One person was killed, and fourteen others were injured Wednesday after they were struck by lightning at an archery club in Jackson Township, New Jersey, police said.
The Jackson Police Department responded to the incident at the Black Knights Bow Benders Archery Range at 7:13 p.m. Wednesday, they indicated via a Wednesday press release. When police arrived on the scene, a male victim was receiving CPR while other victims were being triaged for their injuries. The male victim, identified as 61-year-old Robert Montgomery, later died.
A total of 14 other victims sustained injuries such as burns, pain and “not feeling well as a result of the incident,” police said. One victim was “knocked unconscious but later regained consciousness,” according to the same release. Some of the victims were as young as seven years old.
The event was organized by a Cub Scout troop, NBC News reported, citing police. Three adult instructors were among those hospitalized. Four of the victims who sustained burns were children, the outlet reported. The man who died as a result of the incident was not a member of the archery club, according to its president Jerry Mindurski.
Mindurski reacted to the “sudden” incident, saying he was “praying for [the] family members of the man that was killed and those that got hurt,” according to NBC News. (RELATED: Teen Enjoying Picnic With Friends In Central Park Survives Lightning Strike)
Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy also reacted to the incident via a statement he shared via his verified X account.
“I have been briefed on a lightning strike tonight at an outdoor archery range in Jackson. At this time, we have at least one fatality and multiple injuries. All injured have been transported by first responders. Please pray for everyone involved in this tragic incident,” he wrote.
The man who was killed in the incident was a volunteer instructor, according to the New York Post. The incident occurred when lightning struck a tree near where the troop was firing arrows, the outlet reported.
Two people died as a result of heavy rains and flash floods in New Jersey Monday, prompting Murphy to declare a State of Emergency, FOX 5 NY indicated.
