gun range accident

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10 years 9 months ago #35210 by foxhunter
gun range accident was created by foxhunter
Well, the below just happened last week at the new gun range I joined. I have a feeling this range will now cease to exist. The woman was hit with a 223 round, from someone shooting at the range's 100 yd range. The round had to miss the burm and go through at least 300 yds of thick timber to hit the woman.
From WSIL Newa:
WILLIAMSON COUNTY-- Investigators say they've confirmed a stray bullet that hit a woman last week in Marion came from Tombstone Gun Range

The woman was half a mile away west of the range, at a union training facitily when she was shot in the face Feb. 19. The gun range now faces legal action.

The Sheriff's Department likely will not file charges since the shooting was an accident, and Illinois law does not outline regulations for outdoor gun ranges. But that's not enough for the victim or the union; they question whether safety measures were in place at Tombstone.

Tombstone Gun Range opened in Williamson County less than a year ago.

"After 24 years of doing this and seeing multiple, multiple, multiple shooting victims, my belief is the round didn't hit anything before it hit her," explained Captain Brian Thomas with the Williamson County Sheriff's Office.

The bullet was never recovered, but Thomas says he has no doubt the round came from Tombstone's rifle area.

"Doesn't change the fact that they were the only ones shooting from that direction she was hit," added Thomas.

The victim's attorney, Doug Dorris, says she is not against guns, and is simply concerned about safety.

"The bullet entered and exited under her chin and she's still being treated," Dorris shared.

He's filing a civil suit on her behalf, to determine whether Tombstone's owners followed range standards set forth by the National Rifle Association. The union whose member was shot, also plans to sue.

"There's always an issue of whether a gun range used sufficient safety measures to keep the bullets away from the general public," Dorris said.

For Thomas, the situation presents a bigger issue. Williamson County does not have zoning or any formal regulations for outdoor gun ranges.

"There just needs to be, I think, a minimum standard set in this county," Thomas urged.

He's working with the state's attorney to draft a safety ordinance to ensure this never happens again. More and more people are heading to the ranges for concealed carry training.

"It's going to be a continuing issue so I think now is the time, if it can be done, and let's go ahead and get some standards set," advised Thomas.

Tombstone's owners did not return our calls for comment. The union says it will not conduct any training outside its facility until the safety matter with the gun range is resolved

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10 years 9 months ago #35212 by jtallen83
Replied by jtallen83 on topic gun range accident
Let me see if I understand this, they never recovered the bullet but they know it was a .223,where it came from, and that it never hit anything before striking the woman????? :dry:
That is some real unbiased, first class journalism. They might win a civil case with the right jury but even an amerature lawyer could beat that in a criminal case.

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10 years 9 months ago #35215 by Turbo V6 Camaro
Replied by Turbo V6 Camaro on topic gun range accident
err what is 300 yards or 1/2 mile (880 yards)

seems to me they are just after the range? and how the hell can the union sue they have no part in it????

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10 years 9 months ago #35222 by OleCowboy
Replied by OleCowboy on topic gun range accident
Based upon what is written here:

Few things do not add up: ½ mile of bullet travel, cannot find the bullet, it appears the woman was indoors or even if out in the open and she got hit UNDER the chin, bullet had to travel thru a wooded area and if it was under the chin, then the bullet did not drop out of the sky, but had to approach in a rather flat trajectory??????????????

A lot of questions it seems.

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10 years 9 months ago #35229 by foxhunter
Replied by foxhunter on topic gun range accident
The woman was sitting on a chair in front of the union building when she got hit.It is known that 3 people were firing AR15's at the range at the time of the accident. The range is situated so that the building where she was, is in direct line with the line of fire, just over a hill, through the woods then a 150 yds or so of open ground to where she got hit. A single 223 bullet was found lying in the parking lot of the union building, but it was not the round fired. I would think if other rounds were routinely going there, there would be bullit holes in the building, as it is a pole barn the is about 120 feet long.
I totally agree that given the arc of a bullit at that range it seems implausable a round could penetrate her face under the chin, exit the other side and be unfound.
I suppose a richochete off a rock could do it as there are many large rocks around the union building. It will be interesting to see how it works out in civil court

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10 years 9 months ago #35253 by Akai
Replied by Akai on topic gun range accident
We had an incident at the gun club I am a member of right before I joined. From what I read a power company employee was killed while working on power lines behind the range with in 1000yds
of the 400 yd targets. We are a NRA ,CMP affiliated range and had some good insurance and good leaders I guess, because we are still here, no charges filed, we were up to code and the power company did not inform of doing work in the area. No fault, but the family has been taken care of as we do take responsibility for our actions. Also went above all guidelines and this last year raised the burms another 10yds.
Once again Safety first on all involved :pray:

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10 years 7 months ago #37962 by NightForce
Replied by NightForce on topic gun range accident
Many years ago we had an "incident" at a local range. Each section has berms behind the targets for safety and throughout the clubs history these were adequate until the club began to sell off it's property down range.

As time passed, homes began to spring up and wouldn't you know it, right in the line of fire. The club received a visit from the local police and apparently home owners were finding lead in their homes and it wasn't the type commonly associated to paint.

Believe it or not, investigations concluded that the bullets removed from the walls in several homes were of the .45 caliber variety and when a straight line was drawn the origin was Angle Tree Stone's outdoor 50 yard pistol range.

Keep in mind these homes were nearly 1/2 mile away but the arc or trajectory of the bullet was enough to go the distance..

Luckily, no one injured but the berms of 10 feet were raised to 30 feet and steel deflectors were installed to eliminate the possibility of an errant tip sailing downrange ever again...

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10 years 7 months ago #37982 by OleCowboy
Replied by OleCowboy on topic gun range accident

NightForce wrote: Many years ago we had an "incident" at a local range. Each section has berms behind the targets for safety and throughout the clubs history these were adequate until the club began to sell off it's property down range.

As time passed, homes began to spring up and wouldn't you know it, right in the line of fire. The club received a visit from the local police and apparently home owners were finding lead in their homes and it wasn't the type commonly associated to paint.

Believe it or not, investigations concluded that the bullets removed from the walls in several homes were of the .45 caliber variety and when a straight line was drawn the origin was Angle Tree Stone's outdoor 50 yard pistol range.

Keep in mind these homes were nearly 1/2 mile away but the arc or trajectory of the bullet was enough to go the distance..

Luckily, no one injured but the berms of 10 feet were raised to 30 feet and steel deflectors were installed to eliminate the possibility of an errant tip sailing downrange ever again...

I am always distrustful of these report: It is common practice for homes to be put up down range from gun ranges and airports (at the start or end of the runway). Then a few years later suddenly bullets show up in walls and children have hearing problems, law suits fly, money is moved around, folks are bought out of the city/county for a tidy profit then all is well. Often its discovered home owners shot their own walls and the hearing problems suddenly clear up by themselves. NOT saying this is the case you cited by its far from rare.

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10 years 7 months ago #38034 by jtallen83
Replied by jtallen83 on topic gun range accident
Just got an email from the range I joined about an accident of sorts. Seems someone left an AR laying around the firing line and another realized he had lost his LC9 and would like it returned :huh:
makes me think twice about shooting there with a crowd.........

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10 years 7 months ago #38035 by NightForce
Replied by NightForce on topic gun range accident

jtallen83 wrote: Just got an email from the range I joined about an accident of sorts. Seems someone left an AR laying around the firing line and another realized he had lost his LC9 and would like it returned :huh:
makes me think twice about shooting there with a crowd.........


Appears to be an "overly relaxed" range....

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