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Father accidentally shoots, kills son at FL gun range

SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) – It was a tragic ending to a family outing during the holiday weekend. A father accidentally shot and killed his son at a Sarasota gun range Sunday.

Deputies said 64-year-old William Brumby was at the High Noon Gun Range in Sarasota with his 14-year-old son Stephen in the afternoon.

William Brumby was in the last shooting lane with a solid wall to his right. After firing a round, the spent shell casing struck the wall, causing it to deflect and fall into the back of his shirt.

Brumby then used his right hand, which held the handgun, in an attempt to remove the casing. While doing so, he inadvertently pointed the gun directly behind him and accidentally fired.

The round struck Stephen, who later died from his injuries.

“The worst possible thing to possibly happen, happened,” High Noon Gun Range co-owner John Buchan said. “There isn’t anything we could’ve done; there isn’t anything anybody could’ve done to stop this one.”

The Brumbys were regular visitors at High Noon. William Brumby has been a member of the range and is familiar with handling guns.

“He was a good guy, teaching his kids the right thing, the right way,” Buchan said.

The High Noon owners say they enforce extreme safety measures. The range is designed to be as safe as possible, they said. There are no tables and no walk space behind the shooters, and minors are not allowed inside alone, the owners added.

“Everything that (William Brumby) did leading up to this was 100 percent safety compliant,” Buchan said.

This family is loved and respected by many. Their pastor at Remnant Church wrote the following statement:

“His death is tragic and overwhelming for all of us … While we know that he is at home with our lord, we as a church family are left to grieve, to love and to hope.”

The case is still under investigation. At this time, officials do not anticipate criminal charges will be filed.