OMG! A man in Kansas tragically died after a freak accident — his dog fatally shot him in the back while on a hunting trip. Officials say the freak hunting accident occurred over the weekend as 30 year old Joseph Austin Smith took his dog on a hunting trip.
Freak Accident In Kansas: Dog Fatally Shoots His Owner In The Back While On Hunting Trip
Smith, who is originally from Wichita, was killed in his car after his dog stepped on his rifle, causing the firearm to discharge and fire a round into his back.
Officials with the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office say the incident occurred around 9:40 a.m. on Saturday (January 21) in the 1600 block of 80th Street, in the north-northeast area of Geuda Springs.
The sheriff’s office said that upon arrival, they found the man sitting in the front passenger seat of his pickup truck, and was dressed in hunting gear. They started to administer CPR immediately, but he was shortly pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office, “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.”
The statement continued, “The investigation is ongoing, but the preliminary investigation shows it to be a hunting related accident.”
Elsewhere, it is reported, via data from the Gun Violence Archive, that there have been 101 unintentional shootings in the United States, since the beginning of 2023.
In 2022, there were more than 1,600 unintentional shootings reported. And so far in 2023 (just 24 days in), there have been more than 2,400 gun deaths recorded.
A GoFundMe has since been created for Smith, who tragically died in the freak accident in Kansas. At the time of publishing this article, the page raised $8,500 of a $20,000 goal. The page was put together by a man named Chris, of Browns Plumbing Services.
Chris says he’s crated the page on behalf of the Smith family, “in order to help with the funeral and memorial costs of our beloved employee, Joe Smith, who unexpectedly was taken from us over the weekend.”
Chris added, “Donations made here will go directly to the family to not only cover funeral costs but any other expenses that arise for the family in the coming months, and allow Joe’s family to grieve without the burden of financial stress.”
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Smith has been described as “the most unique individual” to ever meet. Chris adds, “He was loved by all of us from all walks of life and loved the same. He made us laugh every morning whether it was at him or because of him he always made sure to be a positive light at my company.”
He continued, “No matter how bad or stressful my or our day was, Joe always had something to lift our spirits. I have been a plumber for a long time and met many many different guys but never have I met another Joe and I am confident there may not be another.”
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