Incident report states that death of Newberry High School senior after hunting was accidental

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – An incident report issued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Division of Law Enforcement (FWC) concludes that Newberry High School senior Malachi Lancaster “was walking out of the woods after an evening hunt when his firearm accidentally discharged due to unknown circumstances… fatally wounding him.” The report states that no arrests are pending.

At about 6:14 p.m. on December 8, FWC officers responded to a hunting incident in the 4400 block of SW 84th Place in Gainesville. The victim, Malachi Lancaster, was transported to Shands Hospital and later died from the injury.

The report is not dated, and our question about whether it is a final report was not answered before the publication of this article. We will update the article if we receive more information about the investigation process.

      • A short barrel rife carried at sling arms or some how across the back with the barrel up something snagged the trigger the safety is on already on fire or same scenario safety position doesn’t matter kept in mind the firing pin is floating in the BCG maybe a weak primer and your walking/running in woods short barrel rife sling arms or across the back firing pin hits the prime 1 too many times cause it to go off. 1 thing we know for sure there was at least 1 round in the chamber. Keep it mind if its a long barrel rife these scenarios became a lot harder because the round would have just missed and went up in the air.

        • by Short Barrel rife i mean less than 16 inches or an AR pistol which for those that know is a really short AR rifle that is designed for disabled people to fire by using a brace instead of a buttstock but can still be shoulder fired if needed also BCG means Bolt Carrier Group which the firing pin inside the bolt and the bolt is inside the bolt carrier FYI

      • google AR15 free floating firing pin mostly likely cause. other factors shorter barrel rifle being transported improperly either sling arms or across the back has a round in the chamber which in either 1 of these 2 scenarios would cause it to go off. but in both scenarios there’s a round in the chamber and it’s a short enough barrel rife and is being transported either sling arms or across the back. 1 weapon is still on safe and because of the free floating firing pin it goes off and the barrel is to short to clear the back of victim. 2 everything the same but weapon is on fire the free floating pin is still the cause or its not and the trigger is snagged or something thus causing the weapon to fire. failure to understand the mechanics of the weapon and improperly transporting it while with a round in the chamber and carrying it across your back is the factors the caused it most likely

  • Google “ar15 free floating firing pin” makes it possible also I would say length of rifles barrel is a factor shorter barrel easier than longer barrel because the shorter barrel would be more likely to impact the back as for a longer barrel would probably clear the back if it went off other factors the how rifle was being carried probably sling arms or sling across the back. hunter safety wouldn’t have necessarily been able to prevent this is the shooter doesn’t understand the mechanics of the rifle which is the mostly cause a “free floating firing pin”

    • If the “free floating firing pin” isn’t the cause then all factors are the same and the short barrel rifle was on fire with a round in the chamber being carried at sling arms or across the back and something snagged the trigger enough to case it fire when being transported improperly.

  • My son was a competitive shooter and taught firearm classes for several years, CWP and advanced gun safety classes (including to LEO and military). He says there is no such thing as an “accidental” discharge/shooting. Rather such incidents are avoidable and are due to negligence. This boy’s death is truly tragic and my heart breaks for his family.

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