Man killed by a ricocheting bullet during target practice

[Jorg]

Gun users at target range react to accidental fatal shooting

LAS VEGAS (KSNV My News 3) – A man was killed by a ricocheting bullet during target practice in the desert Sunday night.

The accident is raising questions about the safety of the popular shooting spot on Bureau of Land Management property off U.S. Highway 95 and Corn Creek Road.

Gun enthusiasts use the site for target practice. The bullet casings and used targets show how busy it becomes. "It's a little bit more freedom here,” says Mike DeGrazio. He says people using the site may not be as safe as they would at a indoor range because no one is overseeing it.

DeGrazo is a gun expert with the Second Amendment Gun Shop in Las Vegas. He comes to this shooting spot frequently and sometimes sees carelessness.

Just after midnight Sunday, police say David Ferreira, 29, died after firing a shot that ricocheted. The bullet hit him in the chest. His friends tried to revive him. "It could've been he shot off a rock,” DeGrazo suggests. “He was shooting a rock when you hit."

Police ruled Ferreira’s death an accident. "Accidents do happen,” DeGrazo says. “It's just like in cars. You can get in your car driving for 20 years and you don't expect to get in an accident."

Jim Rowley loves shooting his guns at this spot. He’s sorry for the victim, but hope it doesn’t change use of the land.

"I'm sorry to hear about the incident absolutely uncalled for, but I'm hoping the rest of us don't have to pay for it," Rowley says.

http://www.mynews3.com/mostpopular/...act-to-accidental/r2L0aql4XEap_gj1-5iwSA.cspx

 

[Fixxah]

Quite the expert.

 

[Bonesinium]

"Accidents do happen,” DeGrazo says. “It's just like in cars. You can get in your car driving for 20 years and you don't expect to get in an accident."

Jim Rowley loves shooting his guns at this spot. He’s sorry for the victim, but hope it doesn’t change use of the land.

I have to agree with the above. Life is dangerous. That is just how it is.

 

[kalash]

BLM, huh?

 

[xtry51]

Not a lot of info. I've been hit by plenty of spall shooting steel at close range and some rock chips. I'm having a hard time imagining a common caliber coming back with enough force to kill you off a rock. I've seen videos of .50 causing shrapnel to come back at the shooter, but that's a pretty high energy round.

I'd like to here some more detail on this case. I'm feeling a bit dubious about it.

 

[BigTimber]

BLM, huh?

Bureau of land management.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

I've seen videos of .50 causing shrapnel to come back at the shooter, but that's a pretty high energy round.

One of the guys at work dropped off some 3/4" plate steel and asked me to drill a few .50" holes, but I've been too chicken because of this issue.

 

[free]

The news video is a little over two minutes. 95% is about how he was a sommelier and only a brief mention of how the accident happened. Either wine is really really important out there and guns are routine enough to not be the gist of the story, or they are really laid back about guns (just another day at the shop etc). Life goes on.

 

[1903Collector]

Unless the place is lit up how could they see what they were shooting at?

 

[beerjeep]

Unless the place is lit up how could they see what they were shooting at?

Shooting with lights/lasers...

 

[jron]

Just after midnight. Is that when he was pronounced dead at the hospital later or were they shooting blindly at night?

 

[Bonesinium]

Just after midnight. Is that when he was pronounced dead at the hospital later or were they shooting blindly at night?

Check out the tactical thread. We have quite a few forum members with all sorts of lights, NVG's and other night gadgets.

 

[Mass Firearms]

I certainly don't have perfect knowledge on the subject. However, I have seen many ricochets in many different circumstances and have never seen one with enough energy to cause that kind of damage.

Steve

 

[noxin]

Sounds like he was aiming for the rock, but that could just be very bad reporting

 

[jct61765]

Not a lot of info. I've been hit by plenty of spall shooting steel at close range and some rock chips. I'm having a hard time imagining a common caliber coming back with enough force to kill you off a rock. I've seen videos of .50 causing shrapnel to come back at the shooter, but that's a pretty high energy round.

I'd like to here some more detail on this case. I'm feeling a bit dubious about it.

And it happened around midnight! I bet some drinking was involved.

 

[whacko]

Unless the place is lit up how could they see what they were shooting at?

Car headlights

 

[fencer]

My bet it that someone else fired the round that killed him.

 

[xtry51]

And it happened around midnight! I bet some drinking was involved.

My bet it that someone else fired the round that killed him.

I'm betting both of these are the cause.

And in fairness shooting at night is not as uncommon as people may think. I've done it more than a few times.

 

[CTpatriot]

shit happens, had a .38 come straight back from 20 foot shot at a steel drum. right at center mass, more scared than hurt.

 

[1903Collector]

Car headlights

that's true.....didn't think of that.

 

[92G]

The guy was shooting at a rock?
WTF

 

[headednorth]

One of his buddies shooting him accidentally and then coming up with a story about a ricochet to cover up?

 

[Dradian]

One of his buddies shooting him accidentally and then coming up with a story about a ricochet to cover up?

Seems more likely

 

[Rob Boudrie]

My bet it that someone else fired the round that killed him.

It should be fairly easy to determine if the round was a ricochet if they manage to find the bullet at autopsy.

 

[jd4444]

If you have never shot tracers at night, you would be amazed at where the rounds go after they strike something down range. They appear to almost take 90 degree turns. They go left, right and almost straight up.

 

[dhuze]

I bullet loosed a lot of energy from a ricochet coming back at you. After all, it has to hit the target, compress it's energy and then rebound back with enough energy left to penetrate.
I've seen ricochets and been hit and the worst has ever been some minor bleeding, and that's more likely caused by a sharp edge than it is the power they were hit with.

 

[Terminator03]

Not a lot of info. I've been hit by plenty of spall shooting steel at close range and some rock chips. I'm having a hard time imagining a common caliber coming back with enough force to kill you off a rock. I've seen videos of .50 causing shrapnel to come back at the shooter, but that's a pretty high energy round.

I'd like to here some more detail on this case. I'm feeling a bit dubious about it.

I agree, but I suppose it could just have been a freak occurrance like hitting the lottery or being struck by lightning. Sometimes your number is just up...

 

[bigblue]

No information here to go on. We don't know the caliber, range, target, etc. For all we know he was trying out his buddy's .50 and aimed at a rock 100' away. I think by now we have all seen the video of the .50 round taking off the guy's ear pro. At 100 yards that round should have enough energy on a return trip to punch a hole in the chest cavity.

That being said, range safety seems to be a more likely culprit.

 

[johnnymac101]

One of his buddies shooting him accidentally and then coming up with a story about a ricochet to cover up?

I think I've seen this movie! LOL

 

[josh2600]

I think I've seen this movie! LOL

I have a similar bb gun story from when i was 13. Had to have bb dug out of my cheek(face), not fun.