Teenager shot in ‘freak accident’ while clay pigeon shooting
A teenager is fighting for her life after being shot in a freak accident at a Scottish gun club. The victim, a 19-year-old woman, suffered gunshot wounds to her hip and stomach after being hit by a stray shot from a teammate during a clay pigeon competition on Sunday. She was treated by a specialist trauma team at the scene in Tarbert, Argyll and airlifted to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital[1] in Glasgow.
Police said there were not believed to be any suspicious circumstances. According to the Scottish Sun, the woman thought to have accidentally fired the shot is a fellow gun club member believed to be aged in her 40s. Both had been competing in Sunday’s event at Tarbert Shooting Club.
The women are understood to have been in the same team and taking part in the Winter League competition when the incident happened around 90 minutes into the tournament. A source close to the incident said: “It was a complete freak accident, everyone is absolutely devastated. There’s nothing untoward about it at all.
It was a freak thing that happened. The gun just went off.” Alastair Redman, councillor for Kintyre and the Islands ward, said: “Tragically accidents do still happen.”
He added: “This comes as a huge shock – our thoughts and prayers are with my constituent that was injured in this tragic accident and her family. Accidents like these are rare and firearms operators are very professional and safe in their conduct.” The website for the gun club, based on the shores of Loch Fyne, states that they have “qualified instructors” and offer “safe and fun clay pigeon shooting”.
As well as providing shoots for their members, they also cater for stag and hen parties and corporate days.
A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We received a call on December 3 to attend an incident in Tarbert.
An ambulance and air ambulance with a trauma team were dispatched to the scene and one patient was transported by air to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.”
References
- ^ Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (www.telegraph.co.uk)