Lancaster County authorities say a 19-year-old man is recovering after he and some friends were testing out a flak jacket over the weekend.
It happened at a cabin near Branched Oak Lake on Saturday afternoon. Sheriff Terry Wagner says the three teens had shot the Vietnam War-era flak jacket several times and successfully stopped the rounds.
Wagner says they decided to try it on the 19-year-old victim. Wagner says despite placing a pillow under the vest to absorb the shock, the 19 year old shooter missed the target. The victim, who is from Waterloo, was struck in the buttocks.
Wagner says the jacket is meant to stop shrapnel, not bullets. "It is just not a good practice to shoot another human being with a live weapon, and not to expect something bad to go wrong." "So you know, don't shoot your buddy with a rifle." Wagner says deputies are still investigating whether or not any charges will be filed against the teens.
The wounded man will recover and Wagner says alcohol had been consumed prior to the shooting.