The odds of being struck by lightning is less than one in a million in a given year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. But people have died from lightning strikes in New Jersey before. In June 2024, a Manchester man was killed in Seaside Park.

The strike hit the ground near a group at the Black Knight Bowbenders archery range, a well-known community site that regularly hosts events, Jackson Township Mayor Michael Reina told New York ABC station WABC.