'Hey, I've been shot,' said motorcyclist hit by target shooter's stray bullet in Carver County

Someone target shooting Tuesday evening on rural property in Carver County inadvertently shot a passing motorcyclist in the chest, authorities said.

The stray gunfire occurred at 6:10 p.m. Tuesday and came from an address on Homestead Road about 5 miles southwest of Carver, according to the Sheriff's Office.

The motorcyclist, 41-year-old Troy Mack, of Minneapolis, was taken by emergency responders to HCMC in Minneapolis and was in satisfactory condition, a hospital spokeswoman said Wednesday afternoon.

Mack was heading south on County Road 40 in San Francisco Township with other riders when a bullet came from a group of target shooters, who were aiming in the direction of the road, said Sheriff Jason Kamerud.

"Interestingly, he didn't fall down," Kamerud said. "He felt whatever what it was, realized he was bleeding, pulled over and put the kickstand down and said, 'Hey, I've been shot.'"

The sheriff said that his investigators are preliminarily saying that the bullet traveled more than a quarter-mile and was fired from a handgun used by one of four or five people at the home.

Kamerud expressed doubt that any laws were being broken by the target shooters, despite the consequences, given the rural location.

"At first blush, I think they are OK," he said.

A resident nearby said she and her husband heard five or six shots and looked out a few minutes later and saw several emergency vehicles on County Road 40.

"We're very thankful that we were not outside," said the woman, who did not know where the gunfire came from and asked to remain anonymous.

"From time to time, we do hear some guns and just figured they were target shooting," the woman said.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482