Temple Gun Club Shooting: 30-Year-Old Man Dies, Investigation Underway

There was a fatal shooting in Temple over the weekend. Bell County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) posted on their Facebook page that the shooting happened on Saturday, April 5th around 4:00pm.

📍 Shooting at Temple Gun Club, Victim Identified

A 911 call was placed from the Temple Gun Club which is located east of Temple off of FM 438 Loop, and 30-year-old Zakary Michael Jerke was transported to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Temple. Jerke succumbed to his injuries on Sunday, April 6th despite the best efforts of first responders and hospital staff.

🔎 Investigation Underway: Accidental, Self-Inflicted, or Homicide?

At this time there isn't much information about the shooting other than Jerke suffered from a fatal gunshot wound to his head. The BCSO and the Texas Rangers are conducting a joint investigation of the incident, but at this time it has not been determined if the shooting was accidental, if it was self-inflicted, or if Jerke was shot by someone else. The Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office will be conducting an autopsy.

🏢 About the Temple Gun Club

The Temple Gun Club is a private facility that is only open to non-members for Match Participation. There are ranges available for all disciplines. There are pistol ranges available, and the rifle range can accommodate shooting up to 500 yards.

📊 CDC Data on Gun Deaths in 2023

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), in 2023, there were a total of 46,728 gun deaths. Suicides accounted for 58% of the deaths while homicide accounted for 38% of gun deaths. Only 463 of those the fatalities due to guns were unintentional amounting to just 1% of gun deaths.

This is an ongoing story, and it will be updated when the Bell County Sheriff's Office or the Texas Rangers release more information.