Guns Don't Shoot People, Careless People with Guns Shoot People

Adventures in handgun handing:

Police Chief Shoots Self at Gun Training Session

Man Kills Fetus While Showing Gun to Pregnant Teen

And keeping with the theme of careless people, we have this:

TEMPLE HILLS, Md. — A Prince George's County high school freshman has been charged with taking an explosive to school after it went off unexpectedly in class.

Firefighters were called to Crossland High School in Temple Hills around 8:30 a.m. Monday for the report of a chemical explosion.

Fire spokesman Mark Brady said the 15-year-old showed other students at the bus stop an explosive device he made, but it didn't detonate. So he put it in his bag and carried it to his chemistry class, where it exploded unexpectedly.

The school had to be evacuated. There were no reported injuries.

The teen has been charged as a juvenile with manufacturing and possessing a destructive device and reckless endangerment. Investigators say the student learned how to make the explosive online, but they don't believe he meant to hurt anyone.

I told this story awhile back, but it seems appropriate to repeat it here:

I remember that we had a few guys in my high school chemistry class who thought they were pretty smart and actually found a recipe for a contact explosive. When the stuff was wet it was harmless, but when dry, could explode if jostled.

The idiots soaked some filter papers in the stuff and put them in one of the waste jars that were in the room. During a movie there was a sudden flash and puff of red smoke, and the top of the ceramic jar went flying. No injuries, but lots of smirking and snickering (and no, I didn't do it).

Every high school chemistry class has at least one.