Posted on 12/16/2008 5:54:07 PM PST by Shermy
A staged shootout during a mock train robbery Sunday in Random Lake turned out to be far too realistic when two people were shot with a gun mistakenly loaded with birdshot, according to the Sheboygan County Sheriff's Department.
The incident occurred about 11 a.m. as re-enactors were performing the simulated train robbery as part of the weekend-long Santa Steam Train event, said Capt. Dave Adams.
The re-enactment unfolded with the actors engaging in a simulated shootout with police on Second Street near Harris Bank, after pretending to steal dynamite from a local hardware store for use in robbing the train, which was carrying Santa Claus.
However, things turned serious when one of the guns sprayed 46 shotgun pellets in the arm, leg and abdomen of re-enactor Thomas E. Rumpff, 49, of Sheboygan.
The blast also left a 14-year-old spectator from Random Lake with a pellet embedded in his index finger and another that bounced off his knee.
Both were taken to St. Nicholas Hospital with injuries not thought to be life-threatening.
Adams said the other guns were properly loaded with blanks. Investigators determined that the live round was loaded by mistake.
The staged robbery continued as planned after the accident, with the actors pretending to rob the train. Afterwards, children lined up to meet Santa, who was unharmed in the incident.
Don Doegnitz, owner of Doegnitz Ace Hardware, where part of the re-enactment took place, said he didn't realize anyone was hurt until later, when he saw emergency officials arrive on the scene.
"I was standing on the other side of the train and saw a squad car and ambulance," he said. "No one really knew what happened until after it was over."
The three-day event began Friday with the arrival of the restored 1913 steam train in Plymouth. The train left the city Sunday morning. Its only other planned stop was in Random Lake, where the mock holdup was held.
Jerry Thompson, railroad coordinator for the City of Plymouth, who helped plan the event, estimated that there were about 800 people in Random Lake during the stop.
Thompson was aboard the train Sunday dressed as Santa. He didn't learn about the shooting accident until Sunday night.
Thompson said the mock holdup was added to the Random Lake stop to draw a crowd for the train's visit.
"It was something that we wanted to do to add interest in the train being in town, rather than just have it pass through the community," said Thompson.
Ho ho ooh ow
My home town.
You’ll shoot yer eye out!
the -D behind his name gives him immunity from being voted off the island.
He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so better aim for a head shot.
Friggin stupid.
Crap like this makes gun owners look like morons.
“...with a pellet embedded in his index finger and another that bounced off his knee.”
Oh. My. God. It bounced off of his knee? He has a BB in his index finger?
Cripes. That was a normal day here at the farm when my boys were teens.
Please! Ban these deadly assault weapons! It’s ‘For The Children!’
Flippin’ idiot ‘journalists.’
Always check every single round.
Possibly more than stupid. It’s not hard to tell the difference in weight between a shell with shot and a blank when you’re loading the shotgun.
And thank God that Santa wasn’t hurt!
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