WILLIAMSON CO., Ill.—An agreed preliminary injunction was issued against Tombstone Gun Range today by Judge Brad K. Bleyer that will remain in effect until April 10, 2014.
Rick Hilliard, business manager of IUOE, leaving the Williamson County Courthouse today
The matter came to court in Williamson County today (March 4, 2014) after an incident at the gun range on February 19 injured a second-year apprentice at the International Union of Operating Engineers; apprentice Lindsey Potts was shot with a high-velocity round through the chin on that day, while she was training on a grading platform. The two properties sit next to each other on the west side of Marion.
IUOE’s Rick Hilliard had asked that Tombstone cease firing in the direction of the Union property voluntarily; when they refused to do so, he told media last week that it was his intention to have a court order such a thing,and after a two-hour hearing today, they did just that.
The injunction issued today will prohibit firing from the west by Tombstone. They may continue to fire from the north, south and east.
Training is expected to resume at the Operating Engineers since they have been shut down for two weeks.
There have been no charges have been filed or any admissions of guilt have been made. Allegations have been made as to negligence against Tombstone. It is possible discussions and hopefully discovery will be made during this time.
The State of Illinois does not have a permitting process or state regulations on gun ranges. It appears the primary concern at this point is what Tombstone’s insurance company was told about safety measures at the range.
We’ll have more on the matter in the upcoming edition of Disclosure, which hits the stands March 18 and 19.
Attorney for Tombstone, Blaine Osman on left; attorney for IUOE, Jonathan Cantrell on right.