Barnegat man dies after accidentally shooting self, police say

BARNEGAT — A man died after being shot while disassembling a firearm at his home on Saturday, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

James Hammer, 46, of Barnegat accidentally shot himself during the process, according to Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer.

Hammer was taken to Southern Ocean Medical Center in Stafford Township, then flown to the Atlanticare Trauma Center in Atlantic City where he died around midnight, Billhimer said.

Hammer had been a member of the Barnegat Volunteer Fire Department, according to minutes of the Township Committee meeting of Feb. 19, 2013.

He was one of several members whose "quick action" was credited for saving the life of ex-Barnegat fire chief Ed Buckley in June 2013, according to a Patch news story about the  recognition.

A Linkedin account for a James Hammer from Barnegat indicated he was currently working for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections and had served for nearly 22 years for the Department of Defense.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

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