Man Injured In Accidental Shooting - Mojave National Preserve (CA)

from Blogged In The Desert

On April 7th, rangers received a 911 hang-up call from the Hole in the Wall campground, requesting an ambulance.

As rangers and EMS personnel were responding, a campground host called and reported that a man had suffered a broken leg and that he was being taken by a private vehicle to meet the ambulance.

When contact was made, medics determined that the man – Joseph Mountjoy, 22 – had been shot in the leg.

Ranger Wayne Dingman followed the ambulance to the hospital. Through interviews with Mountjoy and his friends, Dingman determined that Mountjoy had been out hiking, that he’d had a.22 caliber semi-automatic pistol with him, and that he’d been shooting at targets with the gun and other weapons.

After returning to his vehicle, Mountjoy attempted to unload the .22. When a round failed to eject and the slide fell forward, the weapon discharged, hitting Mountjoy in the leg above his knee. He underwent surgery at the hospital to remove the bullet.

Mountjoy, who was scheduled to attend a local police academy in May, was cited for possession of a loaded weapon and illegal target shooting.

[Submitted by Kirk Gebicke, Supervisory Park Ranger]