November 18, 2013
From NYDailyNews.com
Charles Bruce, 52, was on an annual hunting trip when the tragedy unfolded about 10:20 a.m. Saturday in rural Westford.
“Unfortunately, it was a high-powered rifle. He was dead before he hit the ground,” said Otsego County District Attorney John Muehl.
“Charlie had a bad back, so he went back to his room to rest. And when he came back out, one guy saw a tree move and fired,” said a close friend of the victim’s who asked to remain anonymous.
The shooter was an active Malverne firefighter who moved on to a nonfirefighting role with the Department and is “destroyed” over the incident, the friend said.
Charles Bruce was hit with gunfire after the shooter saw a tree move and thought it was a deer, a friend of the victim’s said.