A Louisiana man who was hunting in Franklin County but wasn’t wearing his protective gear was accidentally shot and killed by a fellow hunter on Friday morning.
Rick Kennedy, 63, of Vidalia, died after being shot with a .35 Whelen rifle fired by Danny Richards, 52, of Natchez at approximately 7:30 Friday.
The incident occurred at a hunting club in the northwest corner of Franklin County off Highway 33 North and near Hamburg Road.
Franklin County Sheriff James Newman said Saturday that both men belong to the same hunting club, but they were hunting separately. Neither one apparently realized the other was in the area, according to authorities.
Richards told investigators he was on a hunting stand when he heard a rustling nearby. Richards said he fired his rifle into the brush, aiming at what he believed to be a deer.
The shot struck Kennedy in the back. Newman said Kennedy died at the scene.
Investigators found protective orange hunting gear on the hunting stand Kennedy was using.
Sheriff’s investigator David Blackwell told the Natchez Democrat that Kennedy had been wearing the vest but apparently had taken it off and walked from his stand down toward a creek a short distance away.
Newman said the evidence suggests the shooting was an accident. There is no indication of foul play.
“This is a tragic accident for many people,” Newman said. “We see a lot of hunters in our county this time of the year. We can’t over-emphasize safety.”
