Man killed in apparent accidental shooting at Cypress gun range, deputies say

CYPRESS, Texas – Just after the Hot Wells Shooting Range opened Tuesday morning, a man was killed after an accidental shooting, according to deputies.

Officials with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said an employee in his early 20s was working on a hunting rifle when it fired.

"The bullet went through the wall of the small range house and struck a patron who was walking through the parking lot," Harris County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sr. Deputy Thomas Gilliland said.

Gilliland said the single shot hit and killed Joshua Luke Cummings, a 36-year-old customer who had just pulled up at the hunting range near the intersection of the Northwest Freeway and Barker Cypress Road.

"Homicide will investigate all of the employees, witnesses (and) take control of the weapon. That weapon will be investigated also to find out if there's anything wrong with it; if there was a malfunction, or if it was human error," Gilliland said.

Gilliland said Cummings was only about 70 to 80 feet away when he was hit.

An employee at the shooting range told KPRC 2 that Cummings was hit in the head.

He was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

"The main focus will be was it human error, or was it a gun malfunction? We will find out from them," Gilliland said.

Video from Sky 2 showed investigators had blocked off the parking lot, where they were looking at a rifle case and a pair of boots near a building.

Hot Wells Shooting Range issued the following statement on its Facebook page:

"We apologize in advance for the brevity of this response. We simply do not have the words to express the sorrow in our hearts. For 44 years we have operated this facility accident free, yet today we are shaken by tragedy.

"There is an ongoing investigation into the circumstances that surround this accident, and until that investigation is complete we will have no comment on the accident details.

"We understand that this accident has, and will continue to affect the lives of many. We ask that our community joins us in prayer for the healing of all parties involved."