Apologies if this had already been posted:

CENTRAL (AP) — A man in eastern Arizona has died after authorities say he asked another man to shoot his bulletproof vest.

The Graham County Sheriff’s Office says the incident happened Monday evening as 25-year-old Parker Ray Lynch and two male acquaintances were shooting together in the area of Central.

All three were firing rounds from a .223 single-shot rifle at a ballistic vest in a tree-lined area.

Investigators say Lynch then donned the vest and accompanying plate and had Steven Watson shoot at him.

Watson fired one round, wounding Lynch in the abdomen.

He was transported to a hospital where he died during surgery.

"I honestly have no idea why they did what they did,” said Lynch’s close friend Sarah Del while shaking her head. "At first I didn't believe it, and then I got the phone call that it was true and I was just heartbroken.”

Del said she and her friend Tori Jonovich went to Eastern Arizona College together and that's where they met Lynch a few years ago.

“He was like a magnet. Everybody wanted to be his friend,” said Jonovich.

"If you met Parker, you knew that you were going to be friends with him, like he just made you feel so comfortable and loved around him,” said Del.

They're disappointed by what happened, but they're hanging on to memories of the loyal friend they loved.

For Jonovich, that last memory came in a message from Lynch the day before he died.

“It just said hey good morning have a good day…I love you. And I was like hey have a good day I love you too,” she said. "Not a coincidence. That was meant to happen, so it was really cool.”

Watson has been booked on suspicion of manslaughter. It was not immediately known Wednesday if he had an attorney.

Sheriff’s officials say the investigation remains ongoing.

Central is about a three-hour drive from Phoenix along U.S. 60 and U.S. 70.

Good thing someone didn't tell him the ocean was deep or he may have drowned himself testing that.


Is it just me or are people basically stupid?

"Hold my beer and watch this.........."

Congratulations! Here's your Darwin Award!


Jerry

9mm ball proof?

Lots of dumasses out there, could have found a Democrat to try it out on!

Supposed to hit them in the bullet proof part.

Saw the headline, assumed it was a handgun.

.223! Wonder if they assumed it would stop a .338 too?

You beat me to it.

They need to ban the .223 Remington. If it saves just one life …

Mudhen: It is hard for me (still, after serving in law enforcement for 29 years!) to believe how these ignorant, stupid, irrational people find each other and do these ignorant, stupid and irrational things.
I wish this would not have happened, but perhaps society is better off without them?
Sad.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Ban idiots.

Yep

First thing I noticed. Sure it was accidental? Missed the vest and shot him in the gut.

B-b-but who would be left in Congress to run the country?

Was he a Florida native that migrated to AZ?

Damn, I was young and stupid once too, but not that fu-kin dim!

Shooter was probably after the dead guys squeeze.

Sounds like something I'd hear coming out of the state of Alabammer.....

Kids watch too many movies. Its sad.

Sir,

I do believe I have admonished you in the past to

STOP MAKING SENSE!



we now resume our normal programing.

Geno

Was hoping it was Mark Kelly.

ROFL,, yeah, there's that!

Once in a while you hear about someone who gags around with a revolver and "blanks". If you place it to your head and touch one off, you are more likely than not to die instantly.

The guy was 25 years old. Not a kid?I'm sure that wasn't military grade body armor.

Do stupid things, win stupid prize

Legally you are correct. But 25 to me is still a Kid.

Same here. For that matter, there are a lot of 60 year olds who ACT like kids. More than a couple right here on this board.

Another drop of chlorine in the human gene pool.

Incredible how a mixture of both stupidity and ignorance can cause stuff like this. Ignorance is prevalent among many of the younger generation who know basically nothing about guns and the cartridges they fire and don't even have a clue about even the most basic ballistic principles. A little knowledge and common sense coupled with even basic shooting experience could have prevented that. Even as teenagers we used to shoot full power rifle rounds into things to see what they'd do and it gave us a real respect for what they were capable of. We all knew how rifle rounds at closer ranges could penetrate stuff that was more formidable than a "bullet proof vest" and that those vests would only stop most pistol bullets. Kids these days think technology has solved everything and they should have googled up some info on those vests and on 223's on their smart phones before they even thought of something that downright stupid. A Darwin award candidate for sure.

I suspect a .223 with FMJ bullets would make a hole in any bullet-proof vest. A 30-06 with ball ammo (which has slightly less velocity and probably less energy per area of impact) will penetrate 1/4 inch of steel easily.

Doesn't help any if you miss the vest. Duh!

Regardless, he way to tst a bullet proof vest is to hang it on a post or something, not a human.

But yet, look at all the people who posted after you that didn't comprehend that...reading is fundamental.

Such a shame. Why not wrap it around a tree for a few rounds, just foe kicks.

It’s pretty hard to believe anyone could be that friggin stupid, yet there it is...

LOL...none of you seem aware that a vest typically does cover regions and quadrants of the human abdomen.

https://goo.gl/images/t3H5MN

Both living, jerk that pulled the trigger, and dead, dumbass that came up with the idea, ironclad proof that "You can't fix stupid".

steel plate in the pouch does not cover abdomen.

Well, in a way, they did fix stupid...

" they got a machine they can put in your ear, that will let you hear a mouse fart across a room. They can work with lazers on your eyes, that will let you see better than you did at 16 years old..
But they can't fix stupid. Stupid's forever!!"

Ron White.

The 223 is the most deadly round ever produced, no way a vest could restrain the energy produced by this round.

but only if fired from an assault weapon,

Hey. Be nice!

Defiantly nice!!

Then you are vastly out of touch with what's currently available, and which do cover sections/regions of the abdomen.

I don't know what type he was wearing, do you?

Here is a nice one, quite reasonably priced, too
https://www.ar500armor.com/ar500-armorr-abdominal-ballistic-system.html

I would not ask someone to shoot at me while wearing it, though.

Florida men are breathing a deep sigh of relief.

nO I don't, but I know there are steel plates available that cover the abdomen.

news reports are vague as to exactly what the bullet did/didnt travel through before striking the victim.

Yes. They kill in swarms like killer bees.

That's what some alphabet guys were doing at the range back in the day, they hung out of date? vests on target stands and had at them with 9mm's and 45 acp's at iirc less than 10 yards, I was down at the other end shooting my 45 Colt Blackhawk with 300gr hardcasts, one came down and ask me to shoot their vests with my pig pistol, OOPS.

Musta been a .223 AI ...

idiots! where's the video ?