14-Year-Old Boy Accidentally Killed by Target Shooter

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An unfortunate story out of Rich County, Utah, where a 14-year-old boy was killed unintentionally by a target shooter Sunday, 09/23/2018.

Rich County Sheriff’s Office said that Zackary Kempke, of Ogden, was struck in the head by a bullet while a passenger in his fathers’ car, wounding him fatally.

Police responded to a 911 call around 3 p.m. to a remote area of Monte Cristo in Northeast Utah. According to investigators the shooter was engaging a target several hundred feet away from the vehicle.

Watch news coverage here:

The shooter and several witnesses said they didn’t realize there was a road down range as the remote location was covered thickly with bushes and trees and didn’t know a vehicle was in the area.

According to a statement made by the Sheriff’s Office:

“When the investigation is complete, all information and evidence will be turned over to the Rich County Prosecutor for further action or charges, as of this time no charges have been filed.”

This was an extremely unfortunate mistake which was completely avoidable if the shooter had followed basic firearm safety rules:

  1. Always treat the gun as if it were loaded, whether it is or not.
  2. Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
  3. Always be sure of your target and what is beyond it.
  4. Never point a gun at anything you are not willing to destroy.

If the target shooter had paid attention to these basic rules of safety, especially the 3rd, a 14-year-old boy would still be alive today.

If these firearm safety rules are new to you, or even if you’ve heard them before, be sure to get quality training so an incident like this one won’t happen to you or a loved one.

If there is any doubt, do not continue to shoot. Take firearm safety seriously, you could save a life.

What do you think of this tragedy? Leave us a comment below to let us know.

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