Remember folks, safety is everyone’s responsibility and things can happen when we get complacent.
This video will stay up to help show what can happen when we are not diligent.
The outrage demonstrated by people watching this just goes to show how safe our sport really is. Incidents like this are beyond rare but we must do our part to keep it that way.
Posted about this on my blog - basically a complete breakdown of communication and failure to follow basic safety rules, specifically “know your target/backdrop and what is behind/beyond it.”
It was sheer luck that the guy pasting targets didn’t get shot.
“Luck” is an understatement, the first time I watched this it made me sick. I’ve shot IDPA stages that utilize blind “solid” walls and always trusted that the RO had confirmed everything was clear. Thank god no one did get hurt but with that said what if? How would this play out legally? In a match setting with a stage using barriers that block the full view of the stage are we “the competitor” responsible because we trusted the RO (who is to be in full control of the stage) and didn’t verify it to be clear ourselves? I personally think there should be rule changes to eliminate them and require the see through orange construction fence be used.
It could go either way legally. Does the shooter have a reasonable expectation that the RSO / SO’s that run the shoot clear each stage before the next competitor gets on the line? Does the responsibility fall solely on the shooter to make sure there is no one on the range since it is he who is doing the shooting? May depend on the area, pro gun, anti gun, etc.
Saw this posted on another board and my questions are the same. Don’t RO’s work in pairs. I don’t shoot shoot a lot of large matches so I have no real clue, but the few small matches I’ve shot there were 2 RO’s a stage. The guy who walked with the shooter then stayed behind to shoo the pasters off the range before declaring it clear.
Is the guy filming the second RO??
It’s a good thing the guy was wearing a white shirt (no-shoot) instead of khaki.
Something similar to this happened at a match I was at. Not with the squad I was on though. The guy pasting wasn’t nearly as deep into the stage, maybe 7 yds, but no matter. When I SO I walk to ALL the barricades and take a look.
Look at the dust cloud at about 18 secs. Shows how close he actually came to the other RO hidden. How did that range officer not see he was down range?
I wouldn’t be surprised if either one of them ever set foot at that range again! One of those moments where you slow down a little, re-evaluate your life and just say “thank you.”
Seriously though it’s everyobes job to make sure everyone leaves without leaking. The Range Master, Match Director or club could be blamed for those shitty solid walls that you can’t see through. The RO and/or scorekeeper should both be checking if down range is clear and calling out an audible warning the the range is going hot. All the shooters on the squad should be watching out for each other. The guy down range should be paying enough attention and be able to hear the make ready commands and the timer beep and start making noise and heading for the hills.
WTF! PISS POOR COMMUNICATION! The dude down range looks like he was just going about his duty, pasting targets, didn’t look very surprised. None the less I would have hit the dirt. yelled my ass off, then said a prayer, I THINK. Thank God no one was hurt or worse.
I shot a high power match recently, AFTER the pits were cleared I started to walk up the steps and a guy starts yelling at me, GET DOWN Pits NOT clear, with a few other choice words mixed in. Once he realized the pits were clear and it was his mistake he apologized and said he was trying to save me an ASS chewing from the range/safety officer. I told him, NO PROBLEM ALWAYS ERR on the side of CAUTION! The ASS chewing was the least of my worries at that end of the range.
ALWAYS DOUBLE CHECK AND DON’T BE AFRAID TO SPEAK UP!
From what I’ve read elsewhere the gentleman pasting targets is legally deaf. Not an excuse, but it explains why he wasn’t hugging the deck and screaming for the shooter to stop shooting. If anything everyone else in the group should have been even more careful to make sure that the hearing impaired guy knew what was going on around him (as should he himself).
If the guy is deaf, he needs to communicate that with the RO so its understood he wont receive verbal commands. He may have, I don’t know, but it looks like multiple people made mistakes - good lesson for sure. Thank God no one took a hit.
At the public range last year, I had some foreigners start walking down the middle of the HOT range to change targets! The got all pissy when 3 of us freaked out on them. I don’t know what some people think - or even if they do. Language barrier or not - everyone has to be on the same page at all times. Point is watch you back out there - and try to watch for others as well.