Media Reports Erroneously Tie Accidental Shooting to Ben Avery Shooting Facility
Arizona –-(AmmoLand.com)- Various media outlets on Saturday, March 13 reported the accidental shooting of an 12-year-old-boy near the Ben Avery Shooting Facility.
While most reports of the incident were accurate, the Arizona Game and Fish Department wants to make certain the public understands the incident did not occur on Ben Avery Shooting Facility and the accidental shooting was self-inflicted.
The Phoenix Police Department said the child was injured around 11 a.m. on Saturday in a desert area west of the Shooting Facility boundary. The child was target shooting with his father and grandfather when the accident occurred.
When the initial call for assistance was received, Ben Avery Shooting Facility personnel assisted Phoenix Police Department officers in searching and clearing all range facilities to make certain the incident didn’t occur on the range or that other activity on the range didn’t contributed to the accident.
Arizona Game and Fish Department property was used as a staging area to provide emergency treatment and load the boy onto a medical transport helicopter.
The Ben Avery Shooting Facility is located on the northwest corner of I-17 and Carefree Highway in north Phoenix. Situated on 1,650 acres, it is one of the largest government-operated recreational shooting complexes in the world.
It averages more than 120,000 shooters per year and is home to a number of regional- and national-class competitions and other major events. Offering a wide array of target-shooting opportunities, the facility has 67 covered stations at the main range (all handicap accessible), and more than 25 additional rifle, pistol, and archery ranges for recreational and competitive shooting. The Clay Target Center offers 18-lighted trap/skeet overlay fields and two sporting clays courses.
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The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes that they have been discriminated against in any of the AGFD’s programs or activities, including employment practices, they may file a complaint with the Deputy Director, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000, (602) 942-3000, or with the Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternative format by contacting the Deputy Director as listed above.