BUNNELL, Fla. – A man was taken to a trauma center Sunday morning after he was shot by another man who thought he was “shooting at an animal” while hunting in a wooded area in Bunnell, according to police.
Police said they responded to the wooded area on Old Haw Creek Road around 7:46 a.m. after getting reports of a person who was shot. They said the caller indicated he thought he was shooting at an animal.
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When officers and deputies arrived, they found a man with gunshot wounds in the head and torso from what appeared to be birdshot.
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Police spoke with John Bennett Sr., who said he was turkey hunting and saw three female turkeys on the road. He also said he followed the female turkeys and then saw what appeared to be a male turkey. Bennett fired his shotgun at the male turkey but then realized the male turkey was a decoy, police said.
After firing his shotgun, Bennett said he heard someone shout they had been shot, so he called 911.
The man, whose name was not released, was airlifted to the trauma center at Halifax Health in Daytona Beach, according to police.
Police said Bennett showed remorse for the shooting and showed them where the incident happened.
Police located a shotgun shell, a stake to secure the decoy, and a turkey call striker.
This investigation is now being led by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).