Teen boy dies after accidental gun discharge in shooting club

A 17-year-old high school student was killed when a gun was accidentally discharged in a shooting club in central China on July 22, police said in an announcement today.

The teenage boy surnamed Du was working at the shooting club in Yueyang City, Hunan Province, when the incident happened.

Du was showing a customer how to fire guns when the customer unintentionally fired the gun and shot Du. He was taken to a hospital and died on July 24 despite treatment.

The shooting club gained its license in November 2019 and started operation in May 2021. It has acquired all the necessary permits and operates legally, police said.

The owner of the club and the customer who fired the shot have been placed under police control for causing a major accident and manslaughter, respectively.

China strictly bans the possession of firearms by civilians but shooting clubs can operate with licenses.