Stephen Ormeroid, a Marysville resident and firearms trainer at the Richwood Gun Club, is shown practicing his aim at the club’s shooting range Wednesday afternoon. After a recent accidental shooting at the club, members have been emphasizing four points to gun safety: never point a gun at something the shooter isn’t willing to destroy, don’t put a finger on the trigger unless the shooter is ready to shoot, know the target and what’s beyond it, and to always treat a weapon like it is loaded.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Jacob Runnels)
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After an accident at the shooting range, a Richwood firearm organization is sticking to its guns about enforcing safety.
According to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, on Nov. 21, a member of the Richwood Gun Club had accidentally discharged their weapon and received a “self-inflicted gunshot wound.” Club president Ron Boylan said the club practices safety at its utmost, and that this was a rare accident.
“Unfortunately he violated the (safety) rules,” Boylan said. “He’s all by himself and he’s terribly embarrassed.”
He said the victim of the accident had violated two safety standards: never point the gun or put a finger on the trigger until it’s in a safe direction. He said these are standards set by both the club and the National Rifle Association (NRA).
He said the victim incurred a flesh wound, but he’s still allowed in the club. Representatives of the club were asked to identify the victim but refused.
“It was just one of those stupid mistakes people make,” he said. “Thank the lord it didn’t have any long-term consequences.”
Though Boylan said the public would see this as a negligent “oh well” situation, he said he’s still taking it seriously when it comes to safety. Following the accident, he said he has updated the safety presentation each member has to take when they join the club, and he’s making each member complete this safety training again.
Boylan started as a range officer, chief safety officer and then as the president for eight years. During his presidency, he said he’s help build two NRA-approved shooting ranges and improving their safety standards.
Safety at the club is enforced, as club firearm trainer Stephen Ormeroid said there are four guidelines each club member follows. These safety guidelines include never pointing a gun at something the shooter isn’t willing to destroy, to not put a finger on the trigger unless the shooter is ready to shoot, to know the target and what’s beyond and around it and to always treat a weapon like it is loaded.
He said the victim of the accident had pulled the trigger too soon.
“Once in awhile in this world, there is such a thing as an accident,” Ormeroid said. “This should be considered a learning moment.”
He said it’s “distressing to hear stupid things happening” when an accident happens, but even professionals make mistakes sometimes. He said these safety guidelines are practiced by all gun owners, but even seasoned shooters can become complacent.
As a longtime member who left the club in 2015, Lee McCafferty, of the Claiborne-Richwood area, said the firearm discharge accident has sent a “wake-up call” to the gun club and other firearm enthusiasts.
He said practicing shooters in and out of the club are always watching other shooters to make sure they’re upholding safety practices.
He said this is a way to make sure everyone is aware of what’s going on, down to observing how much ammunition is left in anyone’s firearm.
“Everyone is a safety enforcer,” he said. “Everybody observes each other.”
McCafferty said practicing shooters are inclined to be very careful when handling their firearms, but sometimes accidents happen. He doesn’t know how the firearm discharge accident happened, but he said situations like that can be caused by any number of scenarios.
“Anytime you are handling a gun, you should be at your best, no matter how much you have it figured out,” he said.
He said an accident like this wouldn’t look good outside of the gun club, but only to people who already had a negative disposition to firearms. He said the impact of this has only increased awareness of shooters in the area, making them more careful and observant when handling firearms or watching others shoot.
Boylan said the gun club works to serve the community with opportunities for anyone to learn how to shoot. He said the club hosts events such as family shooting day, and goes to “great lengths to make sure the range is clean and presentable.”