One man is dead and more than a dozen others were injured when lightning struck a New Jersey archery range Wednesday night.
Lightning struck just after 7pm at the Black Night Bow Benders outdoor archery range in Jackson Township, WNBC reports.
About 20 people connected to Jackson Scouts Troupe 204, a Scouting America-affiliated group, were on the practice range at the time, Gene Grodski, a member of the archery club told the New York Times.
An unidentified 61-year-old man, the eldest of the victims, died as a result of his injuries, while 13 others suffered from injuries ranging from burns to complaints of feeling ill.
One person also temporarily lost consciousness, and emergency workers used a defibrillator on two members.
EMS from several nearby townships rushed to the scene, as did paramedics and firefighters, according to ABC 7.
The victims, the youngest of whom were just seven years old, were then rushed to a local hospital, with Grodski saying the children appeared to be OK and were transported in ambulances ‘just in case.’
The incident came as the area, which includes Six Flags Great Adventure, was under a severe thunderstorm warning
Wednesday night’s storm also set a nearby house on fire, the Asbury Park Press reports. It is currently unclear whether they were any fatalities or injuries caused by the fire.
The fatality marks the 12th lightning-related death this year, according to preliminary information from the National Lightning Safety Council.
About half of the fatalities have involved fishing, which continues to rank as one of the most dangerous activities when thunderstorms are nearby.
Gov. Phil Murphy has said he was briefed on the situation.
‘Please pray for everyone involved in this tragic incident,’ he wrote on X.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Jackson Township police for more information.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
