A group called the Tombstone Vigilantes reenact Old West gunfights three times a month in the streets of Tombstone Arizona. This past weekend, they were involved in the annual Helldorado Days festival. During the gunfight in front of the OK Corral on Sunday, group member Ken Curtis was shot by a real bullet and had to be airlifted to Banner-University Medical Center in Tucson. One of the reenactors had live bullets in his gun!
An investigation by the Tombstone Marshal's Office revealed the actor, Tom Carter, was late to the show and his weapon was not checked before the reenactment. He fired a live round during the gunfight and hit Ken Curtis, who is another actor.
The show was immediately stopped to care for Curtis. He is undergoing surgery Sunday night to remove the bullet.
Carter's weapon was checked after the incident. Investigators found that there was one live round in the cylinder with five expended casing, which indicates the gun had held six live round before the reenactment.
Curtis is in good condition after surgery to remove the bullet, and will be released soon. A spectator, Debbie Mitchell, was grazed in her neck but refused medical treatment. A couple of other bullets were found to have hit buildings. The mayor of Tombstone has suspended further gunfights until safety issues are addressed. -via John Walkenbach
(Image credit: The Tombstone Vigilantes/Facebook)
[city marshal Bob] Randall is treating the incident as an aggravated assault "based on the recklessness and serious injury involved." No arrests have been made and a report will be forwarded to the Cochise County Attorney's Office for review, he said.