World Shooting Champion Died After Accidentally Shooting Himself During Hunting Trip.

[SergeStorms]

You just can't make shit like this up. For once, it wasn't an American.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/more-sports/world-shooting-champion-died-after-accidentally-shooting-himself-during-hunting-trip/ar-AASxVIX?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531

The World Shooting Junior Champion died in a freak accident after he accidentally shot himself Thursday while on a hiking trip with friends.

Cristian Ghilli, 19, was an Italian world junior skeet (clay pigeon shooting) champion who finished third in the World Cup event in Peru and gold at the European Championships. Just in October, Ghilli was crowned World Champion in the sport.

But tragically, Ghilli reportedly shot himself in the stomach while on a hiking trip with friends and later died in the hospital.

Ghilli and his friends were hiking in Montecatini Val di Cecina in Pisa, Italy, when the accident occurred. The Mirror reported that his gun accidentally fired a round into his stomach while he was picking up a few used cartridges.

His friends immediately called for help and Ghilli was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was immediately operated on in an attempt to stop the internal bleeding. Unfortunately, he died shortly after on Thursday evening when doctors were unable to stop the bleeding.

And that's the way it goes in today's gun-nut news.

[Enter stage left]

1. Damn...If there had only been a "good guy" with a gun!

[OneBro]

2. Nope. This was a tragedy.

Shooting clay pigeons does not a gun nut make. Article says he was hiking, not hunting, but even if he had been hunting for food it would still be a tragedy.

[SergeStorms]

6. Then answer two questions, please.

How does one go about accidentally shoot one's self in the stomach while bending over to pick up shell casings? I'm interested in the contortions one would have to go through so that would happen.

Also, isn't the first rule of shooting to always have the safety on with a loaded gun until you're ready to shoot?

Not trying to be argumentative, but these things are perplexing for me.

[bluedigger]

3. Going hiking with shotguns in Italy rarely ends well.

I saw The Godfather movies.

[alphafemale]

46. I thought it was fishing in a rowboat.

Poor, poor Fredo.

[SYFROYH]

4. Tragic accidents happen in sports and recreation all the time

But for every gun-nut there is an anti-gun-nut who will delight in a tragedy.

[elias7]

19. I don't think it's delight, it's, "c'mon already, need more evidence for sensible gun laws?"

[LiberatedUSA]

25. The only way gun laws would have prevented this one...

…is if all guns were banned. The gun was not something Democratic leaders list as something they wish to ban. This person was also trained in the use of it. More training than some quick certification coarse.

[ret5hd]

5. I am going to make a distinction...

that I think should be made:

I have no idea whether or not this guy was a gun nut right wing wacko. None. BUT we do know some things: he didn’t take his sport lightly, he was a world champion…not paper targets with peoples silhouettes, but of hard to hit moving inanimate targets, not elephants or other endangered species.

Just sayin’. Maybe further research or others knowledge would change my opinion, but I’m not willing to laugh yet.

[Aristus]

30. World Champion of Shooting Things.

Yes, it’s easy to see how he made the world a better place…

[Dial H For Hero]

37. He shot clay targets. This is wrong...how, exactly?

, indeed.

[alphafemale]

47. They don't shoot real pigeons anymore

It is quite the remarkable skill.

Guns and gun sports are not the enemy.

Stop making us all look bad.

[LiberatedUSA]

7. You're happy a 19 year old into shooting clay pigeons...

…which is done with guns Democrats generally don’t want to ban…died by gun negligence, and you are so proud of it you made a post to gloat it.

Just making things clear for everyone.

[Sympthsical]

8. 19 year olds accidentally dying isn't party times for you?

How odd. I generally keep my "tragic teenager death" confetti in a kitchen drawer.

To each their own, I suppose.

[SergeStorms]

13. See post #6

No one has answered those questions yet. This guy is a "professional", but doesn't know basic gun safety?

For everyone questioning this post, please answer those questions. And yeah, anyone who can't control the firearm they're carrying and ends up killing themself is a "gun nut". Your opinions may vary, but that doesn't make them any more valid than mine.

[Demsrule86]

35. These people clearly did not have a guy like my gramps teaching them about gun safety.

The stupid is strong in many of them and sometimes life-threatening. I take no pleasure in the needless death of a 19 year old who clearly was not properly instructed in gun safety... a damn shame.

[UpInArms]

9. Play stupid games

Win stupid prizes.

[BluesRunTheGame]

10. Why was he carrying a shotgun on a "hike" with friends?

[XanaDUer2]

11. Poor kid nt

[NickB79]

12. Shooting clay pigeons competitively makes a "gun nut" now?

[SergeStorms]

14. How would that person....

accidentally shoot himself in the stomach, bending over to pick up spent shells? Explain the contortions necessary for that to happen, please.

[CloudWatcher]

15. Not very likely

There has to be more to the story that is being reported. I'm going to guess the hiking trip
involved some drinking and random skeet shooting out in the woods. And he was shot by
one of his friends ... who made up the unbelievable story about shooting himself while picking
up spent shells.

Funny that the headline writer decided to turn a hiking trip into a hunting trip ... I wonder why.

[ProfessorGAC]

20. That's Where I'm At, Too

This report is leaving out something.
Competition skeet shooters use long barrel shotguns, don't they? A shorter barrel with bird shot makes for a less accurate gun.
So, how would one be holding a long gun in such a way to accidentally discharge in the torso?
The current information is awfully suspicious.

[LiberatedUSA]

21. While we are speculating...

…I am gonna guess this has to do with alien disclosure. We aren’t ready yet, so the Greys set him up to die to protect the secret for now.

[NickB79]

26. The only way I could see

Is if you're holding the gun by the barrel, and as you bend over, the trigger snags on a branch. That assumes you left the safety off though, which isn't smart at all.

My cousin's fiance was killed in a similar, odd manner with a shotgun while duck hunting. When he stood up in the duck boat to shoot, the trigger snagged one of the hooks used to attach your camoflage netting. It fired into his armpit, through his shoulder, and took the side of his face off. Pellets penetrated his skull. He was airlifted to the best hospital in the Twin Cities, but was declared brain dead 3 days later.

It sounds crazy, but his brother and my uncle both saw it, and the autopsy confirmed it.

[Crunchy Frog]

18. No, but "accidentally" shooting yourself in the stomach does.

At least that's how I view it.

[Kaleva]

16. Not an accident. Negligence

Failure to follow simple safety rules.

"Definition of negligence
1b: failure to exercise the care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in like circumstances"

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/negligence

"The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have two rules on this that have merit: “Control the muzzle direction at all times,” and “Point the firearm in the safest available direction.” "

https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/blog/a-fresh-look-at-the-basic-rules-of-gun-safety-which-set-do-you-use/

[Crunchy Frog]

17. Guns don't kill people, people kill people.

Not a tragedy, just a criminal negligence where the perp acted as his own judge, jury, and executioner.

[Emile]

22. He must have went to a United States gun safety class.

[marie999]

23. If this was an accident, the only way I can see it happening

is he was holding the barrel and the shotgun discharged by a malfunction. I am not saying that is what happened, but I can't see any other way. If he was holding the stock, how was the shotgun pointed at his stomach? As far as having a shotgun on a hike, could be they were going to do some shooting or there were dangerous animals in the area. Too many people are saying things about him without any knowledge of the situation. Let's wait until there is more information. One thing, I wouldn't call people who skeet shoot gun-nuts, I doubt clay pigeons are alive or can feel pain.

[Paladin]

24. Why is there an assumption that a shotgun was involved in the accident?

I've looked through the news article twice, and there's no description of the firearm involved in the accidental shooting. Just because the deceased was a world champion at shotgun shooting sports, doesn't mean he died from a shotgun wound. It could have been a semi-auto pistol, for all we know.

[marie999]

27. You are correct, I assumed something, and I should not have.

I will wait for the investigation.

[Paladin]

28. Easy assumption to make...

...given the deceased's expertise and prominence with a scatter-gun. Further details are probably forthcoming in the near future; in any case, it's a damn shame.

[Aristus]

29. Well, he died hitting the target. I'm sure he'd be happy to hear

that he didn’t miss.

[CrackityJones75]

31. I don't agree with some of the mocking going on here.

I personally have no problems with target shooting for aport and I have no problem with ethical hunting.

Someone accidentally died. In my opinion doing nothing wrong.

[gratuitous]

32. Even a skilled handler of firearms is subject to a lethal mistake

Maybe having a country with more firearms than people is something to address?

[yagotme]

36. What's the ratio in Italy?

This is where it took place.
ETA: Somewhere between the rate (guns owned per 100 people) of 12 and 14. The US is about 120.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

33. Christ, this fuckin place

[DenaliDemocrat]

34. Some of you people are ghoulish

Imagine taking joy at a skier dying in an avalanche or smacking a tree because ski resorts duck up the environment. Damn.

[SergeStorms]

40. Where is anyone "taking joy"?

It's absurd, but I don't see anyone gleefully reveling in the young man's death.

[DenaliDemocrat]

43. There was even a nice little racists comment

Insinuating he was mafia - because I my ran why not? Everyone knows all Italians are mafia

[former9thward]

38. Racing car drivers die in racing accidents.

Climbers die in climbing accidents. It proves absolutely nothing. I guess those are "nuts" also....

[SergeStorms]

39. If a racing car driver....

drove the wrong way around the track and hit someone head-on.....if a mountain climber fell down a cliff because he was wearing sneakers...that would be the equivalent of a professional shooter shooting himself in the stomach. It's something that someone of his experience and professionalism should never have happen to them.

If you want to make comparisons, let's compare apples to apples.

[ForgedCrank]

41. How entertaining.

Someones son, brother, father and friend is dead by terrible accident. A guy who never did harm to another person.
It's funny that he's dead because his hobby was shooting clay targets and being very good at it.
I'm not sure if I belong here anymore.

[Kaleva]

44. It was simple negligence on his part that got him killed.

Not following simple gun safety rules.

This is another example of how dangerous guns are and all who own or even just handle one ought to strive to follow the basic safety rules at all times because the consequences of not doing so can be very severe.

[ForgedCrank]

48. Those points are

not a source of contention here. Absolutely, at least one safety rule was violated in order for this to occur. We all get sloppy when we get complacent, it happens all the time. I'm not saying it's Ok to do that when handling firearms, but we all do this sort of thing, and we do it all the time while we live our daily lives. How many people have a fire extinguisher next to their stove or in their car? Some do of course, but they are the exception. We are all human, and we all get sloppy or lazy at times.
My point was regarding the morbid and hateful way some folks actually celebrate the death of other human beings. I find it repulsive in all but a few very specific cases. Hitler, Ted Bundy, etc., you get the idea.
There are probably 10 threads or more a day here doing the same thing, mostly covid stuff, but still the same thing.
In my opinion, good people shouldn't behave in this manner. We sell ourselves as the ones who actually care about others, and we should live and behave accordingly as examples. Just my opinion on the matter.

[Kaleva]

49. I agree that one shouldn't be joyful over the death of another

I just think that these incidents shouldn't be labeled accidents. Negligence is, IMHO, a better and more accurate term.

[Coventina]

42. his gun accidentally fired a round into his stomach

This gun needs to be stopped before it kills again.

It might have been an accident, but I don't like the idea of guns being able to discharge themselves.

[Straw Man]

45. If you've ever shot skeet, ...

... then you know that the shooting takes place under rigidly controlled conditions. Your every movement, from moving between stations, to loading, to calling for the bird, to firing, is governed by a set of protocols that a competitive shooter like him would have done tens of thousands of times. It bears little relation to the type of gun handling that might be called for when hunting or doing any kind of informal shooting. Granted he should have known basic gun handling and safety rules, but there is no reason to assume that once off the skeet field he would be particularly adept at those, especially if the gun in question was not a competition-style shotgun.

It's a tragedy, yes, and the snark of the closing comment is ghoulish and disgusting.