14 yr old shot accidentally by target shooter...

[Jonnyuma]

... I can attest that this kind of thing does happen.

I've got nothing at all against dirt bikers, 4-wheelers, etc... I love off-roading too, although I'm more of an "Enduro" type of guy who likes trails and exploring vs X-Games style acrobatics.
The guys that deliberately jumped the berm into gunfire were adrenaline-junkies who were either A) adding a layer of danger to their hobby. Or, B) attempting to pizz on my tree. They got dam lucky it was just a bunch of enthusiasts out enjoying some recreational shooting and not some REAL bikers, gangsters, or cartel sh*theads who would've burned em down and bagged their ashes.

Yes, it happens. I don't think that's what happened in this case... I doubt dad was some kind of daredevil w his 14 yr old son in the back seat. Was he on an established road? Don't know. If he was then the shooter is definitely at fault. Was it a barely recognizable "trail"? Still don't know.

 

[Cogs]

Where a driver is driving and how he is driving could play a part in the cause of events like this, however, if the shooter is not properly using an earthen berm backstop, or is shooter recklessly, then the blame will rest on him. It's possible they may have had a good backstop but a ricochet skipped over. Especially if they were shooting a target on the ground (slope and/or rocks). The story does lead you to think they were shooting into the trees, like we see happening all the time around here.

I hope we hear a final report on this but I doubt it. Media rarely does a follow-up story.

 

[2Wheels4Ever]

There is an OHV park close to me called Clines Butte. I went there once, and I don't have any plans to revisit. How the hell do you go to an OHV park and not shoot into a clear and visible backstop? I could not believe what I was seeing.

 

[kmk1012]

Just this Monday I was out in the tree farm at my work when gunfire started. Ricochets came literally over my head, I could hear them hitting branches of the trees I was under. I drove around and found a few people shooting in an adjacent field. They had no backstop and were firing directly in line with town (less than 1/4 mile to houses). I exchanged a few words with them and they basically blew me off. So, our local police paid them a visit. I'm not sure if they were cited but this was them same time of day as school was letting out and lots of kids walking in the area. Some people are bubblegums!

 

[3MTA3]

Many many years ago when I had purchased my machine gun and was waiting on my tax stamp, I would go to shoots with the seller, Louis Caruso, and in exchange for keeping the mags loaded I got to shoot whatever he was demoing to his customers - this included LE.

One day, down in the Springfield area near where Louis was based we went to a range to demo some guns to his LE customers and a few others. It was a very, very safe place to shoot with a large berm and the area was fenced to prevent people from wandering in. They had just finished a mag and heard a motor, when all of the sudden an off road bike came flying over the top of the berm. Jaws dropped everywhere.

I learned that day you need to to more than follow the rules and be extra vigilant. No matter how certain you are that you have done everything right anything can happen at any time.

 

[HB of CJ]

Safety first. We now only shoot at the private secured fenced locked gated shale quarry. Due to fire season we have not shot in several months. Too dangerous. It will probably get to the point that we will only to go the Sportsman's Park North of Grants Pass Oregon. World class shooting range. Nice!

The problem is that that range is a good hour from home. Firearm security in the SUV remains a concern if we hit the shopping IN Grants Pass to or from the range. We no longer just drive off onto some forest service or BLM road and set up targets. Too many idiots with guns. This is our current reality.

DID IT AGAIN!!! Equal paragraph lengths! Ta Da!!

 

[WWShooter]

Shooter didn't know with certainty where his bullet would stop - shooter's fault.

 

[orygun]

I saw this on the news the other morning and it just ripped my heart out.

Every single time one of us pulls the trigger, we have to remember that we are ultimately responsible for that bullet. When considering a self defense shoot, this thought concerns me me more than anything else.

Shooting without a good backstop is irresponsible. In this case it was deadly.

I'll bet we're going to see a civil trial over this one...

 

[Cogs]

​

 

[Cogs]

I see the Kempke family hunts and owns firearms. Makes me feel a little better that there may not be a new campaign against people with guns on public lands. (But you never know if someone else will).

<broken link removed>

The go fund me page now has a little over $8600 (goal $10,000). It's to help cover costs including dads lost wages.

 

[Flymph]

Check out the top right corner of this info graphic from washington DNR...

 

[bsa1917hunter]

Just this Monday I was out in the tree farm at my work when gunfire started. Ricochets came literally over my head, I could hear them hitting branches of the trees I was under. I drove around and found a few people shooting in an adjacent field. They had no backstop and were firing directly in line with town (less than 1/4 mile to houses). I exchanged a few words with them and they basically blew me off. So, our local police paid them a visit. I'm not sure if they were cited but this was them same time of day as school was letting out and lots of kids walking in the area. Some people are bubblegums!

Some? These days it seems like an awful lot more than there used to be. Freaking ar commandos and idiots that litter the regular shooting areas with garbage. People shooting into trees or not even using a backstop at all. We've all seen them and probably exchanged a few words with them. Its these kinds of people that make the rest of us look bad and will eventually be the death of public shooting places. The bad thing is they haven't been educated or trained in firearms safety like we have. And they really don't care. It's a sad truth, but what do you do to fix it?

 

[Flymph]

Some? These days it seems like an awful lot more than there used to be. Freaking ar commandos and idiots that litter the regular shooting areas with garbage. People shooting into trees or not even using a backstop at all. We've all seen them and probably exchanged a few words with them. Its these kinds of people that make the rest of us look bad and will eventually be the death of public shooting places. The bad thing is they haven't been educated or trained in firearms safety like we have. It's a sad truth, but what do you do to fix it?

You could sign that form OFF put out to get 6th graders an educational program about gun safety.

 

[bsa1917hunter]

I sure will. That's the same age I was when I went to my first hunters safety class. I received my card on my birthday in 1986.
I'm actually deer hunting right now and paying close attention to my surroundings and backstops. Always know what's beyond your target!!!

 

[Cogs]

Some? These days it seems like an awful lot more than there used to be. Freaking ar commandos and idiots that litter the regular shooting areas with garbage. People shooting into trees or not even using a backstop at all. We've all seen them and probably exchanged a few words with them. Its these kinds of people that make the rest of us look bad and will eventually be the death of public shooting places. The bad thing is they haven't been educated or trained in firearms safety like we have. And they really don't care. It's a sad truth, but what do you do to fix it?

Well said, BSA! (But in context, the shooters in this case were a family (husband, wife and kids). They say the wife was the one who fired the shot that killed the boy. It seems pretty cut and dried they were not rogue shooters.

To fix the problems in 'commando' recreational shooting? It's a little thing here and there. And you hope it gets through to some. Then it's a little more here and there. And hope you reach a few more. and on, and on, and on...

We can hammer on the video producers to show proper use of backstops when they're showing off their products, ask to curtail their wild acts with their fancy moves, along with their "hey, aren't I cool" video shots, and add disclaimers like; "Do not do this on public lands". We can show up at dispersed shooting sites and teach by example. We can hand out shooting information and explain the value of preserving the privilege. And there's more we can do and some are currently doing it. It's a bunch of different stuff.

I say they can have their fun, being 'commandos', yet still be able to follow the rules. It just takes some convincing to do the right thing and a reminder of the importance of supporting the right to keep and bear arms. Most shooters get it and will agree. But I know what you mean about those who 'don't really care'.

We can't just turn away and let the privilege go because of those few who don't know, never thought about it and those who don't care. We've got to keep hammering away at it and do our best to get the message through. Or else, we'll loose it.

Who sees what's going on out there? The land management agencies do (USFS, BLM, State & County land managers). Who complains about it? The general public. Do they ever hear from responsible shooters? Not near as often as they hear from the complainers! That's why we need more and more responsible shooters out there setting a good example and communicating to our land management agencies. They need to be hearing from us more often. Comments like; "Hey, I cleaned that up while I was there", "I saw some bad behavior and talked to them", "I'll adopt that site and report how it's doing". Communication has a big impact with the managers of our lands. They need to hear from us more often. It is key to keeping places open to shooting.

Yep, your right... It is a lot more than it used to be. That's what makes it more important we get on it and straighten it out, ASAP! In today's climate, we won't last long if we passively stand by and let it go unchallenged. We each gotta find a way to communicate to the jack-wagons and to the officials in respectable ways.

Thanks for your thoughts, BSA!

 

[bsa1917hunter]

Well said, BSA! (But in context, the shooters in this case were a family (husband, wife and kids). They say the wife was the one who fired the shot that killed the boy. It seems pretty cut and dried they were not rogue shooters.

To fix the problems in 'commando' recreational shooting? It's a little thing here and there. And you hope it gets through to some. Then it's a little more here and there. And hope you reach a few more. and on, and on, and on...

We can hammer on the video producers to show proper use of backstops when they're showing off their products, ask to curtail their wild acts with their fancy moves, along with their "hey, aren't I cool" video shots, and add disclaimers like; "Do not do this on public lands". We can show up at dispersed shooting sites and teach by example. We can hand out shooting information and explain the value of preserving the privilege. And there's more we can do and some are currently doing it. It's a bunch of different stuff.

I say they can have their fun, being 'commandos', yet still be able to follow the rules. It just takes some convincing to do the right thing and a reminder of the importance of supporting the right to keep and bear arms. Most shooters get it and will agree. But I know what you mean about those who 'don't really care'.

We can't just turn away and let the privilege go because of those few who don't know, never thought about it and those who don't care. We've got to keep hammering away at it and do our best to get the message through. Or else, we'll loose it.

Who sees what's going on out there? The land management agencies do (USFS, BLM, State & County land managers). Who complains about it? The general public. Do they ever hear from responsible shooters? Not near as often as they hear from the complainers! That's why we need more and more responsible shooters out there setting a good example and communicating to our land management agencies. They need to be hearing from us more often. Comments like; "Hey, I cleaned that up while I was there", "I saw some bad behavior and talked to them", "I'll adopt that site and report how it's doing". Communication has a big impact with the managers of our lands. They need to hear from us more often. It is key to keeping places open to shooting.

Yep, your right... It is a lot more than it used to be. That's what makes it more important we get on it and straighten it out, ASAP! In today's climate, we won't last long if we passively stand by and let it go unchallenged. We each gotta find a way to communicate to the jack-wagons and to the officials in respectable ways.

Thanks for your thoughts, BSA!

Well written and well said. You are a leader!!!