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Reporter hit by shrapnel during Kinzinger and Lucas Kunce event

Matte Jr
Reporter hit by shrapnel during Kinzinger and Lucas Kunce event

A reporter was hit by shrapnel during an event at a Missouri shooting range that hosted former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger and Democratic Senate candidate Lucas Kunce.

Kinzinger was campaigning alongside Kunce at a private residence in Holt, Missouri, where the two fired AR-15s. While Kunce was shooting at targets, KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa was struck in the arm by a bullet fragment that ricocheted, causing significant bleeding.

Missouri Democratic Senate candidate Lucas Kunce and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger. (AP)

A photo of the incident showed Kunce helping to apply a bandage, with part of the reporter’s sleeve and arm covered in blood. Kinzinger stood to the side with a worried look.

Kunce, a Navy veteran and gun owner, helped tend to the reporter’s injuries at the scene. According to KSHB 41, Gamboa was taken to a hospital, where his injuries were considered minor. He was discharged soon after.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), who Kunce seeks to unseat, was quick to seize the opportunity, publishing a series of posts mocking his rival.

“I condemn all acts of violence against reporters and ask Kunce to never shoot another,” he said in an X post, alongside laughing emojis.

“While Kunce was busy shooting reporters, Erin and I were traveling around the state,” he said in a post on X, alongside a video from a campaign event.

In other posts, the Republican senator posted a photo of his grandmother carrying a rifle, saying she was a better shot than Kunce. In another, he asked, “Will Kamala condemn Kunce and Kinzinger’s gun violence?”

Kunce dismissed the accident in a post on X, garnering a decidedly negative reception.

“Great day of training today with my friend @AdamKinzinger,” the Democrat posted. “We lived with some unionists while exercising our freedom. Always have your first aid kit on hand. Shrapnel can always fly when you hit a target like today, and you need to be ready to attack. We had four first aid kits so we were able to take care of the situation and I’m glad Ryan is okay and was able to continue reporting.”

Former Representative Peter Meijer, a Republican who has criticized former President Donald Trump as Kinzinger, issued a harsh condemnation of the event.

“Photos before the incident show that Kunce was shooting at a target (presumably steel) well below 10 meters. What a stupid, reckless photo opportunity,” he said.

Other conservative activists also mocked the event, including influencer Benny Johnson.

“Democratic politicians love Dick Cheney so much that they are now shooting innocent people at random,” he he said in a post that was republished by Hawley. Cheney endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Federalist CEO Sean Davis described a number of problems with the photos released by Kunce, including the targets being too close, the use of a high-powered telescopic sight on a nearby target, Kinzinger improperly using eye protection, and the presence of explosive tannerite powder. on the table with the firearms.

Kunce is significantly behind Hawley in the polls, with Emerson-Hill poll giving the incumbent a 12 percentage point lead.

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