Crime

Teen Shoots Self in Head On a Dare

PHILADELPHIA (AP/The Blaze) — Investigators say a Philadelphia teen who accidentally shot himself in the head was handling the gun after his manhood was challenged by another person during a webcam chat.

Capt. John Gallagher says the 18-year-old was in an online chat early Wednesday when he shot himself with a gun he apparently believed was not loaded.

Philadelphia Teen Shoots Self in Head On a Dare From Chat Interlocutor

Police question the slain teen's family

The Philadelphia Daily News (http://bit.ly/L5ugl2 ) reports the teen remained hospitalized in extremely critical condition.

Investigators say they’re still trying to find out who the teen was chatting with when he was wounded. They want to find out if the exchange was recorded.

View more videos at: http://nbcphiladelphia.com.

Gallagher says the teen’s two brothers were asleep in the room at the time. Police haven’t released his name.

Comments (159)

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  • lukerw
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 11:09pm

    rofl :)

    Report Post » lukerw  
  • WatchingChurchOnTVWhileDrinkingAlone
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 11:08pm

    I blame the internet.

    Report Post »  
    • lukerw
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 11:19pm

      I blame… his Thinking Ability!

      Report Post » lukerw  
    • XScramblerX
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 11:44pm

      Yes It’s the blame game. Sheeple are starting to sound like Obama.
      Blaming everyone and everything except blaming the guy who pulled the trigger.
      Don’t take responsibility for your own actions, you must place the blame on others.
      I blame the guy who pointed the gun to his head and pulled the trigger.

      Report Post » XScramblerX  
    • Bob_R_OathKeeper
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 12:26am

      I blame inertia.

      Report Post » Bob_R_OathKeeper  
    • Xyskalla
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 1:38am

      I blame Bush.

      Report Post »  
    • Blazingbakedbeans
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 4:27am

      I blame too much head winds.

      Report Post » Blazingbakedbeans  
    • historyguy48
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 7:18am

      You know with a little snip or two even if he survives he would be out of the gene pool and that can’t be a bad thing!

      Report Post » historyguy48  
    • CommonSenseTalk
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 11:11am

      Its Bushes fault

      Report Post »  
  • F_This
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 11:04pm

    Could someone dare O to do this?

    Report Post »  
    • G-WHIZ
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 11:55am

      Great stratagum…Dare one progressive to do it…and all their lemmigs will follow-suit. A whol-lotta poppin goin on out here! :-)

      Report Post »  
    • infortheride
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 5:15pm

      My thoughts exactly.

      Report Post »  
  • MIKEYB
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:58pm

    Every firearm is always considered loaded at all times no matter what.

    Report Post »  
    • luxlife
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 11:09pm

      EXACTLY!!!! 1st rule. Obviously, no one imparted that fundamental wisdom to this poor kid…and whose effing gun was it?

      Report Post » luxlife  
    • lukerw
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 11:22pm

      @LUX…
      It the Tool was a Fork… would you want to Ban Forks… and seek out Fork owners?

      Report Post » lukerw  
    • SpaceCoyote
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 11:30pm

      If Lux knows the primary rule to handling a firearm I doubt he wants to ban them. Sounds like he owns one. Any responsible gun owner knows that any time you pick up a gun the first thing you do is clear the bolt or breach.

      Report Post »  
    • luxlife
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 12:43am

      @SPACE – spot on.

      @LUKE – way off buddy.

      Report Post » luxlife  
    • RamonPreston
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 1:27am

      It’s amazing how many people are killed by unloaded guns.

      Report Post » RamonPreston  
    • johnjamison
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 8:48am

      Exactly mikey,
      I grew up in a rural area and in 7th grade we had a manditory semester of firearm and hunter safety courses. The first lesson the most dangerous gun is an empty gun. Because people sometimes treat empty guns less cautiously and sometimes that empty gun isn’t empty.
      This is a prime example of the danger an empty gun presents.

      Report Post »  
    • AlansTigg
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 9:30am

      there is no such thing as an unloaded/empty gun….simple rules for a long life :)

      Report Post » AlansTigg  
    • Commonsensical
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 1:48pm

      It was HIS gun, or he stole it from someone else. Either way, it was 100% his own fault.

      Report Post »  
  • mr.goodvibe
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:54pm

    I see a Darwin Award contender.

    Report Post » mr.goodvibe  
    • Winedude
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 11:11pm

      My sentiments exactly…you beat me to the punch! How stupid could any one individual be?

      Report Post »  
    • banjarmon
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 12:01am

      After his manhood was challenged, He should have shot his other head and taken himself out of the gene pool!

      Report Post » banjarmon  
  • lamarlamar
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:47pm

    Sad, stupid, but sad! Just more grist for the anti-gun nuts! To bad they don’t go after ignorance with the same zeal!

    Report Post »  
    • JohnLarson
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 11:20pm

      Ignorance… like shooting yourself in the head on accident?

      Report Post »  
  • whatthecrazy
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:38pm

    Seriously , I post here because i think decent minded people for the most part also post here but not tonight, the first seventeen posts says alot.There is a young man who made a foolish mistake and is now fighting for his life.I hope for you alls sake your children don’t make a bad decision and end up in the same condition.

    Report Post »  
    • jhrusky
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:48pm

      You are right … yet another fine example of “christian love” here.

      Report Post » jhrusky  
    • trinklefinder
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 11:05pm

      i was gonna respond to jhrusky about how christians get it wrong too. but then i started reading some of these comments and even though im a christian i gotta say he is right. you people saying these terrible things better set aside some time to evaluate what comes out of your mouth, or in this case off of your finger tips, because it is HIGHLY exposing whats in your heart. dont forget you will answer for that on judgement day…whether you are a believer or not.

      Report Post » trinklefinder  
    • Restored One
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 11:33pm

      Kids always make mistakes! Take that kid in MA who has been convicted to 2 years for texting a driving and killing someone. The same thing happened her in Sonoma Co. Don’t throw the whole bible thumping accusations at all the Blazers. Most people are going to point out the stupidity of the act, knowing that they may have been close to doing the same thing. Fast cars etc. I think that most of the posters here are sympathic. But stupid is what stupid does and I hope that this boy survives and can tell his story.

      Report Post »  
    • chfields62
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 1:25am

      A foolish mistake, is putting the car in drive instead of reverse and crashing through a wall, putting a gun to your head and pulling the trigger is plain stupid!! Its called natural selection, at least he only hurt him himself, unlike the other moron who killed someone because he was stupid….

      Report Post »  
    • wntsmallgov
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 3:13am

      I feel for the parents but this is basic stuff that every parent should teach. IF it looks dangerous then it is. Stupid actions catch us all but knowing the diffrence between deadly and just being dumb is a major common sense item. There are times when being dumb will turn deadly – case in point like driving with your knee while eating and texting. Very dumb but I watch people do it all the time.

      Cops actually say thank you for people who pull over to use their cell phone.

      Report Post » wntsmallgov  
    • Baddoggy
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 7:53am

      Good grief…a foolish mistake? No it was FREE WILL that God gave us and he chose to tempt fate. I weep not for the dead…I weep for those who are newborns. That is what the Bible teaches us if you ever read it….Of course you wanna be theologians cab spew all the rubbish you want. you are dead wrong…

      His final destination is sealed. Crying over it will do nothing to change it. He either accepted Christ or did not. Heaven or Hell. He had opportunity and choice because that’s who God is.

      Report Post » Baddoggy  
    • MRMANN
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 12:12pm

      Thank you and Amen.

      Report Post »  
  • Blazingbakedbeans
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:32pm

    This reminds me of the poor fellow who found out his wife had cheated on him. He is getting ready to shoot himself in the head and his wife starts laughing. So he says “What are you laughing at? You’re next.”

    Report Post » Blazingbakedbeans  
  • BIgWheeler
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:30pm

    Nice going stupid.

    Report Post » BIgWheeler  
    • whatthecrazy
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:48pm

      Sooo if your son was critical from some foolish decision he made it would be OK for people to call him stupid to the whole world .Right?

      Report Post »  
    • WatchingChurchOnTVWhileDrinkingAlone
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 11:08pm

      WHATTHECRAZY
      Right.

      Report Post »  
    • BOMUSTGO
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 11:50pm

      If I had a kid that did this, I would say it was stupid. There is no other word for it….If this kid dies from this incident, the preacher can preach his funeral from these verses.2 Samuel 3:33,34 And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth? Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters: as a man falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou. And all the people wept again over him.

      Report Post » BOMUSTGO  
    • Brooke Lorren
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 12:32am

      If my daughter or son did this, I’d call them stupid to their face. I’d pray for their recovery, of course, but when they got better, I would ask them what possessed them to do something that was so dumb.

      Nevertheless, I used this incident as a teachable moment with my daughter. Never point a gun at your head, even if you think the gun is not loaded.

      Report Post »  
    • Rajabear1
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 4:39pm

      @brook-I think you said it quite well. It is not an all or nothing situation here, folks. My heart breaks for this kids and his family just as I would for mine, but it was stupid and foolish.
      Because my kids are avid hunters and gun fanatics and have been through gun safety courses since the time they each turned 10 yrs old (that is besides the gun safety they are taught from us from the time they can crawl), I can comfortably say as broken as my heart would be, I would blame my own child for their foolishness, and myself second for not seeing that my own kid was ill prepared.
      It wouldn’t change my love for them, but it’s all about accountability. If they had shot a friend while messing around with a gun would you blame them and hold them accountable? Of course. So what makes it any different if they are the ones who got hurt. It doesn’t change the action.
      Yes, my kids will see this article also. Can’t ever teach too much.

      Report Post »  
  • Walkabout
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:26pm

    I cringe every time some idiot uses a gun. They could have dared him to drink the mysterious liquid in a bottle & he would have done it.

    So what is the common denominator?

    Report Post »  
  • TRILO
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:24pm

    I am sorry for the tragedy that this family has to endure. Unfortunately, I’m sure in this day in age where people have no personal responsibility for their actions, it will be the fault of the person who challenged his “manhood” and not the kid who took the loaded gun and pointed it to his head to prove he was a man.

    By the way, where did he get the gun? If it was his parents gun, did they not practice gun safety in their home?

    Report Post » TRILO  
    • Baddoggy
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 7:57am

      Really? You think the person who challenged him should be responsible? I guess you blame the gun too???

      Report Post » Baddoggy  
    • msoeguy
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 9:20am

      @BADDOGGY
      Did you even read the post? He is clearly saying that he thinks it unfortunate that it will be the person who challenged him who will be held responsible. How did you arrive at any other conclusion?

      Report Post »  
  • brother_ed
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:19pm

    How very sad.

    I pray the family is holding up ok.

    Report Post » brother_ed  
  • s0ck_monkey
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:15pm

    Darwins other rule that was left out of his book, due to space constraints – Survival of the Smartest – the kid that swallows too many marbles doesn’t get to grow up to have kids of their own.

    Here’s hoping that his “extremely critical condition” rapidly deteriorates into a flatline ________

    Report Post »  
    • whatthecrazy
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:28pm

      I feel ill just reading your post,sock monkey should be sick monkey…………………………..

      Report Post »  
    • s0ck_monkey
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:44pm

      Sorry if my attitude & opinions about stupid people makes you feel ill…but I refuse to get all weepy-eyed about some jack ass that shoots himself in the head just because some other jack ass “challenged his manhood”…over a webcam, no less!

      My previous statement stands…

      Report Post »  
    • whatthecrazy
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:58pm

      Ya know Sock i hear your frustration but i have a seventeen yr old boy who i find myself saying a prayer for everytime he leaves the house that he will make all the right decisions and we all know that teens that age don’t deal in common sence decisions.My heart would be broke if that were my son and i believe most people with a son would feel compassion for this kid…….

      Report Post »  
    • trinklefinder
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:58pm

      Never mind sock_monkey, he is just missing the empathy gene……as all sociopaths do.

      Report Post » trinklefinder  
    • s0ck_monkey
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 8:24am

      I’m missing the empathy gene? Not true.

      I feel compassion, sympathy, empathy, and pity for ones that deserve it. For example, if the guy that had his manhood challenged went outside and shot someone else in the head – just so he could prove how much of a man he is – I would feel sympathetic to the person he shot.

      When I saw mothers & fathers weeping in the streets, holding their dead children…babies…while serving in Iraq, it was all I could do to hold it together (and no, I wasn’t the one that killed the babies, smart ass).

      When I helped bury, and fold the flag, of one of my friends that died in combat, and handed that flag to their widow, I was filled with compassion & sympathy.

      When someone in my unit took his M-16 and tried to shoot himself in the chest…because he didn’t want to be in Iraq anymore…and killed himself…my pity meter dropped to zero as I shook my head.

      When the idiot in this story shot himself in the head because someone challenegd his manhood, yeah well, I’ll say it again…my first comment stands.

      Report Post »  
  • sn000zey
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:14pm

    Mother nature does have ways of cleansing its gene pool…

    Report Post »  
  • kj95376
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:12pm

    I am just glad he shot himself on a dare and not an innocent person.

    Thank you gene pool elimination process.

    KJ

    Report Post »  
  • rsanchez1
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:09pm

    Idiots. Just plain idiots.

    Report Post »  
  • wisehiney
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:09pm

    oBUMMER could lose by one vote

    Report Post »  
  • AnimalsAsLeaders
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:04pm

    And that, kids, is how nature fixes its mistakes.

    Report Post » AnimalsAsLeaders  
  • Atomic
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:04pm

    The commie left will classify this as “gun violence”…

    Report Post » Atomic  
  • rickc34
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:01pm

    Check the chamber before playing with a gun. Man you never just assume a gun is not loaded. If you are going to have a gun in the home teach your family gun safety please. Seen enough accidental shootings in the ER. Please use trigger locks or a gun safe.

    Report Post »  
    • Charley1
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:27pm

      Very few “accidental” shootings. Lots of NEGLIGENT shootings. This kid falls in the second group. The only true firearm safety is between your ears.

      Report Post »  
    • single stack
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:50pm

      You don’t play with guns. They’re not toys.
      All guns are always loaded, even when there is no ammunition in them.

      Report Post »  
    • Blazingbakedbeans
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 11:24pm

      You are right RICKC34. If this gun did belong to the parents and they did not have enough common sense to use a gun lock or store the gun unloaded, then it may be a simple case of the apple not falling far from the tree. But on the other hand if it was a gun that the teenager acquired possibly illegally then there was a good chance that he had some criminal activity in mind in which case poetic justice had been served.

      Report Post » Blazingbakedbeans  
    • Richard_FL
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 11:26pm

      And why are we “playing” with a gun…..loaded or not. The first rule should be DON’T use a gun for slack time amusement. Usually ends badly as in this case.

      Report Post » Richard_FL  
  • jdog777
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 9:59pm

    that is it…. we should ban guns now. It was the gun that made this idiot shoot himself. We should also sue the gun manufacturer for not protecting morons from themselves.

    Report Post »  
    • blackyb
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:10pm

      What about sling shots? Someone of this mentality would shoot himself with one of those. He could job his eye out with a pencil, pen or his own finger (just cut it off.) Well get real and buy yourself a gun and if it don’t work properly when you shoot yourself, load the blamed thing. Anyway that ban thing just is not going to work out for anyone but criminals who like to run in packs and can always and will always get guns illegally. They can always get a few from Holder if they just cross the border and act mexican drug cartelish. Oh well. I gues some luck is needed with the clean the world with hurt objects.

      Report Post » blackyb  
  • USA-Ron
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 9:56pm

    don’t aim a gun at your head

    Report Post »  
  • The-Monk
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 9:56pm

    Hey Holder…. some people have a dare for you.

    Report Post » The-Monk  
  • Baddoggy
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 9:53pm

    The herd is thinner and one villige lost their idiot… Yea!

    Report Post » Baddoggy  
    • rickc34
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:04pm

      Yeah the one in Kenya but Obama won’t go home.

      Report Post »  
    • MCDAVE
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:08pm

      Next years Nobel prize winner….

      Report Post »  
    • whatthecrazy
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 10:42pm

      Baddoggy, YEA? Really?

      Report Post »  
    • Baddoggy
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 7:45am

      Yes YEA!!! Y E Frickin A…Future welfare recipient or OWSer…an idiot, pure idiot…Yes YEA!!!!! I would grab some pom poms and have a parade if he lived near by. If it was my child, I wouldn’t even attend his funeral…There ya go!

      Report Post » Baddoggy  
  • TSUNAMI-22
    Posted on June 7, 2012 at 9:51pm

    Darwin award winner for 2012. Congrats, you just beat the reigning snake-handling minister for top honors.

    Report Post »  
    • XIIHICKSIIX
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 9:54pm

      Hahahahahahhahahaa!!

      Report Post »  
    • chalkdust
      Posted on June 7, 2012 at 11:54pm

      Not quite, almost though. One must remove one‘s self or someone else from the gene pool in a spectacularly stupid incident or incident’s. So he’s got the at least one requisite. But you could argue that for all intents and purposes he did remove himself from the gene pool. However, I have known at least one person who did survive a gun shot to the head and functioned somewhat normally and at least had the potential to donate to the gene pool. He’s still got a shot though!

      Report Post » chalkdust  
    • TxSon
      Posted on June 8, 2012 at 12:51am

      He is definitely striving for the award. Still has to flat line to clinch it.

      I really don’t feel sorry for the kid. Stupid is as Stupid does…. I feel sorry for his parents having to live with the realization that they raised a kid stupid enough to point a gun at his head and pull the trigger over a stupid video chat challenge.

      Report Post » TxSon  
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