Top 10 Craziest Reasons People Have Been Shot in the U.S. in 2023

In the wake of a troubling surge in gun violence, the United States in 2023 has witnessed a shocking range of shootings that defy logic and humanity. In an unsettling sequence of events, innocent people have been shot for reasons as baffling as playing hide and seek or ringing the doorbell of the wrong house. The disturbing trend of these incidents has put the spotlight on the country's gun control laws and the interpretation of the Second Amendment.

The shooters in these cases often claim self-defense, leveraging laws like Stand Your Ground to justify their actions. However, the circumstances surrounding these incidents paint a very different picture, leaving us to grapple with the chilling reality of gun violence and the convoluted justification of such actions.

The victims of these shootings are often doing nothing more than going about their daily lives, their actions misinterpreted as threats by individuals too quick to pull the trigger. Their stories are a stark reminder of the potential dangers that lurk in the most mundane corners of life, and the tragic consequences that can ensue when fear and firearms collide.

Below are the ten most jaw-dropping, mind-numbing, and heartbreaking reasons people have been shot in the U.S. in 2023.
The Top Ten
1 For ringing the doorbell of the wrong house, Ralph Yarl (16) Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old African American student, was shot twice and injured on April 13, 2023, in Kansas City, Missouri, after ringing the doorbell of the wrong house. Yarl was trying to pick up his twin brothers, but mistakenly ended up at the wrong address. Andrew Daniel Lester, an 84-year-old local resident, was identified as the suspect and was charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action, charges equivalent to attempted murder in Missouri. The prosecutor's office noted a "racial component" to the case, but this wasn't included in the legal charges.
2 For using the wrong driveway, Kaylin Gillis (20) 20-year-old Kaylin Gillis was fatally shot when the car she was in mistakenly turned into the wrong driveway in upstate New York. The car was driven by one of Gillis' friends and was believed to belong to another friend. The homeowner, 65-year-old Kevin Monahan, is said to have fired at the car from his porch as the group of friends were leaving his property after realizing their mistake. Out of the two shots fired, one struck Gillis, who was sitting in the passenger seat​​.

The area where the incident took place is rural, with limited cellphone or internet service. After the shooting, Gillis' friends drove several miles away to call 911. Gillis was pronounced dead at a location several miles southeast of the incident site​​.
3 For trying to open the door of the wrong car, Heather Roth (21) and Payton Washington (18) Payton Washington and Heather Roth were part of a group of competitive cheerleaders who were using the parking lot as a rendezvous point for carpooling from the Round Rock area to their practice at the Woodlands Elite Cheer Company in Oak Ridge North​​.

The incident began when Roth mistakenly opened the door of a vehicle she believed to be hers, only to find Pedro Tello Rodriguez Jr. in the passenger seat. Startled, she retreated to a friend's vehicle. However, as she attempted to apologize to Rodriguez, he responded by opening fire, wounding both Roth and Washington.
4 For playing hide-and-seek on someone else's property, 14-year-old girl A 14-year-old girl was shot in the back of the head by her neighbor after participating in a game of hide-and-seek on his property in Starks, near the Louisiana-Texas border. The children were hiding on the neighbor's property when the owner, 58-year-old David Doyle, noticed shadows outside his home and proceeded to retrieve his gun. Upon seeing people running away from his property, Doyle began shooting, unintentionally striking the girl. Following the incident, Doyle was arrested and faces charges of aggravated battery, four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, and illegal discharge of a firearm.
5 For asking a neighbor to stop shooting his rifle in his front yard, Sonia Argentina Guzman (25), Daniel Enrique Laso (8), Diana Velazquez Alvarado (21), Julisa Molina Rivera (31) and Jose Jonathan Casarez (18) The San Jacinto County Sheriff's Office received a call detailing harassment at around 11:31 p.m. When deputies arrived, they found five victims at Oropesa's property. Footage from a Ring doorbell at the victims' house showed the shooter entering the home with a weapon. Four victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while the youngest was declared dead after being transported to the hospital.

The perpetrator, Francisco Oropesa, a 38-year-old Mexican national, had been deported from the US four times before the incident. On the night of the tragedy, Oropesa was shooting a semi-automatic rifle in his front yard, which caused disturbance to his neighbors who had a baby. Some of them asked him to stop the noise as it was keeping their baby awake​.

Oropesa, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, responded with defiance, stating, "I'll do what I want to in my front yard." The situation quickly escalated from a case of harassment to a mass shooting.

All victims were from Honduras. Furthermore, three minors were found unharmed but covered in blood at the scene. Two of the female victims were found lying on top of two surviving children, suggesting that they had tried to shield their children from the bullets.
6 For being around someone who retrieved a basketball from a neighbor's yard, Kinsley White (6), Ashley Hilderbrand and William "Jamie" White The incident was triggered when a group of children playing basketball saw their ball bounce into a neighbor's yard. The neighbor, identified as Robert Louis Singletary, was reportedly incensed by this and fired at another neighbor. He then redirected his fury towards the White family, shooting at them. In the ensuing chaos, 6-year-old Kinsley White was wounded and required stitches from bullet fragments while her father William White was critically injured as he attempted to shield his daughter. Ashley Hilderbrand was grazed by a bullet.

Singletary allegedly continued shooting until he ran out of ammunition.
7 For using a leaf blower in his own yard, William Martys (59) William Martys was using a leaf blower on his property when he was allegedly shot and killed by his neighbor, Ettore Lacchei. Martys was found in his driveway with a gunshot wound to his head and was later declared dead at a local hospital. The incident reportedly began when Lacchei, 79, approached Martys and initiated an argument which escalated, leading to Lacchei allegedly shooting Martys. Lacchei was arrested following an investigation and charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
8 For confronting a man urinating in a parking lot, Matthew Davis (32) Matthew Davis, a Sonic Drive-In employee in Keene, Texas, confronted Angel Gomez, a 20-year-old Fort Worth resident, for urinating in the parking lot of the restaurant on a Saturday night. The confrontation escalated into a physical argument during which a 12-year-old occupant of Gomez's vehicle retrieved a firearm and shot Davis multiple times.

I don't think any Sonic Drive-Ins have restrooms...

9 For driving a car similar to another car, Kerisha Johnson (36) Kerisha Johnson, who was nine months pregnant at the time, was shot while attempting to pick up people from a party located in the North Carrollton area. The gunmen targeted Johnson's white Sedan, believing that a person who had opened fire earlier that night was driving it. They were captured on video shooting the expectant mother. Johnson tried to drive away but was hit before she could escape.
10 For trying to stop a fight in a Walmart, Thierry Bastien (41) Thierry Bastien was shot multiple times while trying to stop a physical altercation. The incident occurred in front of his family, including his girlfriend, Makia Ford, and their infant child​.

The conflict began when Tironie Shavar Sterling, a Walmart employee who was not on duty, demanded to look at a female employee's cellphone. When she refused, Sterling reportedly became aggressive, forcefully grabbing her and pushing her into the store's shelves. The woman screamed for help, but no Walmart employees came to her aid​​.

Ford and Bastien witnessed the altercation. Despite Ford's pleas for him to stay back, Bastien, moved by the woman's distress, went to help her. A confrontation ensued between Bastien and Sterling, ending with Sterling shooting Bastien multiple times​​.

Ford, holding their infant child, pleaded with Sterling to spare Bastien after the first shot. However, Sterling stood over Bastien and continued to shoot him.
The Contenders
11 For confronting a neighbor harassing her children, Ajike Owens (35)

Owens's children were playing outside nearby the home of Susan Lorincz, 58, who had an ongoing feud with Ajike Owens that repeatedly had law enforcement get involved. Lorincz reportedly threw a roller skate at the kids which hit one of them in the toe.

Owens confronted Lorincz at her home and knocked on her door multiple times to no answer. Eventually, Lorincz fired a gunshot through the door, killing Owens.

Lorincz is currently facing up to 5 charges including manslaughter and battery.

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