A three-year-old boy shot and wounded a man and his son after mistaking them for a turkey at a Youth Turkey Hunt in Wisconsin.
The toddler was being mentored by his 34-year-old parent who aided the three-year-old in shooting the 12-gauge semiautomatic shotgun.
The two spotted motion in the woods that they mistook for a wild turkey, according to the Department of Natural Resources report.
However, a 40-year-old man and his seven-year-old child were actually in the brush 35 yards away from the shooters and were struck by pellets in the back, hands and head.
The shooting occurred Sunday, April 12, the last day of the hunt at the Honey Creek Wildlife Area near Burlington, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
Wisconsin law allows for children of any age to hunt without completing a hunting education course so long as they are accompanied by a mentor who stays within arm’s reach.
The man and his child were hospitalized.
The adult was released the same day, but his child required an extended stay due to injuries sustained to their head, and wasn’t released for at least two days, according to the DNR report, which did not identify any of the people involved.
The incident is still being investigated, and officials are trying to determine who actually pulled the trigger, per the report.
Possible charges could be filed once the investigation is concluded and turned over to a district attorney, Department of Natural Resources hunter education Renee Thok said.
At three years old, the child is the youngest person to ever be involved in a Wisconsin hunting accident, the report stated.
The Wisconsin Youth Turkey Hunt is takes place on the weekend before the state’s official turkey hunting season begins. Hunters 16 and younger are eligible to participate.
This is the third hunting-related shooting incident this year.
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