By Illinois Review
A local Kansas City reporter was accidentally shot on Tuesday afternoon during a campaign event at a private residence featuring Never Trumper and former Illinois Republican Congressman Rep. Adam Kizinger and Missouri U.S. Senate candidate Lucas Kunce – a Democrat who’s challenging Republican Sen. Josh Hawley.
Kunce and Kinzinger were shooting at targets during the staged photo op when reporter Ryan Gamboa was accidentally struck in the arm by shrapnel after the Democrat Senate candidate fired his AR-15 rifle. Although the injuries were minor, a photo shows Gamboa’s bloodied arm wrapped in a bandage. The reporter was sent to a local hospital and he was released a few hours later.
Kinzinger – a veteran and Lt. Col. in the Air National Guard, spoke at an event in Chicago in April 2023 and told the anti-gun crowd that “Second Amendment people should be on the front line of gun control.” The comment drew immediate criticisms from the Second Amendment community. In May of 2022, after the Uvalde, Texas shooting, Kinzinger went on CNN and called for a ban on “assault weapons.”
But on Tuesday, Kinzinger and the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate were firing assault weapons – the very weapon that Kinzinger has called to ban – in a staged photo op in front of a reporter that literally and figuratively backfired – sending the reporter to the hospital with minor injuries.
As a veteran and lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, Kinzinger should know proper firearm safety and training – but after Tuesday’s mishap, Kinzinger appeared to be clueless. The same could be said for Kunce, who is also a veteran and served three tours of duty in Iraq during the Global War on Terrorism in the Marine Corps.
Early Wednesday, former Illinois Republican nominee for governor Darren Bailey posted a message on his Facebook page, crediting this publication:
“Democrat Lucas Kunce SHOT a reporter today during a reckless photo op with Adam Kinzinger – the guy who’s supposed to know better as a former military officer. Instead of ensuring everyone’s safety, Kinzinger stood by while this circus unfolded.
This is the same party that wants to confiscate your guns, yet they parade around with firearms for staged photo ops. They don’t believe in your right to self-defense—they just want to pretend they do when it’s politically convenient.
Kinzinger should’ve known how to handle this safely, but once again, he failed. If Democrats can’t use guns responsibly for PR stunts, what makes you think they should be trusted to take away yours?
Credits: Illinois Review.”
Kunce has called for gun restrictions and said he would have supported red flag laws. He also said that a majority of Missourians – without any evidence, support some form of gun control.
Recent polls show Hawley leading Kunze 54-46.
