A TEENAGER was airlifted to hospital after being blasted at close range by a gun club teammate during a clay pigeon shoot.
The horror incident, believed to involve a shotgun, happened on Sunday in Tarbert, Argyll. The victim, 19, is understood to have been seriously injured.
A source said: “It appears to be a terrible accident.”
The teen was left with wounds to her hip and stomach after the blast, sources revealed.
It’s understood she was hit by a stray shot from a teammate who moments earlier had fired off a planned round.
The victim received urgent treatment by a specialist trauma team at the scene in Tarbert, Argyll and Bute, before being airlifted to hospital.
Her condition is currently unknown.
In the wake of the tragedy cops attended to carry out a probe and have ruled out foul play.
The woman who is thought to have accidentally fired the shot is a fellow gun club member believed to be aged in her 40s.
Both were competing in an event at Tarbert Shooting Club, which started at around 11am.
It’s understood the women were in the same team and taking part in the Winter League competition when the incident happened around 90 minutes into the tourney.
Last night, a source close the incident said: “It was a complete freak accident – everyone is absolutely devastated.
“There’s nothing untoward about it at all.
“It was a freak thing that happened.
“The gun just went off. There’s more than one cartridge at once, obviously a double barrel shotgun.”
Another insider added: “Both the women know each other and are members of the same club. It’s thought they even work together.
“After the first shot was fired the gun was at waist height and went off a second time – they were just feet away from each other when it happened.
“It hit the younger woman in the hip and stomach.
“There was lots of blood. Everyone was totally shocked by what happened.
“The police were there for hours asking questions and taking statements.
“It seems to be a really horrible incident where the gun has gone off accidentally.
“No doubt there will be a thorough investigation into how this happened.”
Local Councillor Alastair Redman said he was “shocked” about the news.
He added: “My thoughts are with the injured girl and her family.
“I am shocked that this has happened. We must remember that these facilities operate with experienced instructors and accidents like this are very rare.”
The website for the gun club states they have “qualified instructors” and they offer “safe and fun clay pigeon shooting”
As well as providing for their members they also cater for stag and hen parties and corporate days.
A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We received a call on December 3, 2023 to attend an incident in Tarbert.
“An ambulance and air ambulance with a trauma team were dispatched to the scene and one patient was transported by air to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 12.35pm on Sunday, 3 December, 2023, police received a report of a 19-year-old woman being injured by a firearm at a gun club in the Tarbert area.
“The woman was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for treatment and enquiries into the incident are ongoing.
“There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances.”
A spokesperson for the gun club declined to comment.
In October organisers posted online looking for members to sign up for the Winter League.
