TN: 17-year-old shot in hunting accident

November 4, 2010

17-year-old shot in hunting accident

Failure to abide by the rules nearly resulted in disaster for a pair of local hunters.

This past Saturday, two friends, ages 14 and 17, went on a hunting trip in the Christmasville area of Weakley County and the 14-year-old, mistaking his friend for a deer, accidentally shot him, according to a press release issued by the Weakley County Sheriff’s Department.

The two friends were separated on the hunting trip and the younger friend tried to call the older one on his cell phone to locate him. The friend stated that he was just to his left. According to the report, around this time, the 14-year-old saw something move to the right of him, dropped his cell phone, raised his .270 rifle and shot.

The 17-year-old apparently ran out of the woods saying he’d been shot. His friend then called 911 and the both of them began walking back toward the house.

The shooter stayed on the phone with the 911 dispatcher until he got to the residence where EMS and deputies arrived.

The victim was then airlifted to the Med in Memphis having sustained a wound entering his left upper arm and exiting below the left shoulder blade with no internal injuries reporterd. At estimate, the victim was approximately 62 yards from the shooter and he should be released from The Med today.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is working with investigators from the Sheriff’s office. Neither victim nor shooter was wearing blaze orange at the time of the shooting and no adults were present. Charges for hunting violations will be handled by the TWRA.

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