An 18-year-old Greenfield man accidentally shot himself in the buttocks inside his family's home on Palm Avenue on August 27, then fled the scene before eventually calling police to request medical attention near the 300 block of Parkside Court. Greenfield police have recommended criminal charges in the case, and it now sits with the Monterey County District Attorney's Office.
Officers were first dispatched to the Palm Avenue address after reports of a possible domestic disturbance involving a firearm, according to KSBW. A family member told police they were awakened by a gunshot inside the home and saw the man run outside, and other relatives said the 18-year-old had a firearm and had left the home with it. Responding officers searched the area with help from the Monterey County Sheriff's Office and the Soledad Police Department, but initially failed to find him.
The man later called police himself, requesting medical attention, and officers contacted him safely near Parkside Court, per the same report. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment of a single gunshot wound to his buttocks. Police determined that no domestic dispute had actually occurred; instead, investigators located evidence of a shooting inside the home consistent with an accidental discharge.
How the Story Came Together on Palm Avenue
The Salinas Valley Tribune reported that Greenfield police clarified the address as the 100 block of Palm Avenue, and confirmed the injury was non-life-threatening. Family members told officers they were awakened by the gunshot before he ran off, and physical evidence at the home later backed up that account of a self-inflicted, accidental shooting rather than any altercation between household members.
Greenfield Police Department announced the arrest and said it had forwarded the case to Monterey County prosecutors with a recommendation that criminal charges be filed. The department also thanked the Monterey County Sheriff's Office and Soledad Police Department for their assistance during the search, and it urged residents to report dangerous firearm-related behavior even when it involves a family member or someone they care about.
What Charges Could Look Like
Under California Penal Code § 246.3, discharging a firearm in a grossly negligent manner that could result in injury or death is a “wobbler,” meaning prosecutors could pursue either a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail or a felony carrying up to three years in county jail, according to the Shouse Law Group. That statute requires proof the firearm was discharged with gross negligence rather than through a non-negligent misfire, meaning the exact circumstances of how the gun went off will be central to whatever the Monterey County District Attorney's Office, led by elected District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni, ultimately decides on charges.
It remains unclear how the 18-year-old came to possess the handgun in the first place. California Penal Code § 27505 bars selling, loaning, or transferring a handgun to anyone under 21, with narrow exceptions for supervised parental loans during lawful recreational activities, per the California Department of Justice. California law sets 21 as the baseline age to acquire a handgun from a dealer, while federal law does not bar private-party handgun sales to adults under 21, leaving open questions about how the weapon ended up in the Palm Avenue home.
A Department Already Busy With Violent Crime
Greenfield Police Department, led by Chief of Police Guillermo “Bill” Mixer, has had a busy stretch. Mixer, appointed chief effective April 27, 2023, oversees a municipal force that made two additional arrests connected to a violent group assault on August 21. Hoodline previously covered a third arrest tied to that birthday party beating case, in which police relied on community tips and video evidence.
Greenfield, an agricultural community in Monterey County's Salinas Valley, recorded a population of 18,937 in the 2020 U.S. Census and saw the highest percentage population growth of any city in the county over the prior decade, according to Monterey County Weekly.
A Persistent National and State Pattern
Accidental shootings like this one are not rare. The Gun Violence Archive recorded more than 820 unintentional or accidental shooting incidents nationwide through late August 2026, averaging roughly 3.45 such incidents per day. In California specifically, the BulletPoints Project at UC Davis Health estimates about 1,800 nonfatal unintentional firearm injuries and roughly 50 unintentional gun deaths occur each year.
The Greenfield case, involving an 18-year-old, is an example of an unintentional firearm injury.
