A young Georgia woman, visiting family during the holiday period has died after being shot in the eye at a South Carolina gun range. The shooting incident occurred at a time time when range members were target practicing, police said.
Sarah Bonner, of Lawrenceville, died Thursday after being on life support for several days, said Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore, who ruled the shooting an accident.
The 24-year-old woman was shot Monday afternoon at Skip-J Range in Anderson, SC, while visiting friends and family for Christmas.
The bullet went through Bonner’s eye and became lodged in her brain, Shore told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She was taken to AnMed Health Medical, where she later died.
Bonner’s organs were donated and the bullet was retrieved. It will help show which gun fired it, Shore said.
According to Shore, the shooting is believed to be accidental and it is still unclear whose gun fired the fatal shot.
Range owner Jerry James said it was the first accidental shooting at the private pistol and rifle club since it opened 24 years ago. The range’s safety protocols are “serious,” he said.
Members, who can use the range without supervision, have the combination to the range’s gate lock to use the range from 9 a.m. to dark Mondays through Saturdays.
Its 10 bays consist of dirt berms down both sides as well as at the end, according to the range’s website.
A GoFundMe account started by Sarah Bonner’s family to raise money for her funeral had raised more than $7,800 out of a goal of $10,000, as of Friday