Man killed at local shooting range.

[Ichiban]

This is a public range on National Forest land.  There are very few public places to shoot
locally so this place is very popular and very dangerous.  No RO and way too many
knuckleheads.

Details aren't available yet and my heart goes out to his family.


Man killed in apparent accidental shooting at Rampart Range

THE GAZETTE

A man in his mid 20s was killed at Rampart Range shooting area shortly after noon today.

“It appears to be accidental,” said El Paso County Sheriff’s Lt. Lari Sevene. "He was with a group of friends. He was shot once in the chest area.”

She said he was shot with a handgun.

She said his friends did CPR for 30 minutes until medical units arrived. Emergency workers were unable to revive him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

His name has not been released, pending notification of relatives.

http://www.gazette.com/news/rampart-58729-range-shooting.html

[twyacht]

Large areas, with no RO's, and a bunch of people shooting, allows too many variables, unfortunately there are "yahoo's", weekend warrior types that don't have the level of discipline or training to go to a wide open "range".

When living in NC, I have encountered these people myself, drinking beer, out in the Pender County Gamelands, with pistols and shotguns blasting away with the stereo blazing. I did not enjoy myself and moved on.

The RESPECT firearms deserve can also be abused by the ignorant and reckless. Try to tell them they are getting "carried away" or to "calm down" can also be met with "redneck" consequences.

I have experienced this first hand, and feel sorry for his family. It is a shame that a careless accident, that probably could have avoided, shows how dangerous firearms truly are. Especially in the hands of the "knuckleheads".

[Kid Shelleen]

Large areas, with no RO's, and a bunch of people shooting, allows too many variables, unfortunately there are "yahoo's", weekend warrior types that don't have the level of discipline or training to go to a wide open "range".

When living in NC, I have encountered these people myself, drinking beer, out in the Pender County Gamelands, with pistols and shotguns blasting away with the stereo blazing. I did not enjoy myself and moved on.

The RESPECT firearms deserve can also be abused by the ignorant and reckless. Try to tell them they are getting "carried away" or to "calm down" can also be met with "redneck" consequences.

I have experienced this first hand, and feel sorry for his family. It is a shame that a careless accident, that probably could have avoided, shows how dangerous firearms truly are. Especially in the hands of the "knuckleheads".

+1000

I too have been to a range that had no Range Officer. There was a young couple (in their 20s) and the boyfriend was teaching his girlfriend to shoot. The girl was turning around with a loaded Glock and pointing it down the firing line, directly behind her and all over the place. He finger was inside the trigger guard. I spoke politely to the guy and asked him to instruct his girlfriend to be more careful. The young lady in question was obviously nervous, scared of the handgun, and laughing uncomfortably. The boyfriend said something to the effect that he was "teaching" her and that he knew what he was doing (I don't remember the exact conversation as this was about 15 years ago. I do remember that the guy was a smart alec). I left and as I was walking away I saw people from the other side of the firing line walking up to the couple and I heard them begin to complain. I never returned to this range and I moved away from Dallas shortly thereafter. I now live about 80 miles from Dallas and we go there frequently to see members of my wife's family and members of my family. I don't know if that range is still open. I have never bothered to check and I doubt that I ever will.

I truly feel for the family of the victim. Pending an investigation, I can only suspect that the "accident" was caused by neglect or carelessness (I seriously doubt malfunction). If it turns out to be carelessness, I believe that the shooter should be charged with the full weight of the law (negligent homicide, manslaughter or another appropriate charge).

[Pathfinder]

Sorry to hear about this, tough on the guy's family and friends who had to do CPR on him.

Even the small, hunter-type range near me sees its share of knuckleheads. When I went there to shoot with deamonpi and his new won-it-at-DRTV Tactical Solutions .22 AR, there were a group of young'uns, twenty-something, and the muzzles were all over the place. I intervened, asked them to keep the muzzles downrange or straight up, and it sort of worked. Scary though.

[ericire12]

Hmmmmm... maybe we should start another thread for all those gun range horror stories. Well lookie there:

http://www.downrange.tv/forum/index.php?topic=7862.msg99611#msg99611

[Sponsor]

[Ping]

I do not tolerate a lack of discipline at the range. If someone is getting careless, I kindly suggest he/she utilize firearm safety at the range. I try to be nice and usually all goes well. One thing that I do while at the range is keeping a firearm on my side holstered while I am firing which ever weapon I own. I have done this for numerous years. May not be popular with some folks but I have yet to have run into any serious trouble at a gun range.  I remember Combat Arms Training and Maintenance (CATM) that were always armed at our range in the Air Force.  Good way to protect your property. Even if they do not approve, I would still have my Ruger LCP in my pocket. As we saw in Florida in the last few months, you never know what could happen on the firing line. 

[MAUSERMAN]

The gun range i used to go too a man may have killed himself or had a accident. I know for a fact the range operators are a bunch of dumdasses that have their heads right up their ass. I have been there a couple of times where someone had a ND and have seen a gun go flying to the ground. Thats why ill never go back.

[Texas_Bryan]

The gun range i used to go too a man may have killed himself or had a accident. I know for a fact the range operators are a bunch of dumdasses that have their heads right up their ass. I have been there a couple of times where someone had a ND and have seen a gun go flying to the ground. Thats why ill never go back.

The range I go to has a RO that YELLS at dumb asses if he sees them.  First visit to this range was on a Saturday, big mistake, all the jackasses were out.  Maybe the stupid people come out on the weekend or the act of getting so many people together on the range leads to it, but I did not feel comfortable with so many folks there.  Alot of it had to do with the fact that on the weekend all the young people turn out to shoot, young as in less than 30, and young people are stupid.  I frequent the range during the week now, less people, less rush, you can just take it easy.  Most of the folks during the week are old timers, fun to talk to, always ready to offer advise, and I don't fear their stupidity like the young people during the week end.

[tombogan03884]

The range I go to has a RO that YELLS at dumb asses if he sees them.  First visit to this range was on a Saturday, big mistake, all the jackasses were out.  Maybe the stupid people come out on the weekend or the act of getting so many people together on the range leads to it, but I did not feel comfortable with so many folks there.  Alot of it had to do with the fact that on the weekend all the young people turn out to shoot, young as in less than 30, and young people are stupid.  I frequent the range during the week now, less people, less rush, you can just take it easy.  Most of the folks during the week are old timers, fun to talk to, always ready to offer advise, and I don't fear their stupidity like the young people during the week end.

That's an interesting comment considering YOUR age (I checked your profile before posting    ).
But it isn't so much that they are stupid as that their parents were irresponsibly negligent, and/or lazy.
This is one of my gripes about the lying anti gun groups, They claim "it's for the children", but lets look at some OTHER  safety things that were "for the children".
A lot of teenagers were getting the clap and / or getting pregnant, so "for the children" they introduced sex education into schools. Because knowledge is the best protection
A lot of teenagers were getting killed driving, so "for the children" they now include drivers ed in schools. Because knowledge is the best protection.
A lot of chidren were getting messed up with drugs and alcohol, so "for the children" they introduced drug awareness classes such as DARE into the schools. Because knowledge is the best protection.
The anti gunners CLAIM that a lot of teenagers were getting shot (if you consider  20+ gangbangers shot by Police, intended robery victims and other gangbangers) so "for the children" the anti's remove every reference to fire arms from schools, to the point where a kid with a promotional pen that had the WORD Glock on it got suspended from school, Kids who engage in Olympic sports (Trap/Skeet ) are not allowed to talk about their sport on school grounds. If it really were "for the children" safety programs like Eddy Eagle would be taught in every school in America.
Are guns a different situation where "Knowledge IS NOT the best protection. or is it because IGNORANCE is the best source of votes for the anti's ?

[True_Texan]

That's an interesting comment considering YOUR age (I checked your profile before posting    ).
But it isn't so much that they are stupid as that their parents were irresponsibly negligent, and/or lazy.
This is one of my gripes about the lying anti gun groups, They claim "it's for the children", but lets look at some OTHER  safety things that were "for the children".
A lot of teenagers were getting the clap and / or getting pregnant, so "for the children" they introduced sex education into schools. Because knowledge is the best protection
A lot of teenagers were getting killed driving, so "for the children" they now include drivers ed in schools. Because knowledge is the best protection.
The anti gunners CLAIM that a lot of teenagers were getting shot (if you consider  20+ gangbangers shot by Police, intended robery victims and other gangbangers) so "for the children" the anti's remove every reference to fire arms from schools, to the point where a kid with a promotional pen that had the WORD Glock on it got suspended from school, Kids who engage in Olympic sports (Trap/Skeet ) are not allowed to talk about their sport on school grounds. If it really were "for the children" safety programs like Eddy Eagle would be taught in every school in America.
Or is it because IGNORANCE is the best source of votes for the anti's ?

I think it is that last part there. "We are frightened and scared about guns. Don't talk about them, it's just too scary!"

I've always thought the best way to make guns 'safer' is to take the mystery out of them. Curious kids will be satisfied and scared adults will be informed.