New year, same problems. This isn't something we hear a whole lot about in Amarillo, but we do hear about it somewhat often in the state. Sadly, we can add our city to the growing list of places this is happening.

Maybe a resolution Amarillo should make is gun safety. With the open carry law here in Texas, we're seeing far more stories about people shooting their kids or family members.

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Two days into 2024, and Amarillo has its first accidental shooting, and sadly it's a serious story. Amarillo Police were called out to the 1300 block of Aster where the was a reported accidental shooting.

When police arrived, a man stated he was handling his gun when it accidentally went off. The bullet that came out of the gun hit his son. As of this writing, we don't have many details such as where the bullet hit the boy, but we know the injuries were considered serious.

Police spoke with the father, as well as others that were in the home as to what happened. They left after the interviews were done and a report was made. As of now, we don't know if there will be any charges filed.

As we await more details, it makes one wonder what the man was doing with the gun. In 2023, we heard stories of people cleaning their gun when it went off, as well as one person firing their gun to grab the attention of wedding guests.

Long story short, I think at this point we all know guns are deadly weapons. We shouldn't be pulling them out and just holding them or doing other things with them when others are present. This is exactly how these serious accidents happen.

Texas Crime Statistics By City

Check to see how crime compares in your city versus elsewhere.

Gallery Credit: Toni Gee, Townsquare Media

The Missing 18 People From the Texas Panhandle

These are the 18 people from the Amarillo area who have gone missing and have not yet been found. The cases are listed from most recent to oldest. Please take a look and see if you recognize any faces. Any information is helpful for investigators and the families missing them.

If you know anything about the following missing people, please call Amarillo Police Department at (806) 378-3038 You may make an anonymous tip.

Information gathered from the Amarillo Police Department, Charley Project, TXDPS, and NAMUS.

Gallery Credit: Sarah Clark

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