One person has died and another 13 have been injured after lightning struck a New Jersey archery range Wednesday night, according to police.
The Jackson Township Police Department was alerted shortly before 7:15 p.m. local time of several people being struck by lightning at the Black Knight Bowbenders range, The New York Times reported.
Authorities arrived at the range to find several people receiving treatment, police chief Matthew Kunz said, per The NYT. He also said one person briefly lost consciousness.
Police had been notified before their arrival that CPR was being performed on one person, according to Kunz. It’s unclear whether the person who lost consciousness was the same who was given CPR.
Gene Grodzki, a member of the archery club, told The NYT a defibrillator was used on two other club members.
The victims ranged in age between 7 to 61, according to multiple reports.
A 61-year-old man was killed by the strike, Kunz said. It’s unclear whether the man was the person who needed CPR or lost consciousness.
Injuries ranged from burns to complaints of not feeling well, according to authorities.
The Independent has reached out to the archery range for comment.
Grodzi said roughly 20 people with Jackson Scouts Troop 204, a group affiliated with Scouting America, were at the range when lightning struck. He said all the children in the group seemed to be okay.
Governor Phil Murphy wrote on X Wednesday night, “I have been briefed on a lightning strike tonight at an outdoor archery range in Jackson. At this time, we have at least one fatality and multiple injuries.
“All injured have been transported by first responders. Please pray for everyone involved in this tragic incident.”
Lightning strikes about 25 million times a year in the U.S., according to the National Weather Service. Roughly 20 people are killed and hundreds more are severely injured by lightning strikes annually around the country, the service says.
Wednesday’s incident came about a week after a man was struck by lightning on a New Jersey golf course.
Simon John Mariani, 28, was at the Ballyowen Golf Course in Hamburg when he was struck and then taken to the hospital, ABC News reported. An obituary said Mariani died “unexpectedly” on Monday.
Last month, a 15-year-old boy survived being struck by lightning in New York City’s Central Park.
He was knocked unconscious and sustained second-degree burns, but he was expected to make a full recovery, according to multiple local outlets.
