A Missouri reporter was injured slightly Tuesday when a rifle fired by a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate during a campaign event caused metal fragments to hit the journalist in the arm.
The KSHB-TV reporter was hit in the arm by flyaway metal as Lucas Kunce, a Marine, fired an AR-15-style rifle at targets at an exurban Kansas City home. Kunce provided first aid to the reporter, who continued covering the event. The Kansas City TV station reported the journalist later was treated for a minor injury at a local hospital.
“We had four first aid kits, so we were able to take care of the situation,” Kunce on Tuesday posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. He added that he’s glad the reporter is OK. Kunce is trying to unseat Republican U.
S. Sen. Josh Hawley next month.
The Tuesday shooting event appears to have been designed to appeal to moderate and Republican voters in a state now defined by the GOP’s political dominance, including a strong belief in gun rights. Such events are now increasingly common tactic used by some Missouri Democrats. No Democrats serve in statewide office.
Kunce’s rival, Hawley, ousted former Democratic powerhouse Sen. Claire McCaskill in 2018. Nationally, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris has not shied away from guns, either.
She told Oprah Winfrey last month that she owns a gun and is prepared to shoot home invaders. Kunce later wrote on social media that he had a “great day at the range” with former Illinois.
