Fatal shooting at Hollidaysburg Sportmens Club

**Mr White** · September 13th, 2007, 09:25 AM

Just saw this on THR.

Breaking news out of Blair County where a man was fatally shot in the head with a large caliber weapon at the Hollidaysburg Sportsman Club Wednesday night. State Police remain on the scene in the East Loop area of Frankstown Township and say their investigation is just beginning. Because of the weapon used, a .762 caliber Gatling gun mounted on the back of a Humvee - State Police say an explosives specialist unit out of the area has been called in. The incident happened around 8:30 Wednesday night and a number of witnesses were there when the shooting occurred. State Police say there was a weapons demonstration going on as part of an East Coast Guns event. An autopsy is planned Thursday and State Police plan to release more details at a news conference then.

Link to Article

**Emptymag** · September 13th, 2007, 09:47 AM

Prayers sent to those affected by this tragic event.

**vetter3006** · September 13th, 2007, 09:51 AM

My prayers go out to the family also. I hate to hear of accidents like this because it was probably a great time til the accident happened, and it's someting that could go wrong when we are out having fun at the range.

**dnar** · September 13th, 2007, 09:56 AM

Thanks for the link, Mr. White! I hate when things like this happen, the liberal media is gonna love this! And I too will keep the man who was killed and his family in my prayers!

rand

**MarcS** · September 13th, 2007, 10:33 AM

Sucks, I've trained with a lot of guys up there and they're all good people.

**dgg9** · September 13th, 2007, 12:27 PM

.762 caliber

...not to thread-jack, but virtually every reporter obviously knows nothing about firearms, which is why every article you read has a mistake like this.

**Story** · September 13th, 2007, 12:32 PM

Gatling gun discharges, kills man at weapons expo near Altoona
The Associated Press

HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. - A military-style machine gun discharged at a weapons exhibition at a gun club Wednesday night, killing a man, state police said.

Police on Thursday were still trying to piece together how the Gatling gun, which was mounted on the back of a Hummer, discharged. Authorities did not release the name of the victim, a 36-year-old man from Hollidaysburg who was shot once in the head.

"We don't know if the gun went off in error, or his actions caused it, or what happened," Trooper Matthew McCalpin said.

More than 100 people were at the Hollidaysburg Sportsmens Club in Frankstown Township, about 90 miles east of Pittsburgh, when the shooting occurred.

The Gatling gun was part of a weapons exhibition offered by East Coast Gun Sales. The company was hosting a pistol shoot and dinner for those attending a three-day conference at the Blair County Convention Center.

Club secretary William Johnson Jr. said Thursday he had been told the victim was operating the gun at the time it discharged, and that the shooting appeared to be accidental. Johnson said he was not at the club, which had been rented out by East Coast Gun Sales for the dinner.

The weapon, a 7.62 mm "minigun," is similar to ones used by the military on a wide variety of aircraft. Police said they called in a military weapons expert to help with the investigation.

"We're going to have to check everything," McCalpin said.

Paul Cunningham, the manager of East Coast Gun Sales' store in Duncansville, could not be reached Thursday. An employee at the store referred questions to state police.

The conference, sponsored by a maker of software for prisons, was canceled Thursday.

http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/a...araltoona.html