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Man Accidentally Shot in Hunting Accident with AK-47
11-05-03
A Flower Mound man was shot once in the abdomen Tuesday night in northern Anderson County after a member of his church group mistook him for a hog.
This morning Anderson County Sheriff's investigator Chuck Franklin said Christopher McCrae, age unavailable, of Flower Mound was in "critical" condition at Trinity Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler.
As of 4 a.m. today, Franklin said McCrae had undergone surgery for "internal injuries" which "didn't appear to be life threatening at this point."
An Anderson County sheriff's report indicated the surgery was to repair intestinal damage and other internal injuries.
Shortly after 10 p.m. Tuesday, McCrae was apparently accidentally shot once with an AK-47 by Alan J. Bias, 40, who mistook the man for a hog on property off of FM 860 in northern Anderson County.
Franklin said alcohol was not involved, adding authorities consider the shooting accidental.
"It was just a case of poor judgment by someone handling a firearm at night," Franklin said. "It was totally accidental."
The investigator explained that members of Sojourn Church in Carrollton annually travel to Anderson County to hunt hogs on a member's property.
"The guy's got a hog problem," Franklin said. "He gets these guys to come down and hunt."
Around 10 p.m. Tuesday, Franklin said Bias and another individual, also both from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, left the campsite to hunt hogs, leaving on a four-wheeler.
At one point, McCrae pulled up behind them on a separate four-wheeler and handed them some water they had left at a previous spot, the investigator added.
McCrae then "turned around (on the four-wheeler) and went back to the camp house," according to Franklin.
"They assumed that's where he was going to stay," the investigator said.
A short time later, Bias and the other individual drove upon a "hog wallow" where "lots of hogs" are known to sometimes be on the property, Franklin said.
"They crested the hill and see a large, black object," Franklin said. "They assume it's this big hog on the place that everybody has been trying to find. This one guy (Bias) opens fire with four rounds from an AK-47.
"It appears he (Bias) hit the four-wheeler one time and the guy (McCrae) one time," he stated.
Emergency Medical Services was notified, and McCrae was subsequently care-flighted to the Tyler hospital.
"We haven't been able to interview the victim," Franklin said, "but the men had no idea why he was down there.
"They have rules in place up there, so everyone will know where everyone else is," he added.
Franklin reminded hunters and others who handle firearms to exercise sound judgment before pulling the trigger.
"It's the same old story you always hear," Franklin said. "Never shoot at what you're not sure of."
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Copyright © 2003 Committee to Abolish Sport Hunting
