Man killed, 13 others hurt by lightning strike in N.J.
The lightning strike occurred shortly before 7:15 p.m. at an outdoor archery range in Jackson Township, Ocean County.
A 61-year-old man was killed and 13 other people suffered minor injuries when lightning struck an outdoor archery range Wednesday evening in Ocean County, police said.
Gov. Phil Murphy said he was briefed on the incident.
“Please pray for everyone involved in this tragic incident,” he said in a social media post.
Matthew D. Kunz, the chief of police in Jackson Township, said his department responded shortly before 7:15 p.m. to a report of multiple people struck by lightning at the archery range.
First responders performed CPR on the 61-year-old man, who was later pronounced dead, while other victims received evaluations and treatment, including one person who briefly lost consciousness, Kunz said.
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Thirteen people “suffered injuries ranging from burns to non-specific complaints of not feeling well,” Kunz said in an emailed statement.
Victims ranged in age from 7 to 61 and were transported to area hospitals for treatment, Kunz said.
Several news outlets reported that the lightning strike occurred at the Black Knight Bowbenders on Perrineville Road.
The area was under a severe thunderstorm warning on Wednesday evening, the National Weather Service in Mount Holly reported.
This was the 18th lightning fatality in New Jersey since 2006, according to John Jensenius, with the National Lightning Safety Council.
— Staff writer Anthony R. Wood contributed to this article.