This range is just around the corner from me.
Not sure how they call it "accidental" when "It's still not clear how the shooting happened."
When I heard it on the radio earlier, I knew it was bad, when Life Flight was called.

http://abc13.com/man-dies-afte...e-gun-range/2772877/

Man dies after accidental shooting outside gun range

Updated 22 mins ago

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A man who was accidentally shot outside a northwest Harris County gun range has died.

The shooting happened in front of the Hot Wells Gun Range on Highway 290 just after 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Investigators say the young man was flown to Memorial Hermann Hospital after suffering a gunshot wound to the head.

He died at the hospital.

It's still not clear how the shooting happened.

Harris County Sheriff's deputies are investigating.

Oh, I doubt if it was accidental. Probably rented a gun and then shot himself with it. There have been cases of this. I hope to be wrong, you understand.

"Investigators say an employee of the gun range was working on a hunting rifle when it suddenly went off."

Appears to be a failure to safely clear the rifle prior to "working" on it. This was not an accident, it was negligence.

Always keep the weapon pointed in a safe direction.

http://www.khou.com/news/local...-gun-range/498841189

HCSO: Employee cleaning gun accidentally shoots, kills man at gun range

KHOU.com Staff , KHOU 12:05 PM. CST December 12, 2017

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas -- A gun range employee cleaning a weapon accidentally shot and killed a man in Cypress, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

The shooting call was placed shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Hot Wells Shooting Range on Highway 290 near Barker Cypress.

According to the sheriff's office, the employee was cleaning a gun when it went off. The bullet went through a wall and then a window, striking a man in another part of the range.

The victim was rushed to the hospital but was later pronounced dead.

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Wow! Freaking employee killed the guy. I suspect this range will be oob eventually, not from the coming lawsuit, but from loss of customers.

Misapplication of the first three laws of gun safety, plain and simple.

H&K-Guy

Not an accident. An accident would have no fault. The "employee" is at fault and should pay for his or her negligence. Stupid should hurt bad.

Public gun ranges really have gotten to be a health hazard. I know of one local range alone, that has had at least 3 suicides take place. Every time I have to attend one I see scary shit from others on the line. There is a lot to be said for living where you can set up your own range.

Just terrible.

The day after Thanksgiving I was at a members only range just down the road from my Dad's place. We were in a private bermed off area away from the rifle range when I heard chirping of a emergency vehicle siren and saw flashing lights through the trees. Walked down to the rifle range benches and saw that a guy had been accidently shot through his right hand. He also had blood coming from his mouth but paramedics couldn't determine why. Because of this there was talk amongst paramedics and sheriff deputies about transporting him, via helicopter, to a larger hospital once they got him to the local facility. I suspect he probably bit his tounge following the hand shot.

Part of the reason I go to a membership only range and 95% of the time only go during the weekday when nobody is around, or at most the reliable regulars who (1) know their shit and (2) usually spread way out to give people space. Not abnormal to have a 20 position range to yourself, since the 5 people shooting have each taken a range to themselves.

And if I'm forced to go during the weekend, I'm there at opening, have my targets set by open fire time, and leave at the first sign of weekend Fuds.

quote:

"Investigators say an employee of the gun range was working on a hunting rifle when it suddenly went off."

Jesus F. Christ. How hard can it be to check the damned chamber and magazine?

quote:

Originally posted by Stlhead:
Not an accident. An accident would have no fault. The "employee" is at fault and should pay for his or her negligence. Stupid should hurt bad.

Involuntary manslaughter, like the guy in SF?

The reporting says "it suddenly went off" so that means the case is closed. It is just another case chocked up to another evil gun "just going off."

For the employee of a gun store or range, inexcusable.

RMD

Guy did this a Spring Guns and Ammo in Spring/North Houston about three years ago. Rented a gun, went out, sat in his car and did it. I got there right after it happened.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
Oh, I doubt if it was accidental. Probably rented a gun and then shot himself with it. There have been cases of this. I hope to be wrong, you understand.

quote:

There is a lot to be said for living where you can set up your own range.

Unfortunately, havoc follows even with private "ranges". Four or five years ago a local young woman was killed by a stray bullet that was fired on a makeshift "range" located on private property. From what I recall a bunch of guys got together (one or two were felons at the time), brought alcohol and apparently were having a good ol' time shooting guns a half a mile away from the backyard party the young woman was celebrating Father's Day at.

Unfortunately, there may be one less gun range in Houston

quote:

Investigators say an employee of the gun range was working on a hunting rifle when it suddenly went off.

At the same time, a customer had just gotten out of his car and was walking toward the building when he was hit.

quote:

Originally posted by rduckwor:
For the employee of a gun store or range, inexcusable.

RMD

quote:

Originally posted by Stlhead:
Not an accident. An accident would have no fault. The "employee" is at fault and should pay for his or her negligence. Stupid should hurt bad.

negligence? Yes.
inexcusable? Yes.
civil liability? Yes.
criminal liability? Involuntary manslaughter? Possible.... Debatable.... but not likely charged.

As to the suicides my local indoor range had a run of these, people rent guns walk in the range and shoot themselves, the worst was a woman in a divorce that brought her teen son into the range, rented two guns then while he was shooting put one in his head and then herself. All caught on video, needless to say rentals were stopped for a while.

One other consideration, it's an outdoor range, and the building is a trailer office, google it and you can see it's a very nice facility and quiet a large one at that.

I could be that the gun had a malfunction and the range employee was trying to "clear" not "clean" the firearm. Perhaps in an effort to clear it the rife went off.

Which may make sense if the owner removed it from the firing line, asked for help and it was already taken behind the office to the parking lot and then the discharge occurred.

It could have been a delayed fire as well, we even have a thread on that here.

Doubtful a range employee was cleaning guns in the parking lot for patrons but you never know.

At my range the rule is if you have an issue you can't resolve, leave the fire arm pointing down range, hands off and request assistance.

With the lack of clear facts and information other than a one or two paragraph news story, it's impossible to ascertain what really happened.