A soon-to-be groom fatally shot his best man by accident late last month after the pair of buddies were skunk hunting on an Arizona campground, according to authorities.
The shooter, who has not been identified, believed his weapon was empty when he pulled the trigger and fired a .22 caliber round into his buddy’s abdomen on July 26 at the United Christian Youth Camp in Prescott, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said.
The victim, identified as Peoria resident Jack Creed, 22, according to AZ Family, was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was stabilized at first. He succumbed to his injuries hours later after complications during a flight to a Phoenix hospital and following surgery, authorities said.
The sheriff’s office said the pair were “hunting skunks” in a secluded part of the campground before wrapping up around 10:30 p.m., the outlet reported.
The future groom pulled the charging handle back several times before he “thought” the gun was empty, the sheriff’s office said.
“During the initial investigation, Deputies learned the victim was going to be the shooter’s best man in his upcoming wedding,” the sheriff’s office said.
Preliminary probing indicates the shooter showed no signs of impairment or alcohol usage, authorities said.
The case is still under investigation, the law enforcement agency said last week.
