There have been at least 10 people "accidentally" shot and killed in Arizona this year.
Just this week, a 56-year-old Prescott Valley man was killed after he asked his wife to grab his shotgun for him and the gun discharged during the transfer, fatally wounding him.
Although there may be more than 10 accidental shooting deaths so far this year, these are just the ones that we are aware of. Note that four of the 10 people killed are children.
State health department statistics show that these deaths happen every year in Arizona, but remember that there are 10 already in August of 2013. There are many, many more accidental firearm injuries, but most aren't fatal.
Below, check out the details of the 10 fatal shootings so far this year.
11.) Manuel Ortiz
This one isn't included in the total count, since it took place on New Year's Eve, 2012. According to Phoenix police, Ortiz's sister, 19-year-old Savannah Ramirez, accidentally shot and killed Ortiz while they were posing for photos together, with a gun to Ortiz's head.
10.) Unidentified Glendale Man
Glendale police say Joe Colter, a 20-year-old Glendale resident, admitted he and a friend were joking around when he unintentionally shot and killed the friend, who was not named. Colter was not old enough to own a handgun, but purchased it from an online classifieds website.
9.) Justin Stanfield Thomas
Thomas, an Army veteran, was visiting a friend in Prescott Valley, when his 4-year-old son found the gun in the man's apartment, and shot his father, killing him. Police say the man who lived at the apartment apparently wasn't expecting Thomas to come over, which was why the gun was out.
8.) 11-Year-Old Joan Plumb
Plumb was at home with her friends in Casa Grande when she was shot by one of those friends, who had picked up a rifle that belonged to Plumb's older brother.
7.) Nathen Noyes
Noyes' wife had apparently been handling the gun inside their Mesa home when it discharged, striking and killing Noyes, who was 60 years old.
6.) 17-year-Old Raymond Berryman
Berryman was killed after he and his friends allegedly burglarized a home, and stole a gun from that home. Ladajianna Mosely, who was 15 at the time, was allegedly playing around with the gun after the burglary, and fatally shot Berryman. She's facing a murder charge, as an adult.
5.) Francisco Pacheco-Lozania
Pacheco was killed in Seligman, while hunting prairie dogs with his 12-year-old son. Pacheco apparently walked in front of his son right as he pulled the trigger, and was shot in the head. He died later that day.
4.) Amanda Encinas
Encinas' boyfriend, 23-year-old Matthew Walsh, was showing off his new gun when it discharged, striking Encinas in the hip. The bullet hit an artery, and it killed her. Walsh faces a manslaughter charge.
3.) 3-Year-Old Darrien Nez
Darrien shot himself in the face after finding his 35-year-old grandmother's gun. The boy found it in a backpack -- the same backpack where police found grandma's meth pipe. The grandmother, Rachel Spry, faces several charges.
2.) 13-Year-Old Brady Baker
Brady, from Wickenburg, was shot by a friend in what appears to be an accident. The 13-year-old shooter got the gun from his father, who thought he should have the gun to protect himself.
1.) Gary Wingate
Just this week, Wingate, of Prescott Valley, was accidentally shot and killed by his wife. Wingate asked his wife for his shotgun, and although she didn't like handling firearms, she did it, and the gun discharged, striking her husband.
Send feedback and tips to the author.
Follow Matthew Hendley on Twitter at @MatthewHendley.
