Internet blasts Trump-backed Montana GOP Senate hopeful Tim Sheehy for lying about his gunshot wound

HELENA, MONTANA: Former United States Navy SEAL, Tim Sheehy, who is currently running for a Senate seat in Montana, has recently admitted to providing false information to a ranger concerning the discharge of a firearm in Glacier National Park.

According to The Washington Post, Sheehy initially claimed that he had accidentally discharged a weapon and shot himself while hiking with his family in the national park in 2015.

However, the 38-year-old senatorial candidate has now disclosed that he fabricated the story to conceal a gunshot wound he received while stationed in Afghanistan, according to DailyMail.

Sheehy has stated that he lied to the ranger because he was concerned that the gunshot wound would be reported to the military, which could potentially result in an investigation and damage the reputation of his teammates.

What did Tim Sheehy say regarding his gunshot wound?

During a December campaign event, Sheehy was captured on camera asserting, “I got thick skin - though it's not thick enough. I have a bullet stuck in this arm still from Afghanistan.”

Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Tim Sheehy as the candidate “best-positioned” to defeat incumbent Senate Democrat Jon Tester.

However, Sheehy's account of a wound in his arm has been inconsistent. It is unclear whether the wound resulted from friendly fire or an enemy, and Sheehy has never reported it to his superiors.

In various speeches, campaign events, and his 2023 memoir 'Mudslingers,' Sheehy has provided differing accounts of the gunshot wounds he sustained.

A ticket obtained by the outlet reveals that Sheehy informed the park ranger that while arranging his gear in the back of his vehicle, his Colt .45 long revolver slipped down the pile of gear, struck the ground, and accidentally shot him in the right forearm.

According to Sheehy, the bullet did not pass through, and he was subsequently fined $525 for illegally discharging a weapon in Glacier National Park.

The ranger spoke with Sheehy at a hospital in Kalispell, Montana, where the former Navy SEAL expressed relief that the bullet did not hit his wife or young children.

According to the ranger, who was interviewed by the aforementioned outlet on the condition of anonymity, noted that doctors decided to leave the bullet in Sheehy's arm, and after paying the fine, he retrieved his weapon.

Sheehy admitted to making up the story to conceal the gunshot wound that he had never reported to his Navy superiors while serving in Afghanistan.

In his latest recounting of events, Sheehy claimed that he slipped on ice while hiking in Glacier National Park, fell on some sharp rocks, and his arm was injured.

He expressed concern that he may have broken his arm and that the bullet from years earlier may have been dislodged.

He revealed that he had an arm injury when he checked into the hospital, but he said that he "didn't give them the whole backstory because I was just checking into an ER."

Sheehy told the hospital staff, “You know, I hurt my arm. You know, there is a gunshot wound in there. ... I just need to take a look at it and make sure everything's okay.”

Hospital staff had informed Sheehy that they had an obligation to report all gunshot wounds to law enforcement.

Sheehy was afraid that if he told the ranger the truth, it might lead to the Navy investigating him, so he decided to make up a story about how he had received the bullet wound.

However, according to Daniel Watkins, Sheehy's lawyer, his client might have already fabricated a story and told hospital staff about it before the ranger arrived.

In a letter, the lawyer asserted that Sheehy informed medical officials that he had discharged his firearm in the park.

"Mr Sheehy attempted to explain that the wound was not fresh but was told they had to report the injury regardless," the attorney wrote.

According to Sheehy and his lawyer, it remains unclear which account of the incident the medical professional who examined Sheehy's wound had been provided with.

At the time of the incident, Sheehy was still in the Navy Reserve, and many of his teammates were still serving.

In the event of a military investigation, Sheehy might be required to return to active duty and could potentially undergo a court martial.

This could potentially tarnish the reputation of the entire team or as Sheehy succinctly put it, they could be “dragged through the mud.”

The ranger who investigated the incident was taken aback by Tim Sheehy's claim that the story was fabricated.

The ranger recalled checking the firearm in Sheehy's vehicle and finding it fully loaded but with one bullet missing.

Although the ranger's story has been characterized by Sheehy's attorney as "a fabrication," Sheehy clarified that "everything he says is true to the extent of his knowledge."

According to Watkins, Sheehy could not mistakenly drop the firearm because "doing so is not possible based on the design of the weapon's firing mechanism."

Katie Martin, Tim Sheehy's campaign spokeswoman, has verified that he sustained three gunshot wounds.

Unexpectedly, she revealed that the third bullet struck his radio, which was on his person at the time of the incident.

An X-ray scan of Sheehy's arm clearly depicts a circular object lodged in his right forearm, as previously reported by the outlet.

Joseph V Sakran, a trauma surgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital, remarked that it is difficult to determine which weapon caused the injury or the actual age of the wound.

Professor Thomas J Esposito of the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria commented that due to "the smoothness of its edges," it is "doubtful" that the injury was caused by a ricocheting bullet.

Internet condemns Tim Sheehy for fabricating details of gunshot incident

On X, individuals heavily criticized the former Navy SEAL and Montana GOP senatorial candidate for asserting that he retains a bullet in his arm from his tour in Afghanistan.

One user remarked, "Stolen valor should be automatically (morally, if not legally) disqualifying for any political candidate."

Another user wrote, "So he's a liar and a terrible shot."

Another user said, "And there it comes, GOP can’t get a single good candidate these days."

One user tweeted, "@SheehyforMT This is stolen valor What a liar. Totally untrustworthy."

Another X user remarked, "What a loser."

One more user asked, "How can anyone trust Tim Sheehy now? He lied multiple times and told different stories about being shot: how will Montanans ever know if or when he IS being honest again?"

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.