Eight of 26 guns discovered by TSA agents at airports around the country last week.

Eight of 26 guns discovered by TSA agents at airports around the country last week.

It was a wild week, and we're back in the normal expected range of 40-50 stories this time around, after a few quiet weeks. Twenty people were found to have accidentally shot themselves; seven people made the news cleaning loaded guns; six law enforcement officers were involved in gun whoopsies; five selfless patriots made their fellow citizens safer by accidentally discharging their weapons while shopping, dining or running other routine errands (and four of them were licensed concealed carriers, supposedly "specially trained" to avoid these things); and five more decided to share their freedom missiles with neighbors. Four others had gun accidents while fiddling with and/or showing off their guns for no particular reason, four practicing at the range accidentally shot themselves or others (in one case, someone half a mile away), two accidentally shot humans while hunting, and two more accidentally shot themselves while producing weapons for what they said was defensive use.

Among the standouts were one of our two patriots who somehow forgot their constant companions and lifelines to freedom, and left them behind. In this case, a Colorado state legislator who left his loaded pistol behind in a canvas bag, underneath the table where he'd been seated for a hearing on expanding concealed carry laws, since concealed carriers are so awesome and safe and stuff.

There were a number of stories originally picked up as accidental shootings last week, but that on further examination were called into some question. Included among them, this episode from River Hills, WI, in which a man was said to have accidentally shot himself. Later, it was reported more ambiguously as a case of a man who was cleaning a gun, and then began “handling it in a careless manner,” How so? "River Hills police say Gifford placed one round in the gun, and 'made random and reckless statements about the weapon and its use.'" This resulted in a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled this death a suicide. So, how do you count that one? Intentional? Russian Roulette? Accident? I don't know, so I left it out of the count.

Then there was this one from Scotch Plains, NJ, in which it was reported that a man had been accidentally shot while he and a relative were cleaning a gun. No charges were initially filed. But the next day, the cops were back, and seized nearly 100 firearms from the house, and charged the shooter with aggravated assault, pointing a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine. So what does that mean? They changed their minds about the circumstances? The cleaning story was a lie? I don't know.

One more, this time from Marietta Township, WI, where Boscobel Elementary School sixth grader Briar Brown shot himself at his Crawford County home. Briar had been shot with his .22 rifle, and he died the following day. “I’m not sure anyone will ever know exactly what happened; he was alone at the time,” said Crawford County Sheriff Dale McCullick. “Was it self-inflicted? Was he cleaning his gun? Was he going to shoot a skunk? I’ve heard all those things, but none of us will ever know what happened. It’s an absolute tragedy. We all know that.” The only hint at anything other than this being an accident is the question of whether it was "self-inflicted," which doesn't necessarily carry the implication that it was suicide. What happened? Again, we don't know. But there are stories like these every week, and we usually have to put them aside and just be resigned to never knowing what happened.

The children of GunFAIL were somewhat fewer than usual this week. Six were accidentally shot, the youngest being just 5 months old. The others were aged 3, 6, 12, 13 and 16. The kids were vastly outnumbered by those who shot themselves, as usual. But they were also outnumbered by those accidentally injured by gunfire in bars and restaurants. As I mentioned in the title, as South Carolina clears the way for carrying weapons in the state's bars (with Georgia now considering it, as well), a total of 15 were wounded just this past week in accidental discharges in bars and restaurants in Florida and Kansas, appropriately enough in establishments known as "Shooters" and "Shot Time II," respectively.

Below the fold, last week's list.