Dog Fatally Shoots Owner in Freak Accident
In a series of press releases, the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office says Joseph Austin Smith, 30, of Witchita, died Saturday morning after his dog discharged the gun inside his pickup truck.
Reports indicate that the victim was sitting in the front passenger seat of his pickup truck on Saturday when his dog “stepped on a rifle” that was in the back seat of the vehicle.
The deadly accident occurred near 80th Street South and River Road, north of Geuda Springs, according to ABC affiliate KAKE.
The Sheriff’s department reports that the victim was sitting in the front passenger seat of his vehicle when the canine “stepped on the rifle,” which resulted in a bullet being fired, which was in the vehicle’s back seat.
Units responding to the 911 call arrived within minutes of the call being placed and began administering CPR, according to a statement from the Sheriff’s office. Consequently, the SCSO stated that the victim lost his life as a result of his injuries sustained during the incident.
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Since the beginning of the year in the United States, there have been 101 accidental shootings. According to the Gun Violence Archive, which monitors shootings across the country. The United States has recorded more than 2,400 gun deaths in 2023 so far, according to data collected.
