AN ARMY officer was shot and killed in tragic live-fire training blunder.
The was hit in the back during a night time exercise with elite Scots Guards on Sunday.
He sadly died before the ambulance arrived at the Otterburn range in NorthumberlandCredit: Alamy
Comrades provided emergency first aid but he died before the ambulance arrived at the Otterburn range in .
His next of kin have been informed of the tragic incident, which happened at around 8pm on Jan 25.
The troops were wearing night vision goggles and assaulting “pop-up targets” in a field with SA80 assault rifles.
The metal and wooden targets are designed to drop down if they are hit by live ammunition.
Soldiers normally wear infra red patches – visible through night vision goggles – to distinguish themselves from the human shaped targets.
A source said the said soldiers involved were all wearing bullet proof body armour and protective kevlar helmets when the tragedy unfolded.
It is thought the victim, who has not been named, was hit in an area that was not protected.
The Defence Accidents Branch has launched an investigation.
The Sun understands a group of eight soldiers had been split into two squad, with the incident happening just minutes into the live-firing drill.
One group charged forward in the assault role while the other provided covering fire.
All eight soldiers had live ammunition, but it is unclear how many soldiers were firing at the time.
A source told The Sun: “He got shot just a couple of minutes into the training exercise. He died before the ambulance got there.
“It was pitch black. We were using night vision goggles. We were at the rear when he was shot at a fair distance.
“There were quite a few of us on range. There were 6-8 people firing at that point.”
The source continued: “We have all been trained on how to use these guns. It is the most common one.”
In 2016, Brit soldier Conor McPherson, 24, was shot in the head and killed at the same training camp also during a night live-firing exercise.
Private McPherson was serving in the legendary Black Watch regiment when he died.
A scathing investigation found he was mistaken for a target by soldiers “stumbling about in the dark”.
It noted poor planning, lack of supervision, and the use of incorrect, unauthorised night-vision equipment.
Lt Gen Dame Sharon Nesmith, who was then deputy chief of the general staff, said she was “deeply sorry for failing Pte Conor McPherson”.
The was criticised in 2024 by the and Safety Executive.
Officials said the death was “preventable”.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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