Shooting blindly in to a bush = accident?

A man hunting with his grandson accidentally killed a U.S. Marine due to return to duty this week,after mistaking him for a bear in the Oregon wilderness, authorities said.

Christopher Ochoa, 20, of French Camp, Calif., died at the scene in western Oregon Friday night. He had been hiking with a friend through a field and was wearing dark clothes, according to The Associated Press. The pair were headed to Silver Creek Falls Park.

Gene Collier, who was hunting bear with his 12-year-old grandson saw movement in the brush and fired one shot from a .270-caliber rifle, striking Ochoa, the Marion County Sheriff's Office said. His pal was able to summon authorities and direct them to the scene. Although deputies administered first aid to Ochoa, who was alive when they arrived,he died at the scene.

Collier, 67, hasn't been charged and authorities said the shooting appeared to be accidental. Still, the case was handed over to the local district attorney's office.

A press release from the sheriff's office said Collier cooperated fully with authorities, and there was no indication that he was impaired by drugs or alcohol.

Ochoa's family in California told police he and Raymond Westrom, 53, of Lathrop, Calif., were in Salem, Oregon, to do work on a house. Ochoa was set to report back for duty on Oct. 25.

 

Dumb ! Know your target is the first thing you learn at hunters safety class !

 

Agreed... If you lack that piece of common sense you should not be allowed to hunt.

 

I blame Global warming.

 

And this is the number one reason it is required to take hunter's safety courses...

 

Messed up Very Sad to hear it.

If you don't know what your aiming at, how do you know it's even an ethical shot?

I think the guy should be charged. Hunters should fire blindly into the woods.

 

The exact reason why I am building a bag to carry my rattling horns around! Ya just never know what kind of idiots will be in the woods!

 

^^ditto

 

scary to think that he was teaching his 12 year old grandson how to hunt...

 

You don't need a hunter safety course to teach common sense that is ridiculous. There guys out there that do that I talked to guys before they said they took a couple sound shots while they were bow hunting in tree stands where I hunt. I asked them what that was and they told ne it was when u shoot at sounds in the bushes but nothing came of it. Wow I got the hell out of there and told the conservation officer don't know what happened after that. Needless to say I don't hunt on public labs anymore!!!!

 

While I'm sure the guy didn't mean to kill another person, I would label this as negligent... not a true accident.

 

Horrible Thing.

But a lesson to the younger crowd.....me and my gang use to go to the Game Management Check Station after the hunt to see what was being brought in....we learned to keep people away from the areas we wanted to hunt by telling people when asked if we saw anything..our patent answer was.."No but I got a couple of good bush shots in" Reduced the pressure on those areas remarkedly.

SB

 

Dude, that's dirty.

 

I'm no lawyer...but I think the guy should be charged with Criminally negligent manslaughter

Sounds more like a case of careless stupidity rather than an accident

 

Agreed. What a sad and extremely scary story. I hope they prosecute.

 

I say prosecute gramps! Honest mistake my ass. Way to be a role model to your 12 year old grandson.

 

X2

Agreed

 

I don't see how you can fire blindly or shoot anyone. I dont see how anyone can shoot anyone and that be considered an accident. Seriously? you point and pull the trigger and kill a man. wow you need to go to jail now end of story.

 

If stupidity is an accident.....oh nevermind. Another sign of the downturn of society and why some people just should procreate.

My prayers go out to the family who lost a loved one, and our country who lost a soldier.