Democrat Lucas Kunce injured reporter while shooting. Gun safety experts had these concerns
It was supposed to be a standard campaign photo-op.
Democrat Lucas Kunce and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican, would display bipartisanship, talk to union workers and tout their former military records by shooting guns at a couple of targets in Holt north of Kansas City on Tuesday.
Then as Kunce was shooting, a piece of shrapnel hit a TV reporter.
An event intended to highlight Kunce’s comfort with guns in the closing weeks of the campaign instead turned into a political slip up — one that allowed Republican Sen. Josh Hawley to pounce. “I know the Kunce campaign needed a shot in the arm, but this is taking it a little far…” Hawley wrote on social media.
But interviews with gun safety experts and a review of court records raise deeper concerns with the event beyond bad optics.
Experts who spoke with The Star raised questions about safety at the range. They described best practices seemingly at odds with the scene shown in photos. The shooters appeared too close to the targets, for instance.
Court records also show that a Holt man, Chad Everett Downs, who played a role in setting up the gun range and remained close to Kunce and Kinzinger during the shooting, faces felony perjury charges, accused of lying in a past child abuse case that he said ended in a jury acquittal.
The shooting range episode has quickly become a flashpoint in the final stages of the race, as absentee votes are already being cast. Kunce, who spent 13 years in the Marines, has leaned into his military experience in the race and some of his ads have included footage of him posing with a shotgun. But Hawley and other Republicans have seized on the incident as evidence that Kunce is out of touch with gun culture.
“I was grateful for the opportunity to talk to union workers about our freedoms at the range,” Kunce said in a written statement. “Safety is important to us which is why the range was set up and run by a NRA Training Counselor. But any time you are handling weapons, you need to be prepared. We acted quickly and I’m glad the reporter was okay and able to keep reporting.”
Kunce’s campaign did not share the name of the NRA training counselor. On Thursday, Downs told The Star he was the counselor.
Shooting targets too close
The stop at the shooting range – located at a private residence – attracted several reporters, including a photojournalist for The Star. Kunce and Kinzinger took turns firing guns that were arrayed on two wooden tables.
They shot at steel targets from a range of roughly 10-15 yards. The weapons included both handguns and rifles, including an AR-15.
Steve Hendrick, who operates Shield Firearms Training in Kansas City, said a range of 10 yards or so would have been too close for an AR-15, given the gun’s high velocity. He cautioned that he wasn’t present and had only reviewed photos of the event.
“Just as a general rule, it looked like they were way closer than they should have been if they were shooting steel,” Hendrick said.
Steel targets at that range – with a weapon such as the AR-15 – would have increased the chances of ricochet shrapnel. At a close range, paper or cardboard targets would have been more suitable, Hendrick said.
Hendrick also said the tables appeared cluttered and that if he had been the range officer he would have asked for a neater, more organized workspace.
Dave Kingsbury, a certified firearms instructor with PRS Tactical, agreed with several of Hendrick’s assessments. Kingsbury, who also cautioned that he wasn’t present, said he had several questions about the setup, including the design of the target the men were shooting. If it was steel, the design could affect how it deflects shrapnel.
He also expressed concern about the fact that the men appeared to be firing into a wooded area. He said it’s safer for people to fire into a dirt berm, the side of a hill, or something designed to stop bullets.
“That’s one of the fundamental firearm safety rules, is to always know your target and what’s beyond,” Kingsbury said. “And from the photos, at least, I can’t tell whether there’s a sufficient backstop behind the targets to stop a bullet.”
In an interview, Downs said reporters had crept too close to the shooting after being told to stay back. He also said that behind the range is a 75-foot tall hill.
“If anybody’s shot steel, I really don’t think those guys were being stupid or irresponsible or crazy because I’ve done the same thing,” Downs said. “When you shoot steel, you’re going to get fragments. That’s it.”
Downs said he’s been hit by fragments at distances of 50 yards before. “Of course, the further you move back the safer it becomes,” he said.
Range owner’s past legal troubles
As Kunce and Kinzinger were shooting, Downs remained nearby. Before the event, Downs spoke with a Star photojournalist, saying that the range was his but that the event was taking place at his neighbor’s residence.
Downs said he lived “across the way” and said his neighbor allows him to shoot on the property. He showed The Star firearms that were on the table that belonged to him.
Missouri court records show that Downs was charged with 17 counts of felony perjury in August by Ray County Prosecutor Camille Johnston. He has been issued a criminal summons and waived his preliminary hearing. 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. Downs said Thursday there are no restrictions on his firearm ownership or possession.
The allegations of perjury involve statements Downs made in a felony child abuse case, according to a probable cause affidavit signed by an investigator in the prosecutor’s office. The affidavit includes a case number for the child abuse case, but it doesn’t appear in Casenet, Missouri’s electronic court records system.
When The Star called the Ray County Circuit Clerk’s Office, the person who answered said the case had been dismissed. After a reporter identified himself, a voice was heard in the background instructing the person not to speak, saying “that is not an open record.” Downs said a jury had acquitted him.
Downs asked The Star to contact his defense attorney at KC Defense Counsel. An individual who answered the phone said KC Defense Counsel couldn’t comment.
Kunce’s campaign did not respond to questions about Downs.
Hawley and his campaign spent much of Wednesday sharing jokes about the incident on social media – including by mocking a video Kunce made in 2021 saying he didn’t need to shoot guns in political ads to prove his masculinity.
At one point, Hawley questioned whether Kunce reported the well-publicized incident to law enforcement, which is required by Missouri law. Kunce’s campaign said they informed local law enforcement.
Star photojournalist Dominick Williams contributed reporting
This story was originally published October 23, 2024 at 6:02 PM.
