Deadly Lightning Strike Injures Children at New Jersey Archery Range

Tragic Lightning Strike in Jackson Township

• ⚡ A sudden and unexpected lightning strike at an archery range in Jackson Township, New Jersey, resulted in the death of one person and injuries to more than a dozen others.
• ⚠️ Witnesses reported that the lightning bolt appeared without warning, with no preceding thunder or rain, and no visible signs of danger in the sky.

Victims and Response

• 🎯 The deceased has been identified as 61-year-old Robert Montgomery, a club member volunteering at the event.
• 🧒 Fourteen other individuals were injured, including many children, with ages ranging from 7 to 61 years old.
• 🩹 Injuries included burns and at least one person being knocked unconscious.

Eyewitness Account and Aftermath

• 💥 An instructor on-site described the event as pandemonium, with people being thrown to the ground and screams heard.
• 💔 The club expressed heartbreak over the loss of Montgomery, who was described as a wonderful man volunteering to help children.
• ⚡ The instructor recalled feeling the hair on his arm stand up moments before the strike, a common precursor to lightning.

Previous Incidents and Official Response

• 📈 This incident marks at least the third person struck by lightning in the tri-state area within the past month.
• 📰 Previous incidents include a golfer who died after being struck and a teenager who suffered burns in Central Park.
• 🙏 Governor Murphy has been briefed and is asking for prayers for those involved in this tragic event.