Actor shot with live ammo during Old West gunfight show
Monday, 20 Oct, 2015
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An Old West gunfight re-enactment at Tombstone, AZ got a bit too real at the weekend.
The town’s famous gun battles have been put on hold after one of the actors got shot with a live bullet.
Authorities said it could result in criminal charges.
The popular tourist attraction re-enacts gunfights at the home of the O.K. Corral, made famous by legendary figures Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday.
Authorities are now trying to work out how live rounds were loaded into one of the guns used to stage the shows after actor Ken Curtis was shot in the leg.
He was taken to Tucson and remains in hospital in a fair condition after surgery. Shrapnel from the gun battle also slightly injured a watching tourist.
Curtis was shot by a fellow member of the ‘Tombstone Vigilantes’ group which enacts the gun flights.
The blame has been placed on actor Tom Carter, who was running late for the show and didn’t check his gun.
"He didn’t go through the safety briefings, didn’t go through the gun check and just went straight to the street," said Tombstone Marshal Bob Randall.
Tombstone’s mayor halted re-enactments until the town drafts a new ordinance to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
"Sometimes you have to sacrifice just a little bit to make sure you get things done right," Mayor Escapule told local TV news station KVOA Tucson.
"It’s not going to be good for us because people do come to see the gun fights. However, there are a lot more things to do in Tombstone besides see a gun fight."
"We have a responsibility to take care of the tourists that are coming to Tombstone," said Escapule.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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