A Kansas City journalist was hit by shrapnel while covering a campaign event for Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Lucas Kunce at a Missouri shooting range, Tuesday afternoon.

Kunce is running for the U.S. Senate in Missouri against Republican incumbent Josh Hawley, who is currently leading in the polls by double digits, according to RealClearPolitics. 

The Democrat reportedly held the shooting event at a private residence in Holt, Missouri, about 40 miles northeast of Kansas City,  along with former  Congressman Adan Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and “some union workers.”

After KSHB 41 News reporter Ryan Gamboa was hit, Kunce posted on X that he had a “great day at the range” with Kinzinger.

“We got to hang out with some union workers while exercising our freedom,” he wrote, adding: “Always have your first aid kit handy. Shrapnel cancan 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 was reportedly firing an AR-15 rifle at the time Gamboa was struck.

“It was unclear if he was struck by a bullet ricochet or another type of metal fragment,” KSHB reported.

Kunce told a different KSHB 41 reporter that his campaign had “relied on the gun range’s safety protocols.”

Those safety protocols have been called into question by shooting experts who have examined Kunce’s photos.

The recommended minimum safe distance for shooting steel targets with a rifle is 100 yards, according to Action Target, a shooting range safety business located in Provo Utah. It looked like Kunce and his pals were shooting from about five or six yards away.

Some observers, like the Federalist’s Sean Davis, spotted multiple safety violations.

“I’m sorry, but this tweet is INSANE,” Davis posted on X. “It contains multitudes. The longer you look at the photos, the worse it gets.”

1) They are shooting steel at 5-7 yards with rifles, which could’ve killed somebody given the force with which the bullets will ricochet off the steel targets at the at distance. You would instantly get permanently banned at my range if you did that. Zero questions asked.

2) Kinzinger holds his rifle like a complete ninny, and that will never not be funny to me. And pro-tip for
@AdamKinzinger
: the eye protection works better when it’s on your eyes, not your head. You stupid idiot. Try using your brain for once. You’re lucky you still have one after today.

3) Kinzinger is for some reason using a high-powered scope (at least a 3-9x by the looks of it) to shoot a target 5 yards away.

4) There is a bolt action rifle on the table, so presumably someone was also using that to shoot steel at 5 yards. Insane.

5) There are at least two canisters of explosive Tannerite powder on the table, down range from where guns are being fired. That could’ve potentially killed or seriously injured someone if someone shot it or if someone was stupid enough to be shooting close enough to steel for a ricochet to hit it.

6) At one point the cameraman is down range from all the guns, which—given the violations we’ve found so far—we can assume are not safe and unloaded. Way to think that one through, dummy.

7) And these morons are so stupid that EVEN AFTER SHOOTING SOMEONE (whose injury was due entirely to negligence), they thought it would be an awesome idea to post the evidence of their idiocy for all the world to see. Lawyer up, dummies, because that reporter you could’ve killed has you dead to rights.

Absolutely mind-blowing insanity from a candidate for a political party that wants to take away your guns because it claims you can’t safely own them.

Gamboa, who was treated at a nearby hospital following the incident, said his injuries were “minor.”

Hawley has not shied away from poking fun at his political opponent’s campaign snafu on social media.

“I know the Kunce campaign needed a shot in the arm, but this is taking it a little far,” the Missouri Republican quipped on X following the embarrassing incident.

“I condemn all acts of violence against reporters and call on Kunce never to shoot another one 😂😂😂” he needled.

“When liberals play with guns, people get hurt 🤡” Hawley wrote in another post.

Hawley also joked that his grandma was “happy to take Kunce down to the range for a lesson or two.”

“October surprise! Kunce shoots a guy,” Hawley teased in yet another X post Wednesday.