Tennessee skydiver dies in shocking video in front of horrified spectators

A troupe of skydivers were hired to entertain spectators before the Musket Bowl - an annual Washington County rivalry game between two schools in the area, David Crockett and Danial Boone High Schools.

A member of the sky diving troupe Richard Sheffield was supposed to perform a stunt while landing in the stadium on Friday, October 21, 2022. However, the stunt went wrong and Sheffield crashed onto earth and was instantly killed.

The fatal accident took place in front of a crowd and footage from the scene that was aired by WJHL-TV shows the skydiver attempting to perform a stunt landing.

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Skydiver remembered by family

Richard Sheffield was a 55-year-old skydiver, who was killed in a freak skydiving accident on Friday. He had been married to his wife, Kim Sheffield, for almost 37 years and had twin sons, Stacey and Casey.

Sheffield was part of a group of paratroopers called Jump TN that traditionally entertained guests ahead of big sporting events. He has over 1,500 successful jumps to his credit.

The diver's entire family is reported to enjoy the sport. His son Stacey wrote on Facebook about how much his father meant to him, saying:

"Being able to skydive with your Dad is another level of cool."

In a heartfelt message, he also shared his father's proclivity to seek out thrills by stating that the one thing he liked was "going fast, and that's how he went out."

Sheffield crashed to his death in front of students, parents, and school officials at the David Crockett High School football stadium. In the footage, fans on the ground can be heard screaming as the skydiver plummets to the ground at terrifying speed. The video was frozen before the deadly impact.

Superintendent of Washington County schools in Jonesboro, Jerry Boyd said that on Monday, mental health professionals will be on campus to provide services to students. He also offered his condolences to the family, and called Richard a beloved husband, father and grandfather.

Boyd said:

"Our deepest sympathies go out to the family of the injured skydiver that has passed away. We ask that everyone keep the family in their thoughts and prayers as they deal with the loss of a beloved husband, father, and grandfather."

The game between the two schools, however, was given a delayed start after school officials led the crowd in a moment of silence. Danial Boone won the Musket Bowl, but players were disturbed by the preceding incident.

Danial Boone quarterback Luke Jenkins tweeted about the incident, saying that it "was sad" and "a little weird to play after." The tweet has since been deleted.

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Richard's team, Jump TN, claimed that there was nothing unusual about Sheffield's freefall and that the parachute he used seemed to deploy "without incident."

No other information that could explain the cause of the tragic crash is available.