Montana GOP Senate candidate says he lied to ranger about gunshot wound in 2015

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52. Sheehy apologized and asked for leniency after alleged 2015 gun incident

Sheehy apologized and asked for leniency after alleged 2015 gun incident
The Montana GOP Senate candidate said this month that he lied about accidentally shooting himself at Glacier National Park

By Liz Goodwin
April 17, 2024 at 5:00 a.m. EDT

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Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy apologized and asked for leniency in 2015 after he said a gun he kept in his vehicle for bear protection fell and discharged, striking him in his right forearm in Glacier National Park, according to new National Park Service documents released through a Freedom of Information Act request. ... The new documents, which provide additional detail about an incident first reported by The Washington Post this month, include a detailed written statement from Sheehy to a law enforcement officer regarding Sheehy having accidentally shot himself on Oct. 18, 2015 — an account that he now says was a lie.

“As a highly trained and combat experienced wounded veteran, I can assure you this was an unfortunate accident and we are grateful no other persons or property were damaged,” Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL, said in the 2015 statement apologizing for illegally discharging his weapon in the park. “Due to my ongoing security clearance and involvement with national defense related contracts, I request leniency with any charges related to this unfortunate accident.” ... Sheehy, who has told voters he has a bullet in his arm from his time serving in Afghanistan, told The Post he made up the 2015 accidental gunshot story on that October day to cover up a wound he says he received in a 2012 firefight in Afghanistan.

A National Park Service summary of the incident, which was also included in the newly released documents, says an unidentified park visitor reported an accidental gun discharge in Logan Pass. That differs from Sheehy’s current account, that law enforcement was first contacted by personnel at a hospital that treated him for wounds that he now says he received from falling during a hike. The summary does not identify the park visitor who made the report of a gun discharge.

Sheehy, a decorated war veteran, is favored to win the GOP nomination to take on the vulnerable Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) in the red state, which is key to Republicans’ plan to take control of the chamber.

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Leigh Ann Caldwell contributed to this report.

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By Liz Goodwin
Liz Goodwin covers Congress for The Washington Post. Before joining The Post in 2022, Goodwin covered national politics and served as Washington bureau chief for the Boston Globe. Twitter https://twitter.com/lizcgoodwin