The man who set up the gun range for Democratic Missouri Senate candidate Lucas Kunce’s event, where a bullet ricocheted off a target and struck a reporter, appeared to claim that Kunce and the reporter ignored safety advice, according to messages in a private Facebook group reviewed by the Daily Caller.
Chad Everett Downs, the man who claims to have set up the gun range and who has told reporters he lives across the street from the range, commented on a story about the incident in a Facebook group. He said he was there and that Kunce and the reporter did not listen when they were told where they should stand while shooting. Downs, who may not be allowed to own a firearm due to felony charges, then said that it was perfectly normal to get hit with fragments while shooting steel.
Missouri court records show that Downs was charged with 17 counts of felony perjury in August and has been issued a criminal summons and waived his preliminary hearing, according to the Kansas City Star. “His ex-wife in a court filing earlier this month alleged the man owns or has access to guns in violation of his bond conditions,” the outlet states.
After a user asked if Downs was the person in a picture with Cunce and a KSHB reporter, Downs replied by saying, “Yeah. Those dudes were told where to stand. They didn’t listen.” Downs said when you shoot steel, “you always get frag. I’ve been hit probably 250 times.”
He then started arguing with another member of the Facebook group, saying: “so behind the firing line is bad?? Yeah your training sounds pretty intense. You’re basically a Navy Seal.” (RELATED: ‘Could’ve Killed Someone’: Conservatives Blast Dem Candidate For Gun Photo-Op That Injured Reporter With Shrapnel)
“I just gave them a place to shoot. Told them what I thought, then they did what they wanted to,” Downs said. “Do you know someone who’s been killed by a small fragment??” (RELATED: Stray Bullet Strikes TV Reporter At Democratic Senate Campaign Event)
“[Y]our range your responsibility. That is the lamest cop out l’ve ever seen in my life,” one of the Facebook users replied to him.
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Kunce’s campaign has said, “Safety is important to us, which is why the range was set up and run by a NRA Training Counselor.” Downs’ Facebook account says he is a “NRA training counselor.”
The Daily Caller contacted Downs to try to interview him about the incident and his comments, to which he said he would give an interview “for $5,000 if you want to know what really happened.”
Downs also told the Caller: “I made a video of the range with exact distances and where everyone was standing.” He would not share the video with the Caller, however.
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