Lightning strike kills one, injures more than a dozen others at New Jersey archery range
About half of the 13 people hurt by lightning at an archery club in Jackson Township were kids from a local Scouts troop, officials told CNN.
Multiple people were struck and one killed by lightning at Black Knight Bowbenders archery range In Jackson Township, New Jersey, on July 16.
(CNN) — At least one person was killed and 13 others, including a 7-year-old, were injured in a lightning strike at an outdoor archery club in southern New Jersey on Wednesday evening, according to officials.
“A 61-year-old male did succumb to his injuries,” Matthew Kunz, police chief for Jackson Township, said in a statement. The victims range in age from seven to 61, Kunz added.
About half of the people injured by lightning at the Black Knight Bowbenders archery club in Jackson Township were juveniles that belonged to the Jackson Scouts Troop 204, a Scouting America-affiliated organization, police told CNN.
The 13 injured suffered from from burns to “non-specific complaints of not feeling well,” said Kunz. They were all transported to area hospitals, Police Public Safety Director Joseph Candido told CNN, adding that none of the injuries were life threatening.
CNN has reached out to Black Knight Bowbenders archery club and local emergency services.
Just after 7 p.m., first responders received a call about a lightning strike at the archery club, Kunz told CNN.
Gene Grodzki, a member of the archery club, told CNN affiliate News 12 New Jersey he performed CPR on the victim who died.
“Everything was great, and then the finger of God just came down and took a life,” Grodzki said. “I pray that everybody else that’s now in the hospital are okay.”
The 61-year-old killed was not affiliated with Scouting America, formerly known as Boy Scouts of America, Scott Armstrong, director of national media relations, said in a statement.
“Our thoughts and wishes for good health and healing are with all of those involved,” Armstrong said.
With lightning safety awareness week underway, AccuWeather’s Ariella Scalese provides a few tips on how to stay safe amid lightning.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday he had been briefed on the situation. “Please pray for everyone involved in this tragic incident,” he said in a post on X.
Jackson Township, about 60 miles south of Newark, was under a thunderstorm warning at the time of the lightning strike.
New Jersey and several East Coast states have endured a persistent round of thunderstorms in recent days as a storm system moves across the Mid-Atlantic. Earlier this week, two people died in Plainfield, New Jersey, after a vehicle was swept away by floodwaters Monday.
The Black Knight Bowbenders archery club has a 50-acre outdoor range with 56 shooting lanes, according to its website. The property is about 3 miles from the amusement park Six Flags Great Adventure.
Eleven fatalities have been confirmed as of July 16 for the year of 2025, which is just one shy of the total amount from 2024. John Jensenius offers crucial tips on lightning safety and awareness.
Lightning strikes have killed around 20 people per year on average across the country and injured hundreds more, according to data from the National Weather Service. At least 11 people have been killed by lightning this year in the US, according to weather service and the National Lightning Safety Council.
On Monday, a 28-year-old man died after being struck by lightning while playing golf on a course in Hamburg, New Jersey last week, according to News 12 New Jersey.
June and August typically see a higher number of fatalities as a result of lightning strikes, according to data from the National Lightning Safety Council. The National Weather Service advises that if you hear thunder, see lightning or the sky looks threatening, you should head indoors as quickly as possible.
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