Reporter hit with metal fragment at Democratic Senate candidate’s shooting range event

A metal fragment hit a local reporter at a Missouri Democratic Senate candidate’s shooting range event Tuesday.

Kansas City television reporter Ryan Gamboa was covering Lucas Kunce’s event in Holt, Mo., according to a report from KSHB-TV. The outlet reported that there was uncertainty around the origin of the fragment that hit Gamboa.

The report said Kunce was firing an AR-15 at the time.

Kunce, along with others, took part in the medical care of Gamboa following the incident, KSHB-TV reported. The reporter later was treated at a local hospital, and said he suffered minimal injury.

“Great day at the range today with my friend @AdamKinzinger,” Kunce said in a Tuesday post on the social platform X, referring to former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.). “We got to hang out with some union workers while exercising our freedom. Always have your first aid kit handy. Shrapnel can always fly when you hit a target like today, and you’ve got to be ready to go. We had four first aid kits, so we were able to take care of the situation, and I’m glad Ryan is okay and was able to continue reporting.”

Kunce’s Republican rival, incumbent Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), weighed in on the reported incident in multiple posts on X.

“When liberals play with guns, people get hurt,” Hawley said in one post on Tuesday night.

According to an average of Missouri polls from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ, Hawley is ahead of Kunce by 7.3 points, with the incumbent Republican garnering 50.4 percent support to his Democratic rival’s 43.1 percent.