Durban - A Durban man is considering taking legal action against a shooting-range owner after he was injured at the establishment, allegedly when a bullet’s copper jacket ricocheted off a steel frame and hit him in the stomach.
He has claimed that safety measures at the range were flouted – an allegation the range owner denies.
Sean Brown, 57, and his son-in-law, Shaun Cook, went to the ET Rapid indoor shooting range in eManzimtoti on January 9.
“We had looked up the range online, and the website indicated they had a shooting range for recreational use by experienced personnel. I spoke to the manager over the phone who told me about the package they offered,” said Brown.
He claimed he was advised by the manager that he had run the shooting range for six years and was a qualified instructor.
“He asked if we needed any help without giving us safety instructions, and nor did we sign any forms. The establishment did not have safety signs.
“The manager proceeded to tell us that he had issues getting bullets for the weapons, and therefore some of the bullets we would be shooting with were armour piercings (which are only to be used by the army).
“He said we would not be using the shotgun, but would have extra rounds on the rifle,” claimed Brown.
“The targets we were shooting at were mounted on a steel frame and placed approximately 6-8m from where we were shooting.
“At first, we used handguns for first targets. The manager loaded the magazine of the AR15 rifle, as I was standing approximately 3m to the left of my son-in-law. The bullet hit the steel frame and the copper jacket covering the bullet hit me on my stomach and penetrated 27mm deep. The pain was minimal at first, and I initially thought I got grazed,” he claimed.
Brown added that after two days he felt intense pain and sought medical attention.
“On January 11, X-rays and scans were done. They showed that a 27mm piece of shrapnel was lying 27mm deep. It was sized to be 17mm by 14mm from the scan. My doctor advised me to have surgery immediately at Kingsway Hospital on January 12.
“I got in contact with Tony Lokker, the owner of ET Rapid Response, with regard to the accident and requested we come to an agreement about costs.
“On January 13, he asked me to speak to one of his employees who is an investigator. After my surgery, he issued a report which favoured ET Rapid. The report was lopsided and crucial information had been left out. I believe ET Rapid is responsible for all the costs associated with the incident,” said Brown.
He said he went to the Umkomaas police station to open a case on January 16, but was told he did not have a case.
“He said there was no crime committed. How do you say no crime was committed when someone almost died? That is ridiculous. It is the responsibility of ET Rapid to ensure safety precautions are in place at their facilities for their clients, and even more so in a shooting-range environment. Having a steel frame in such close proximity when firing an assault rifle is ludicrous,” said Brown.
Lokker referred questions to his lawyer, Albert Swart, who said his client denied all the allegations.
“It is unfortunate what happened to Mr Sean Brown. He was aware of the inherent risk, and with that in mind he willingly and actively participated in the shooting exercise.
“The range officer enforced the prescribed safety protocols at the time. To now find fault with our client’s safety protocols appears to be opportunistic.
“If he is confident that our client was negligent, then he should exercise his rights in a court of law and not use the media to extort monies from our client.
“Our client is not liable for the injury he sustained. The accident was investigated by our client, and the report with findings was presented to Mr Brown,” said Swart.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE