December 15, 2014
From WANI1400.com
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office received a call Sunday reporting a hunter was unresponsive in the Salem community. A friend of the victim identified him as 54 year old John E. Hopper. Evidence at the scene indicates that Hopper fell from the tree stand which was at an approximate height of 25 feet.
Later in the day the sheriff’s office received a call of an accidental shooting in the Smiths Station area. A 12 year old was squirrel hunting with his .22 rifle when he rested the muzzle of the gun on his boot. He did not realize the weapon safety was disengaged and he pulled the trigger sending a bullet into his foot.