January 28, 2012
By Keith E. Domke, eMissourian.com
SCHS Senior Recovering After Hunting Mishap
An 18-year-old St. Clair High School senior is recovering after authorities said he was accidentally shot in the foot while he and two others were hunting. The incident occurred at about 8:30 p.m. on Thursday near the Meramec River’s River Round access point northeast of St. Clair off of Old Cove Road.
According to Missouri Conservation Department St. Louis District Supervisor Dennis Twyman, the victim – whom his mother, Gina, identified at the scene as Tyler Sumner – was shot in the top of his right foot while he and two 17-year-old friends were coon hunting.
His injury was not considered to be serious.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the victim’s identity through a Friday morning press release
“One of the 17-year-olds was attempting to shoot a coon on the ground,”
Twyman said. “The victim had his foot on it and told them to shoot it as soon as he moved his foot. Somehow in that process he got shot in the top of the foot.
“We’re still unclear on exactly how it happened, but that’s the basic story.”
Twyman did confirm the shooting was accidental and that a .22-caliber rifle was used.
The sheriff’s office information stated that it was determined three males were coon hunting in the area. During the hunt, one of the teens wounded a raccoon. A second subject was holding the animal down with his foot to prevent it from getting away.
“The plan was for the subject to remove his foot, and the other subject was to shoot the animal,” the press release stated. “When the victim moved his foot, the animal attempted to flee. The victim attempted to put his foot back on the animal, at which time the other subject fired at the animal, striking the victim in the foot.”
Neither Twyman nor the sheriff’s office released the names of the two 17-year-olds. Twyman said he could not because the investigation into the incident was continuing.
But a friend waiting at the scene told The Missourian that the other two boys hunting with Sumner were SCHS junior Ricky Grivetti and senior Dakota Bush. St. Clair High School confirmed they were students there.
Neither Twyman nor the sheriff’s office revealed which one may have accidentally shot Sumner.