Man may have accidentally killed himself at Lyons gun range, police say
BY CASEY TONER Sun-Times Media September 18, 2013 1:22PM
Updated: September 18, 2013 2:57PM
An early investigation shows that a 49-year-old Michigan man died after shooting himself in the head Tuesday at Midwest Guns gun range, Lyons Police said.
Police are still trying to determine whether the shooting was accidental or intentional, although they believe it was an accident, said Lyons Police Cmdr. Brian Kuratko.
Michael Babinsky was shot about 1:55 p.m. in the gun range area at the Midwest Guns shop in the 8500 block of Plainfield Road in Lyons, authorities said. An employee from Midwest Guns called police after the shooting.
Babinsky, of Pickford Township, Mich., was initially taken in critical condition to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where he was declared dead at 5:36 p.m., authorities said.
Police recovered two handguns Babinsky may have shot at the range that day, a .45-caliber and a 9 mm, Kuratko said. It’s still unknown which of the guns Babinsky was shot with, police said.
Kuratko said said police are still investigating whether Babinsky had a firearm owner’s identification card.
According to police, the Midwest Guns gun range was “pretty crowded,” when the shooting occurred, but there was no indication that he was shot by anyone else but himself. Babinsky was at the gun range with a friend.
Kuratko also said he had no indication Babinsky was shot more than once, contrary to media reports.
