A lightning strike killed a 61-year-old volunteer instructor and injured 14 other people at the Black Knight Bowbenders outdoor archery range in Jackson Township, New Jersey, on Wednesday evening, local police said. The bolt hit the ground near the group at about 7:07 p.m. during a youth competition, sending victims sprawling across the range. Authorities said the injured, whose ages range from seven to 61, include eight children taking part in an event organised by Cub Scout Pack 204. Most suffered burns or other electrical injuries; one patient with more serious burns was transferred to the Livingston Burn Center, while others were treated at Jersey Shore University Medical Center and other hospitals. Mayor Michael Reina called the accident “a tragedy,” and Governor Phil Murphy said he had been briefed and offered state assistance. The death is the 12th lightning fatality recorded in the United States this year and the second in New Jersey this week. The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Ocean County shortly before the strike, though witnesses reported little or no rain at the range. Meteorologists noted that lightning can travel miles ahead of a storm, underscoring long-standing guidance to seek shelter as soon as thunder is heard.