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SALT LAKE CITY — The recent death of a teen by a stray bullet has drawn questions about outdoor target shooting safety.
Zackary Kempke, 14, was in a passing vehicle a Sept. 23 when he was hit and killed by an errant bullet shot by a group nearby.
The target shooters, who were hundreds of feet away, told authorities they were unaware they were shooting toward a dirt road covered by a tree grove and vegetation in the area, Rich County Sheriff’s officials wrote.
Rich County Sheriff Dale Stacey didn't immediately return calls left by KSL about if the group had a backstop that they were shooting toward.
The shooting sparked an online discussion about target shooting safety, including many comments on the initial KSL.com story and on social media. Some called for shooters to have backstops and to know the areas beyond their targets. Others called for a need to avoid assumptions before having all relevant information.
With the surrounding discussion in mind, what do wilderness organizations and shooting experts recommend?
We've looked at tips from the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service (which owns the land where the target shooters were) and the National Rifle Association. They suggested common themes: Know the surrounding area before shooting, secure a good backstop, carry out all litter. Target shooting on Utah and U.S. forest land is legal unless otherwise noted.
The full list of recommendations from each are below:
The Bureau of Land Management offers nine rules and tips for target shooting on Utah lands. From the website:
- Never shoot from or over any road or highway.
- Shoot in a safe direction with a good backstop. Know your target and beyond.
- Possession or use of exploding targets is prohibited.
- Be aware of shooting closure areas. Pay attention to signs
- Be aware of fire restrictions and regulations.
- Do not use plastic pellets, tracer rounds, exploding rounds or steel-core rounds.
- Do not attach targets to plants or place targets against rocks, plants or solid objects. It is illegal to deface or destroy trees, signs, outbuildings or other objects on federal lands.
- Carry in your targets and carry out all litter, brass and shell casings. All targets, shell casings, debris and trash must be removed.
- Cross-country travel is not permitted outside of off-highway vehicle open area boundaries, so please stay on designated routes.
- In or within 150 yards from a residence, building, campsite, developed recreation area or occupied area.
- Across or on a national forest or grassland road or body of water.
- In any manner or place where any person or property is exposed to injury or damage as a result of such discharge.
- Into or within a cave.
- Firing tracer bullets or incendiary ammunition.
- Disturbing, injuring, destroying, or in any way damaging any prehistoric, historic, or archaeological resource, structure, site, artifact, property.
- Abandoning any personal property or failing to dispose of all garbage, including targets, paper, cans, bottles, appliances.
- Don't just pick a likely place and start shooting, even if you've done it before or know people who have. Double-check to ensure you're target shooting only on lands open to shooting.
- Don't shoot at trees, cacti, rocks, etc. Use only appropriate targets. Shooting at trees and other natural objects is illegal and leaves a negative image about shooters.
- Don't shoot unless you're sure of your backstop. Only shoot where there is a good backstop to stop your bullets.
- Don't vandalize. Shooting at signs, kiosks, trash containers, buildings and other property is illegal.
- Don't litter. Be sure to pack out your trash including food wrappings, shotgun shells, brass or steel cases, fragmented clay pigeons and other targets. Be a thoughtful shooter, and pick up litter and target trash left by others.
- Don't let people think you're a litterer. Do not shoot household appliances or other objects dumped in shooting areas. It is misconstrued that shooters are the dumpers.
- Don't shoot where people might be, or where you can't see. Shooting across roads, trails, waterways or into caves or rocky areas is unsafe. Be sure you see your target clearly and you know what lies between you, the target and beyond.
- Don't shoot even close to where people might be. Shoot away from developed recreation sites such as campgrounds, trailheads, parking areas and boat ramps.
- Don't damage delicate natural areas with your vehicle. Travel on designated routes. Avoid traveling in sensitive areas such as meadows, lakeshores, wetlands and streams.
