After Lucas Kunce shooting accident, experts have concerns
October 23, 2024 6:02 PM Government & Politics
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It was supposed to be a standard campaign photo-op.
Democrat Lucas Kunce and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican, would display bipartisanship, talk to union workers and tout their former military records by shooting guns at a couple of targets in Holt north of Kansas City on Tuesday.
Then as Kunce was shooting, a piece of shrapnel hit a TV reporter.=
An event intended to highlight Kunce’s comfort with gunsin the closing weeks of the campaign instead turned into a political slip up — one that allowed Republican Sen. Josh Hawley to pounce. “I know the Kunce campaign needed a shot in the arm, but this is taking it a little far…” Hawley wrote on social media.
But interviews with gun safety experts and a review of court records raise deeper concerns with the event beyond bad optics.
Experts who spoke with The Star raised questions about safety at the range.They described best practices seemingly at odds with the scene shown in photos.The shooters appeared too close to the targets, for instance.
Court records also show that aHolt man who played a role in setting up the gun range, and remained close to Kunce and Kinzinger during the shooting, faces felony perjury charges, accused of lying in a child abuse case that was dismissed.
Theshooting range episode has quickly become a flashpoint in the final stages of the race, as absentee votes are already being cast. Kunce,who spent 13 years in the Marines, has leaned into his military experience in the race and some of his ads have included footage of him posing with a shotgun. But Hawley and other Republicans have seized on the incident as evidence that Kunce is out of touch with gun culture.
“I was grateful for the opportunity to talk to union workers about our freedoms at the range,” Kunce said in a written statement. “Safety is important to us which is why the range was set up and run by a NRA Training Counselor. But any time you are handling weapons, you need to be prepared. We acted quickly and I’m glad the reporter was okay and able to keep reporting.”
Kunce’s campaign did not share the name of the NRA training counselor.
Shooting targets too close
The stop at the shooting range – located at a private residence – attracted several reporters, including a photojournalist for The Star.Kunce and Kinzinger took turns firing guns that were arrayed on two wooden tables.
They shot at steel targets from a range of roughly 10-15 yards. The weapons included both handguns and rifles, including an AR-15.
Steve Hendrick, who operates Shield Firearms Training in Kansas City, said a range of 10 yards or so would have been too close for an AR-15, given the gun’s high velocity. He cautioned that he wasn’t present and had only reviewed photos of the event.
“Just as a general rule, it looked like they were way closer than they should have been if they were shooting steel,” Hendrick said.
Steel targets at that range – with a weapon such as the AR-15 – would have increased the chances of ricochet shrapnel. At a close range, paper or cardboard targets would have been more suitable, Hendrick said.
Hendrick also said the tables appeared clutteredand that if he had been the range officer he would have asked for a neater, more organized workspace.
Dave Kingsbury, a certified firearms instructor with PRS Tactical, agreed with several of Hendrick’s assessments. Kingsbury, who also cautioned that he wasn’t present, said he had several questions about the setup, including the design of the target the men were shooting. If it was steel, the design could affect how it deflects shrapnel.
https://archive.is/cdsv6
Fucking funniest stunt ever!