Separate hunting accidents that occurred in Mississippi and Texas over the weekend claimed the lives of two boys, ages 11 and 15 — with the younger one being shot in the head by his 12-year-old sister as she was aiming at a rabbit, authorities said.
The two siblings in Mississippi were hunting rabbits with their 19-year-old stepbrother near their grandmother’s house on Alex Knight Road in Jones County Saturday night when tragedy struck, reported The Laurel Leader-Call.
The 11-year-old had knelt down and handed his sister a .22 caliber rifle so she could take a shot at a rabbit, but he abruptly stood up as the girl pulled the trigger, firing a round into her brother’s head, according to the Jones County Sheriff’s Office.
The boy was taken to Forrest General Hospital in critical condition and was later transferred to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, where he died from his injuries.
“Right now, our investigation is sadly ongoing,” Col. Jerry Carter, chief of law enforcement with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, told The Clarion Ledger. “We just found out, sadly, the young man passed away.”
“It was a young lady that shot her brother,” Carter added.
Officer Lance Chancellor, with the sheriff’s office, described the deadly shooting as a tragic situation that took a toll on everyone involved — but he said the 11-year-old victim was an organ donor who may help save lives.
“Out of this horrible tragedy, some child or children somewhere around the country will receive organ donations that could be the gift of life,” Chancellor said.
On Sunday morning near Presidio, Texas, a 15-year-old boy was getting ready to go on an annual family hunting trip when he suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest, in what the Presidio County Sheriff’s office called an “accident,” reported the station KMID.
The teen was preparing rifles around 10:30 am in a popular hunting area off West Highway 67 when he was shot, officials said. No further details about the shooting were available.
Relatives immediately loaded the wounded boy into a car and rushed him to Marfa, Texas, with a sheriff’s escort, where they were met by an ambulance that took him to a hospital in Alpine.
Despite doctors’ live-saving measures, the 15-year-old died.
He was subsequently identified by Grandfalls-Royalty Independent School District as Payton Pesina, who was touted as a “beloved” student.
“His warmth, kindness, and bright spirit touched the lives of many in our community,” district officials wrote in a Facebook post. “It’s a loss deeply felt by all who knew him. Our thoughts and prayers are with Payton Pesina’s family and friends during this difficult time. We will always cherish the memories we shared, and the impact Payton had on all of us. Rest in peace, our Cowboy.”
