North Coast Rep. Mike Thompson wins 'Top Gun' atcongressional skeet shooting contest

He leads a congressional committee to stem gun violence. And he’s also a crack shot.

Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, beat out 35 of his Capitol Hill colleagues in an annual skeet shooting competition to earn the “Top Gun” award from the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation.

The avid shooter and Vietnam veteran is chairman of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, which advocates gun control.

He’s also a two-time chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus. He said he was honored to win an event that “brings together folks from both political parties.”

“And I look forward to working with my fellow members of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus to advance conservation, recreation and safety issues that are important to us all,” he said in a written statement.

The event was held this week at Prince George’s County Trap and Skeet Center in Glenn Dale, Md.

Member of the sportsmen’s caucus and others were treated to a “friendly competition of shooting rounds of trap, skeet and sporting clays,” according to Thompson’s statement.

You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com.