Accidental Shooting at La Vista Firing Range

[SSN Vet]

Let's see....rule #1 and #2 !!!

those darn 4 rules again!

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http://http://www.kmtv.com/Global/story.asp?s=7608477

Accidental Shooting at La Vista Firing Range

La Vista, NE- Paramedics rushed 37 year old Greg Boll to the hospital Thursday night after a bullet hit him at a Sarpy County firing range.

An ambulance at a firing range is something gun owners don't ever want to see.
Daniel Clark showed up at the Bullet Hole firing range and store in La Vista Thursday night right after the shooting. Clark says, "That's priority number one, always make sure it's unloaded and always watched where it's pointed."


Sarpy County Sheriff Jeff Davis says the shooting was an accident. "One customer was dismantling his firearm and obviously it was still loaded and discharged and struck another customer."

The bullet hit Greg Boll in the left shoulder. He was conscious and breathing, but paramedics rushed him to Creighton University Medical Center in critical condition. At last check, Boll improved to serious, but stable condition.


The shooting happened at the store's front counter, not in the firing range, shortly before the store closed at six pm. Investigators say the customer handling the gun is 37 year old Bryan Deming. They say he had the magazine out of the gun, but didn't know there was a live round still in the chamber.

Clark guessed it had to be a customer mishandling a gun, not an employee. Clark says, "At the counter, they usually check to make sure it's unloaded."

The Bullet Hole experienced a deadly shooting in October of '06. A man committed suicide in the firing range. That shooting wasn't an accident. But Sheriff Davis, who carries a gun every day, says this latest shooting could have been prevented. "That old saying the gun is always loaded, if you live by it, then probably better off."

The county attorney will review the reports and decide if charges should be filed against Deming. Sheriff's deputies did not arrest Deming or give him a ticket.

Action 3 News couldn't get ahold of the owners of the Bullet Hole.

 

[41magsnub]

Those poor bastards (both the shooter and shootee). I can imagine how screwed up I would be if I made a mistake like that. I'd probably never touch a firearm again, selling my collection (and probably a 2nd mortgage) to pay for the medical bills of the person I shot.

 

[strat81]

I've shot there before. Nice range, nice folks, nice neighborhood.

I'd probably never touch a firearm again, selling my collection (and probably a 2nd mortgage) to pay for the medical bills of the person I shot.

Agreed. I know of folks who refuse to ride a motorcycle because of accidents they've had, people who refuse to drive because they seriously hurt a passenger in an accident, etc etc.

Always check the chamber or cylinder guys, regardless of make or model. Always. Doesn't matter who handed it to you or if they checked it first. Always check.

 

[CountGlockula]

Sad...the range I go to.

The shooting happened at the store's front counter, not in the firing range, shortly before the store closed at six pm. Investigators say the customer handling the gun is 37 year old Bryan Deming. They say he had the magazine out of the gun, but didn't know there was a live round still in the chamber.

At my range, they're VERY strict on loaded weapons in the front counter...basically, NO LOADED WEAPONS IN THE LOBBY!!!

Also while in the firing line, handling live ammo should be done in the shooting booths ONLY. There are benches behind the booths, but there are still yahoos fiddling with them by loading their mags behind the firing line where folks are walking by.

I bet Deming, after finishing his shooting session, decided to leave a live one in the chamber and to show off his new toy to the employees.

 

[41magsnub]

At my range, they're VERY strict on loaded weapons in the front counter...basically, NO LOADED WEAPONS IN THE LOBBY!!!

Also while in the firing line, handling live ammo should be done in the shooting booths ONLY. There are benches behind the booths, but there are still yahoos fiddling with them by loading their mags behind the firing line where folks are walking by.

I bet Deming, after finishing his shooting session, decided to leave a live one in the chamber and to show off his new toy to the employees.

Or he just was negligent and screwed up. Where do you get that it was intentional to leave one in the chamber, or are you just trying to vilify the guy further?

 

[40SW]

Semi Automatic Pistol:
1. Point in safest direction.
2. Drop magazine
3. Rack the slide several times (while keeping #1 very much in mind), and then lock the slide back (while keeping #1 very much in mind.)
4. Repeat #1.

 

[gym]

I hate to shoot in those places, especially here in FL, when they are teaching a first time shooter how to shoot with a full house, prayers go out to both. I have noticed that more and more ranges have closed in South FL, the insurance must be insane by now.

 

[silverlance]

very very sad.

I really prefer to shoot alone, or with only one or two other friends. it gets a bit crazy when there are too many people handling guns - and few have much experience.

reminds me of a certain AK build party where everyone was running around with power tools and flaming bits of metal....

 

[The Annoyed Man]

Except for indoor ranges, I've never been to an outdoor range where the range office would allow you to bring a firearm inside. Period. Loaded OR unloaded. Was this an indoor or outdoor range?

 

[Doc Rizzi]

Some do....some don't.....

We have an indoor range here in San Jose that requires you to hand over your firearm to be inspected prior to taking it to the lane......and we have an outdoor range that requires all firearms to be cased while inside the office. Still, even with the safety measures, the burden falls on the gun owner to make his firearm safe. I have seen unsafe practices while at the range, while hunting, and while transporting firearms. People get excited and their common sense goes right out the window. Situational awareness by you is the best way to keep yourself safe. Know your surroundings as best you can and be aware of the chance that others might not be doing so.
I took a piece of .357 shrapnel to my hand while drinking a cup of coffee on the balcony of a cabin I was hunting from because some dumb ass was loading his revolver in the kitchen of the cabin and it went boom. The bullet struck the tile floor and came up in pieces through the sliding glass door and into my hand. I didn't know he was loading the revolver or I would not have been standing in the line of fire.....but hell....he said he was sorry. Damn.

 

[strat81]

Was this an indoor or outdoor range?

Indoor.

 

[Mikee Loxxer]

I was going to pay them a visit and rent one of their full auto's at some point. Now I am having second thoughts. I dislike public ranges or ones where any yahoo can come in and get a loaded firearm. Handling firearms is serious business that some people can't seem to be trusted with.

 

[Liberty1776]

that's why I've trained my son -- "it doesn't matter if you just saw me check the chamber -- when I hand you a gun, check it!!!"

 

[BobbyQuickdraw]

I'm a proponent of get back on the horse. Accidents are generally preventable. If it's not preventable, it wasn't an accident, it was something more serious. This sucks for everyone involved and hopefully the injured guy will come out ok. Shoulder sucks to get hit in, but it doesnt sound life-threatening, but he'll have to stay out of the bench press competitions for awhile.

But I would recommend still going to this range if you live there. It's not the ranges fault. Its unfortunate, but if everyone stopped doing something or going somewhere when an accident we'd have no drivers on the road and no place to go because we're so afraid of everything.

Keep an eye on your surroundings and the people there - its like driving, you see some guy swerving, you don't drive next to him. You see some guy being stupid with a gun, or notice something dangerous, don't be in the way and let him/range official know. And make sure to keep your own weapon safe.

 

[alsaqr]

"Sarpy County Sheriff Jeff Davis says the shooting was an accident. "One customer was dismantling his firearm and obviously it was still loaded and discharged and struck another customer.""

Wrong!!!! It was a Negligent Discharge.