Athlete killed in skeet-shooting accident

A SHANGHAI skeet shooter was accidentally shot by a teammate and later died on Monday, Shanghai Evening Post reported today.

Chen Zejun, 20, a member of Shanghai's skeet shooting reserve team, was sent to the central hospital in Minhang District after he was shot in the stomach by a teammate. Chen died from excessive blood loss, the report said.

Chen and his teammates practiced with empty rifles at the Shanghai Shooting and Archery Sport Center on Monday afternoon in Minhang. During a break, a teammate used a bullet that was thought to be harmless while joking around with Chen. The bullet was accidentally fired into Chen's belly, said the report.

The bullet was fired at close range and even though it created only a small external wound, it did severe damage internally, said an expert at the hospital.

Chen's dormitory has been blocked and the public security bureau is now investigating the case.

The archery center was shut down after the incident, the report said.