Airman injured in accidental shooting off base

Staff report

An airman stationed at Cannon Air Force Base was reported in stable condition late Wednesday at a Lubbock hospital after being accidentally shot on private property in Curry County earlier in the day, according to Undersheriff Wesley Waller.

Confusion over the location of the shooting prompted about a 30-minute lockdown at the base, according to a press release from Cannon’s public affairs office. The lockdown was lifted about 20 minutes later after the base received a clarification that the incident happened off-base, the release said.

Waller said he would not release the identity of the shooting victim, citing an ongoing investigation. The injured airman was flown by helicopter to a Lubbock hospital, he said.

Waller said three airmen from the base were target shooting on land near Curry Road R and Curry Road 6 when the shooting occurred. Waller said he did not know if the airmen had permission to be on the property.

He said the firearm involved was a pistol. The shot that hit the victim was fired from the gun of another airman, he said, though he was not familiar with all the details.

He said military police from the Air Force were notified of the incident, but the Curry County Sheriff’s Office has jurisdiction over the case.

No arrests have been made related to the shooting, Waller said.