JACKSON TOWNSHIP, N.J. – A lightning strike at an outdoor archery range in eastern New Jersey killed a 61-year-old man and injured more than a dozen others Wednesday evening, local authorities said.
Jackson Township Police said they were notified just after 7 p.m. that multiple people had been struck by lightning at the range.
First responders said when they arrived a man was already receiving CPR, with others being attended to by witnesses at the scene.
Injuries to the other victims ranged from complaints of not feeling well to scrapes and burns.
2 TEENS KILLED BY LIGHTNING WHILE ON FISHING EXPEDITION IN SOUTHEAST GEORGIA
Radar showing storms around New Jersey on 7/16/2025
Police did not say if the victims, aged 7 to 61, had knowledge of the approaching storm or tried to seek shelter.
Due to the size of the mass casualty incident, first responders from nearly a dozen agencies responded.
Jackson Township is located in Ocean County, New Jersey, about 70 miles south of New York City.
Matthew Kunz, chief of police at the Jackson Township Police Department, said his agency will provide additional information as it becomes available.
“I have been briefed on a lightning strike tonight at an outdoor archery range in Jackson. At this time, we have at least one fatality and multiple injuries. All injured have been transported by first responders. Please pray for everyone involved in this tragic incident,” Governor Phil Murphy said in a statement.
The incident occurred less than a week after a group of beachgoers along St. Augustine Beach were injured during a lightning strike.
The agency said one person suffered critical injuries and was airlifted to a trauma center, while another person was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
A third person was also reported to have been evaluated but refused medical transport.
WHAT IS HOTTER: LIGHTNING OR FIREWORKS?
According to preliminary data from the National Lightning Safety Council, the fatality marks at least the twelfth lightning death of the year.
The council notes that about half of all lightning fatalities in 2025 have been related to fishing, which continues to rank as one of the most dangerous activities when thunderstorms are nearby.
In 2023, 14 people were killed by lightning, nearly all of whom were participating in outdoor activities.
