One person was killed and 13 others were injured after being struck by lightning at an outdoor archery range in southern New Jersey on Wednesday evening, the police said.
A 61-year-old man, Robert Montgomery, died from his injuries, said Matthew Kunz, the police chief in Jackson Township, N.J. The victims range in age from 7 to 61.
Some of the 13 people had burns from the strike, but none of the injuries were life threatening, the police said. They were taken to area hospitals.
Jackson Police were notified just before 7:15 p.m. that people had been struck by lightning at the Black Knight Bowbenders archery range in Jackson Township, and that CPR was being performed on one person, Chief Kunz said.
The strike happened as the area was under a thunderstorm warning.
Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey said in an X post that he had been briefed on the lightning strike.
When the police arrived, several people were receiving treatment, and one person had lost consciousness but then regained it, Chief Kunz said.
Gene Grodzki, a member of the archery club where the strike happened, said that emergency workers used a defibrillator on two members of the club.
About 20 people connected to Jackson Scouts Troop 204, a Boy Scouts of America-affiliated group, were on a practice range at the archery facility when lightning struck, Mr. Grodzki said. The children all seemed to be OK, he said, but they were transported in ambulances “just in case.”
The Black Knight Bowbenders archery club has a 50-acre outdoor range with 56 shooting lanes, according to its website. The practice range has 10 targets and allows archers to shoot from 65 yards away. The club participates in field archery, indoor and outdoor target archery, 3-D shooting and bow hunting and frequently trains new archers, its website said.
The property abuts the amusement park Six Flags Great Adventure.
Over the last decade, lightning has killed an average of about 20 people a year across the country and injured many more, according to the National Weather Service. The most common time for strikes is between June and August. At least 11 people have been killed by lightning this year in the U.S., according to the Weather Service and the National Lightning Safety Council.
On Monday a 28-year-old man died a week after being struck by lightning while playing golf in Hamburg, N.J., according to ABC News. In June, a man was struck and killed by lightning while on his honeymoon in Florida.
Only about 10 percent of lightning strikes are fatal, according to the Weather Service. Many people lose consciousness when struck. Other injuries can include tingling and numbness to cardiac arrest and lasting brain damage.
Hannah Ziegler is a general assignment reporter for The Times, covering topics such as crime, business, weather, pop culture and online trends.
Livia Albeck-Ripka is a Times reporter based in Los Angeles, covering breaking news, California and other subjects.
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