Overview
- A crossbow sharpshooting stunt at the Orange County Fair went wrong on Friday when Ana B. Daza Tavera fired at a foam target held by Edwin Cuervo Rangel and the arrow struck his neck.
- First responders evacuated the tent and Rangel was airlifted to Westchester Medical Center, where surgeons removed the arrow, he received stitches, and he was released in stable condition and expected to recover.
- Circus Murcia canceled the show the night of the accident, resumed other performances the next day but removed the crossbow routine from its schedule, and ringmaster Benjamin Jackson said the wound avoided major blood vessels.
- New York State Police’s Middletown bureau has opened a criminal investigation and asked witnesses at the fair to contact investigators as inquiries into how the shot missed the foam target continue.
- Both performers are from Waukesha, Wisconsin, and the incident has raised questions about safety procedures for high-risk traveling acts and what changes organizers may make to protect performers and audiences.