s Capt. Matt Guthas said Lewis was trying to determine how quickly he could take apart and reassemble his loaded 9mm handgun. He asked his girlfriend’s children to time him. At one point, Lewis pulled the gun’s trigger. A bullet hit the 9-year-old girl, who was sitting next to him.
The victim, whose name was not released, was rushed to an Atlanta-area hospital. She has undergone several surgeries and remains in critical condition.
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California man shoots, kills own brother
Brandon James Van Heyningen, 44, has been booked on suspicion of murder, said Lt. John Corina of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau.
Van Heyningen is accused of killing his brother, Richard Van Heyningen, after a Tuesday morning argument near the Lakewood home where the brothers grew up. The shooting happened about 9:40 a.m. just east of the intersection of Hardwick Street and Woodruff Avenue. Their childhood home is on nearby Fanwood Avenue.
The immediate circumstances of the shooting, according to Corina and sheriff’s officials, involved an argument between the two brothers that led to one brother chasing the other.
Richard Van Heyningen, 47, was riding a bicycle on Hardwick street while being followed by Brandon Van Heyningen, who was driving a pickup truck. The truck crashed into the bicycle and the impact forced Richard to fall into the street. Witnesses told investigators that Richard Van Heyningen managed to get up, walk to the driver’s side of the truck and argue with his younger brother.
Brandon Van Heyningen then stepped out of the truck and shot his brother with a handgun, according to the sheriff’s department. Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the scene of the shooting shortly after the violence took place and arrested Brandon Van Heyningen without further incident.
Richard Van Heyningen died at the scene of the shooting.
Homicide detectives on Tuesday were interviewing witnesses and family members in an attempt to determine a motive for the shooting. Additional details on the case were not being released Wednesday, Corina said.
Family members, however, said Wednesday that there had been long-running problems between the brothers.
Shannon Van Heyningen, 46, of Lakewood, said she is the sister of both brothers and claimed that Brandon Van Heyningen had been afflicted by feelings of jealousy and rage toward his older brother.
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Texas man opens fire in nightclub after losing a game of pool
Houston Police arrived at club V.I.P. on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard near Beekman around 3:00 a.m.
They found a man shot in the chest and a woman shot in the leg.
Apparently, the man was gambling on a game of pool with another man, the suspect. When the suspect lost the game, he demanded his money back which led to an argument between the two.
The suspect then pulled out a pistol and open fire inside the club. The male victim was shot first and the woman was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time when she was also hit.
The suspect fired more shots and fled the scene. His whereabouts are unknown at this time.
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Drunk Georgia man shoots and kills own dog
Patrick Eamon Kenny, of Smyrna, was drunk when he shot the dog early Saturday with his Glock 19 9mm semiautomatic pistol, his arrest warrant states.
Smyrna police were called to the home, where Kenny didn’t hide the fact that he’d killed his pet, according to the warrant. No information was released on the dog’s age or breed.
“Said accused also did make a spontaneous utterance of, ‘I just shot my dog’ while being detained by officers,” the warrant states.
Kenny was also forthcoming about having marijuana, police said.
“The said accused did make a spontaneous utterance informing officers there was marijuana in the residence,” the warrant states. “After said accused was read his Miranda warnings, said accused was questioned about the marijuana. Said accused gave consent for a search of both the residence and specifically said accused’s bedroom.”
In the bedroom, officers located 13.5 grams of marijuana, police said.
Kenny was arrested by Smyrna police and later booked into the Cobb County jail, records showed. He was charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, a felony, and misdemeanor counts of reckless conduct, possession of less than an ounce of marijuana and discharge of a weapon while under the influence.
