Kansas man shot dead by his own dog in hunting accident
A HUNTER has been shot dead by his own dog after it accidentally stepped on the trigger of his rifle.
Joseph Smith, 30, who worked as a plumber, was in the front passenger seat of his truck in Geuda Springs, Kansas, near the Oklahoma border on Saturday. His dog was in the back with his hunting gear, including a rifle.
Sumner County Sheriff ’s Office said: “A canine belonging to the owner of the pickup stepped on the rifle causing the weapon to discharge.
“The fired round struck the passenger who died of his injuries on scene.”
Responding police deputies carried out CPR, but Mr Smith was pronounced dead, authorities said.
A Gofundme page was started on behalf of Mr Smith’s family to help with funeral and memorial costs. Jimmy White, a friend of Mr Smith’s from Wichita, defended Mr Smith from those mocking the accident’s circumstances, writing online: “To all the comedians and weapons experts here: This boy was my friend, having been best friends for over 20-plus years with his dad. These comments are hateful.”
Pictures on Mr Smith’s Facebook page showed him with a brown, midsize dog, thought to be an American pit bull terrier.
Shootings of owners by their pets are rare, but not unheard of. In November, a 32-year-old man in Turkey was reportedly shot and killed by his dog after the canine stepped on the trigger of a shotgun and it fired at him.
Many people across the US have been injured or fatally shot by canines discharging firearms in recent years, intensifying calls for better gun control and safety measures.