'Almost unprecedented': MS county sees 3 accidental shootings with gunshots to the head
A county in South Mississippi has experienced a scenario like it's never seen with three accidental shootings over a period of days and each victim was struck in the head.
"That's almost unprecedented in that length of time," said Jones County Sheriff's Department public information officer Lance Chancellor. "In less than four days we've had three accidental shootings."
The first in the series came Saturday when the department received a call at 9:36 p.m. and responded to the scene in southern Jones County. An 11-year-old boy was shot in the head with a .22 caliber rifle by his 12-year-old sister while hunting rabbits. Their names are being withheld due to their ages. They were hunting with their 19-year-old stepbrother.
The incident ended in tragedy. The boy was transported to an area hospital and later died.
Gunshot wound survival called 'miraculous'
The following morning, deputies responded to a shooting outside of Ellisville. According to the department, Willie Hal Lack, Jr., 36, was retrieving a .30-06 caliber hunting rifle from a shelf in a closet and a .380 caliber pistol that was underneath it discharged.
The bullet entered the bridge of Lack's nose and exited the top left side of his forehead. Despite his injury, Lack was able to speak and described what happened to emergency personnel.
"He's expected to recover from that," Chancellor said. "It's miraculous he lived. The outcome could have easily been tragically different."
Mississippi teen sitting on a sofa accidentally shot through a wall
The department received a call Tuesday night about the third accidental shooting which happened near Moselle, south of Ellisville.
According to JCSD, Shauna Lovett, 19, was sitting on a sofa in the living room of a home when she was struck in the face by a 9mm round. David Anthony Pool, 47, the father of Lovett's boyfriend, was in an adjacent room attempting to unload a pistol when it accidentally fired.
The bullet traveled through a wall and struck Lovett.
The wound was significant, but Chancellor said Lovett is expected to recover.
Following the shooting, JCSD advised gun owners to practice muzzle discipline and keep firearms pointed in a safe direction.
"We're reminding folks to treat every weapon as if it's loaded," Chancellor said. "Just be careful."
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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Three people accidentally shot in head in Jones County, Mississippi
