Authorities in Clinton County, Missouri, are reportedly investigating a shooting incident that left a local reporter wounded during a Democrat campaign event that has turned into a major headache for the candidate.

As American Greatness previously reported, Lucas Kunce, Democrat nominee for U.S. Senate from Missouri, held the shooting event Tuesday at a private residence in Holt, Missouri, about 40 miles northeast of Kansas City, along with former Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and “some union workers.”

The shooting event, which was meant to portray Kunce as champion of the 2nd Amendment,  went south when KSHB 41 News reporter Ryan Gamboa was hit by shrapnel while the Democrat contender was firing at steel targets with an AR-15 rifle from about ten yards away.

After 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 is running against Republican incumbent Sen. Josh Hawley, who is currently leading in the polls by double digits, according to RealClearPolitics. 

Wednesday afternoon, Hawley posted a Missouri statute regarding shootings on X, warning that the Democrat may have broken the law by not immediately calling the police after the incident.

“Serious question. Missouri law *requires* any person who causes injury with a firearm to file a report with law enforcement immediately,” Hawley, the former Attorney General of Missouri, wrote. “Did Lucas Kunce do that? Failure to do so is a crime.”

Later Monday, Kunce announced that he had notified the local sheriff of the incident.

“This incident is currently under investigation, and all indications at this time suggest that it was an unfortunate accident,” Clinton County Sheriff Larry Fish said in a statement.

Gun safety experts who have examined Kunce’s photos, have identified multiple safety violations.

For instance, 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 less than ten yards away.

The Federalist’s Sean Davis said, judging from the pictures Kunce posted on social media,  the shooting event looked “INSANE” to him.

“The longer you look at the photos, the worse it gets,” he wrote on X, listing seven major gun safety violations he had identified. “You could’ve killed somebody today, you freaking moron. What kind of a brain dead idiot shoots steel inside 10 yards with a rifle?” Davis wrote in response to the candidate’s post.

Kunce’s campaign snafu has been mocked relentlessly on social media.

“The incident involved a local news agency reporter who was allegedly struck in the arm by flying shrapnel while covering the target shooting event,”  Sheriff Fish noted in his statement. “Thankfully, the reporter sustained only minor injuries and later sought medical attention at an area hospital.”

Complicating matters for Kunce is the involvement of Holt man, Chad Everett Downs, who is currently facing 17 counts of felony perjury in a past child abuse case, and may be violating the terms of his bond by owning or accessing firearms.

According to the Kansas City Star, Downs “played a role in setting up the gun range and remained close to Kunce and Kinzinger during the shooting.”

Downs told a Star photojournalist before the event that the shooting range was his but that the event was taking place on his neighbor’s property.

Downs, who apparently lives nearby, said his neighbor allows him to shoot on the property. Some of the firearms that were on the table reportedly belonged to him.

According to Missouri court records, Downs was charged with 17 counts of felony perjury in August 2024 by Ray County Prosecutor Camille Johnston. He was “issued a criminal summons and waived his preliminary hearing,” the Star reported.

Downs’ ex-wife alleged in a court filing earlier this month that he “owns or has access to guns in violation of his bond conditions.” Downs disputed this, telling the Star Thursday that there are “no restrictions on his firearm ownership or possession.”

The allegations of perjury involve statements Downs made in a felony child abuse case, according to a probable cause affidavit signed by an investigator in the prosecutor’s office. The affidavit includes a case number for the child abuse case, but it doesn’t appear in Casenet, Missouri’s electronic court records system. When The Star called the Ray County Circuit Clerk’s Office, the person who answered said the case had been dismissed.

After a reporter identified himself, a voice was heard in the background instructing the person not to speak, saying “that is not an open record.” Downs said a jury had acquitted him. Downs asked The Star to contact his defense attorney at KC Defense Counsel. An individual who answered the phone said KC Defense Counsel couldn’t comment. Kunce’s campaign did not respond to questions about Downs.

“So Kunce’s stunt at the fake gun range – where he shot the reporter—was organized by a criminal? Who is not supposed to have access to firearms?” Sen. Hawley posted on X. “What is going on here?”