Friend accidentally shot a dart into my head with my crossbow — can we still be friends?
A week after a routine target session went horribly wrong, a 19-year-old is left bleeding and shaken and doesn't know if the friendship can survive a near-fatal mistake.
I own (well, my family owns) a crossbow we use to shoot pencil-sized metal-tipped darts at a target on our property. I taught friends how to use it before and felt careful about safety — but when my best friend (18M) came over, he rushed the process and, while I was reaching for more darts behind the line of fire, he somehow turned, had the safety off, and fired. A dart hit me an inch from my eye; police and medics came, I went to hospital and was released quickly, and now I’m trying to figure out whether this can be repaired.
I was teaching him how to use the crossbow; one careless shot hit me near my eye and everything changed — I don't know if I can trust him again.
I'm 19 and have shot the crossbow many times; my friend is 18. I explain safety every time and demonstrate how to use it. That day he rushed through the instructions, said he remembered, and fired a few harmless shots at the target. While I reached for more darts placed behind the firing line, a dart struck my head — I lost vision briefly and was bleeding between my eye and temple. He froze, I told him to call 911, and emergency services arrived quickly.
"I felt a sharp thud hit my head and my vision go black for a moment."
I was lucid, told police it wasn't intentional, and went to the hospital where I was examined and released the same day. My friend called while I was there to ask if I was okay, but we haven't spoken since the incident. I'm shocked he had the safety off and—according to me—turned away from the target and fired in my direction. I'm left wondering how to process what happened and whether our friendship can continue.
"He turned away from the target, faced me, and shot."
The immediate outcome was medical attention, police on scene, and a shaken friendship. There was no lasting severe injury reported, but the near-miss and the fact that the safety was off have left me angry, scared, and unsure whether trust can be rebuilt.
🏠 The Aftermath
After the shot, police and medics arrived; I was treated and released the same day. My friend called once while I was at the hospital, but we've had no real conversation since.
Friendship is on hold — we haven't met to talk it through, and there's clear emotional distance. The crossbow remains in the family's care; I was the one physically injured but not seriously harmed.
Concrete consequences: I bled and needed a hospital check, both of us are shaken, and the social fallout is immediate — silence, guilt, and confusion instead of the normal banter we used to have.
One careless moment turned an ordinary target practice into a near-tragedy.
I'm left with mixed emotions — anger at the recklessness, relief I wasn't worse off, and uncertainty about whether to forgive. There's no gloating here, just a stunned awareness of how quickly things went wrong.
💭 Emotional Reflection
This is a situation where carelessness and poor judgement collided with luck. The OP expected clear safety rules; the friend rushed them. Whether it was a negligent accident or a moment of panic, the result was traumatic. Trust was broken not by malice but by unsafe behavior.
Repairing this will require more than a phone call: honest accountability from the friend, clear boundaries about future contact with the crossbow, and time for the OP to feel safe again. It's also reasonable for the OP to need space while weighing forgiveness.
Reasonable people can disagree about whether to cut ties after one catastrophic mistake — some will insist on forgiveness if there's sincere remorse, others will put safety first and step away. Both positions are understandable here.
Here are some likely community reactions to this near-miss:
"NTA — He had the safety off and fired while you were in the line of fire. That's reckless; I wouldn't trust him around any weapon again."
"This sounds like a terrible accident, but he froze and didn't seem capable of handling the situation. He needs to show real remorse and take responsibility before anything like friendship resumes."
"Glad you're okay — but safety rules exist for a reason. Maybe insist on supervised, no-weapon hangouts for a long time, or don't invite him back at all."
Reactions will be mixed but center on two themes: concern for the OP's safety and the need for clear accountability from the friend.
🌱 Final Thoughts
This was a terrifying reminder that "we've done it before" doesn't excuse sloppy behavior. The physical injury may heal quickly, but trust takes longer — and that's the real fracture here.
If the friend shows consistent remorse and practical steps to make amends, reconciliation is possible; if not, prioritizing your safety is fair and wise.
What do you think?
Would you have left, or stayed and kept trying to make it work? Share your thoughts below 👇
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