A hunter found dead in his car with a gunshot wound had been shot by his own dog, according to police. The unnamed 32-year-old was killed while sitting on a rural road in the passenger seat of his stationary pickup truck. Hunting gear and a rifle were found on the back seat where his dog was resting.
Investigators say CPR was performed after the man was discovered on Saturday morning in Geuda Springs, a hamlet in Kansas, US.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, with 9.40am the estimated time of death.
“A canine belonging to the owner of the pickup stepped on the rifle causing the weapon to discharge,” the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
“The fired round struck the passenger who died of his injuries on scene.”
Tributes online include family friend of 20 years, Jimmy White, who also hit out at comments mocking his death and questioning his gun safety measures.
“To all the comedians and weapons experts here: This boy was my friend, having been best friends for over 20+ years with his dad,” Mr White wrote.
“These comments are hateful. I know this family very well and cannot tell you how much their hearts hurt right now. Shame on you.”
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In November, another 32-year-old man was killed while on a hunting trip – this time in Turkey.
Ozgur Gevrekoglu died after his dog’s paw touched a loaded rifle as he loaded him into a car.
Gevrekoglu was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
He had been hunting in Samsun Province, connected to the Black Sea coastline.
