12-year-old shoots sibling through legs while elk hunting in Summit County

The Henry's Fork area of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Photo Courtesy: Wikipedia

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah, Oct. 19, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — A 20-year-old man is in stable condition after suffering a gunshot wound to both legs when he was shot accidentally by his 12-year-old brother during an elk hunting trip in Summit County Wednesday.

Lt. Andrew Wright, spokesman for Summit County Sheriff’s Office, told Gephardt Daily the incident happened at about 10 a.m. in the Henry’s Fork area of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.

Wright said the brothers were outside their vehicle when they saw an elk, and as they raised their rifles to shoot, the 12 year old accidentally pulled the trigger.

The bullet penetrated both of the man’s legs in the upper thigh area.

The victim was flown by air ambulance to an Ogden hospital. Wright said the man was going into shock, but as crew members worked on him, he was alert and talking, and is now listed in stable condition.

Wright said that because the victim was flown to the hospital before police arrived, deputies now will need to track down the brothers and any witnesses so they can be interviewed, but at this point it is looking like the incident was “a tragic accident.”

“It was an unfortunate incident and it’s one of those things where it’s easy to be critical but not necessarily understand exactly what happened,” Wright said. “I’m sure the younger brother was beside himself and I hope the family can heal from this incident.”

For more information about Utah’s Hunter Education program, click here. The Utah Hunter Education program helps hunters learn essential safety skills and develop practical techniques.

Completion of a basic hunter education course is required to obtain a hunting license in Utah if you were born after Dec. 31, 1965.

1 COMMENT

  1. I know it’s very easy to be critical of others. I’m sure this young man feels horrible about this. Hunting moments like the one that lead up to this accident can cause extreme excitement, adrenaline surges, and him being such a young man with very few experiences like the one that lead up to this is tragic event explains a lot. I don’t understand why you mentioned Hunters Education at the end of this piece. I think he needs more empathy and support, not implications of being uneducated. Just my humble opinion. You are normally spot on.

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