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Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) poked fun at his Democratic general election opponent Lucas Kunce on social media late Tuesday after the latter accidentally wounded a Kansas City TV reporter with a bullet ricochet during a campaign event at a gun range.
In one tweet over the incident, Hawley posted three so-called joy emojis and condemned violence against the media. According to The Missouri Independent, Kunce fired a round at a target and a fragment of the bullet struck KSHB reporter Ryan Gamboa.
The outlet reported:
Kunce, a Marine veteran hoping to unseat U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, provided first aid to KSHB reporter Ryan Gamboa after a bullet fragment ricocheted off a target and struck him in the arm. KSHB reports Gamboa’s injuries were minor and he was released from the hospital on Tuesday.
Kunce was holding an event at a shooting range near Kansas City with former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican. After the event, Kunce released a statement on social media reminding shooters to “always have your first aid kit handy.”
In a statement on X, Kunce said, “Shrapnel can always fly when you hit a target like today and you’ve got to be ready to go. We had four first aid kits, so we were able to take care of the situation, and I’m glad Ryan is okay and was able to continue reporting.”
The Senate candidate also posted a photo of him treating Gamboa’s injury:
Hawley posted several tweets about the mishap – one in which he sarcastically condemned violence against the media and another in which he joked about Gamboa’s injury:
Hawley also claimed that people are in danger “When liberals play with guns.”
Kunce responded to Hawley by blasting the senator for running from the Capitol on Jan. 6:
Kunce also shared a tweet directed at Hawley that read, “Dude are you serious right now? That’s a picture of a Marine treating a gunshot wound. Politics has caused you to lose the plot entirely.”
Hawley led Kunce by 11 points in a September poll from The Hill/Emerson.
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