September 21, 2010 Wackenhut firearms instructor struck by bullet at Oak Ridge facility www.privateofficer.com
Oak Ridge TN Sept 21 2010 A firearms instructor with Wackenhut Services was struck by bullet fragments last month when there was a malfunction with a Dillon M134D Aero Minigun. The incident occurred during the semi-annual firearms qualifications taking place at the Central Training Facility in Oak Ridge. Wackenhut is the government’s security contractor at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant and other Oak Ridge facilities.
The Aug. 25 incident is outlined in a Department of Energy occurrence report, and Oak Ridge officials today confirmed some of the details. The unnamed firearms instructor’s injuries were reportedly minor, and he was taken to University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville.
“The instructor received a cut to his forehead, and small fragments in his left knee and right forearm,” the DOE report said. “He also injured his right forearm while moving to a prone position during the incident.”
The Gatling gun was mounted in the turret of a Lenco Bearcat, an armored vehicle used at Y-12.
According to the DOE report, “The fragments occurred when the barrel clamp/flash suppressor on the gun loosened and moved forward, causing it to be struck by bullets during a burst of gunfire.”
The report said that a team began an investigation and minigun training at Central Training Facility was suspended until the completion of the investigation.
“All operational miniguns were checked and it was verified that all are serviceable and properly installed,” the report said.
According to a statement released by WSI-Oak Ridge, the firearm “experienced a mechanical failure” during the Aug. 25 event.
“The weapon’s manufacturer has been notified and is close to completing engineering improvements to the weapon,” the WSI statement said. “All other weapons have been checked to ensure this will not happen again, and no further issues have been identified.”
Steven Wyatt, a spokesman for the National Nuclear Security Administration in Oak Ridge, said, “It was clearly a malfunction. Anytime you’re dealing with firearms, and there’s a mishap, it’s certainly a serious matter. The fortunate thing is the individual was not seriously hurt.”
In a statement, WSI General Manager Lee Brooks said, “While I am upset that our training instructor was injured, I am relieved that he received only minor injuries. We will be working closely with NNSA and the weapon’s manufacturer to find a solution to the problem and to ensure the safety of our employees at the highest level.”
According to information released earlier by Wackenhut, the Gatling guns are capable of firing 3,000 rounds a minute using 7.62 mm ammunition.
Source:Atomic City Underground
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