An adult male was transported to a local hospital Saturday afternoon after suffering a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at a Belmont firing range, police said.
Police and fire personnel responded to the Belmont Firearms and Range located at 140 Laconia Road about 12:45 p.m., after receiving a report of a shooting victim on the property. Once on the scene, officers observed an adult male with a single gunshot wound to the head, according to a press release.
Belmont police said the man, whose identity and condition were being withheld pending notification of family, was transported to Lakes Region General Hospital in Laconia via Dartmouth-Hitchcock Advanced Response Team helicopter shortly after 1 p.m.
It was not immediately known if the victim was using the facility’s shooting range at the time of the incident, though police did say the business’s staff followed all safety regulations.
“Our hats go off to the staff,” Belmont police Cpl. Evan Boulanger said. “Personnel at Belmont Firearms and Range immediately rendered first aid to the male and then phoned for fire, EMTs and police to respond.”
An employee for Belmont Firearms and Range referred questions to police, and Lakes Region General Hospital was unable to confirm the condition of the victim.
Boulanger didn’t say whether the shooting was witnessed, but said the size of the business makes it difficult for patrons to be hidden from view.
“It’s a pretty small store,” he said. “There’s a range and a showroom, if you will, and then a small vestibule that connects the two. So it’s kind of tough to hide yourself in there.”
Police said the shooting appeared to be isolated, and that an investigation remains ongoing.