19-year-old nursing student dies in accidental shooting at Arkansas home, cops say

A sophomore at an Arkansas university died in what authorities are calling an accidental shooting.

Russellville police officers were dispatched to a home Aug. 17 for a report of “a person with a gunshot wound ,” according to a news release. Upon arrival, officers found the 19-year-old victim fatally shot, police said.

While the shooting is believed to be accidental, an investigation is ongoing, police said. It’s unclear who fired the shot.

The 19-year-old was identified by Arkansas Tech University as Jack Poole , a sophomore who was majoring in nursing.

Poole, a resident of Hattieville, graduated from Sacred Heart High School in Morrilton in 2023, the university said. Sacred Heart Catholic School said Poole was student council president and played for its basketball team.

“Arkansas Tech University expresses its condolences to the family and friends of Jack Poole,” ATU President Dr. Russell Jones said in a statement. “There are no words that can adequately bring comfort at a time like this. Our university community will be present and ready to assist in the grieving process for those close to Jack.”

Poole was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity , multiple people said on Facebook.

Savannah Brown said in a Facebook post Poole was a staple in many people’s lives.

“It makes my heart ache that many did not know him or will be able to know him,” Brown said. “Jack was and always will be the light in the room. He was loved by SO MANY.”

Arkansas Tech, in Russellville, is about an 80-mile drive northwest from Little Rock.

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