Man Struck By Shrapnel At Bachelor Party Dies
ARENDAHL TOWNSHIP, Minn. (WCCO) -- A 47-year-old Utica man was killed after being shot at a bachelor-bachelorette party in Arendahl Township over the weekend.
The Fillmore County Sheriff's Office said Jeffrey Taylor and his two sons were invited to the party, which was taking place on Saturday at a residence on the property where they tended cattle.
Some of the party guests were shooting explosive targets for entertainment, the sheriff's office said.
At about 9 p.m. Saturday, one person shot at a staged target with several people nearby, including Taylor. The sheriff's office said Taylor was struck by shrapnel and collapsed with a wound to his abdomen.
NewsRadio 830 WCCO's Susie Jones Reports
Man Struck By Shrapnel At Bachelor Party Dies
"You hit it with a high powered riffle, and it explodes," said Sheriff Daryl Jensen. "It's tragic, it's sad and easy for us to say that it was preventable. I don't think anyone there meant anything bad to happen."
He was taken to a nearby location and tended to by a Rushford ambulance as well as a Mayo Clinic helicopter, but was pronounced dead at the scene.
The cause of death will be announced pending results from Taylor's autopsy.
"We feel so bad for the family, and certainly on Father's Day it's a real tragedy," Jensen said.
The case has been turned over to the county attorney for review, but Jensen said the man who fired the shot feels horrible.
