If there was any saving grace to the shooters in this story (there isn’t), it would be the fact that the incident took place under the cover of night. While there is no situation in which we would make excuses for not properly identifying your subject when shooting, in a recent case in Indiana, a case of mistaken identity has left two hunters injured.
The details regarding the incident seem to be pretty few and far between, but from what we gather, the injured hunters, Joseph Bell and Alan Stockman, were hunting coyotes on their property when shots rang out in the darkness.
In the middle of calling in coyotes, it was reported that a nearby landowner heard the calls in the darkness and took to sending a few shots their way. Those shots landed and sent both Bell and Stockman to nearby hospitals.
Stockman was transported by ambulance to Decatur County Hospital in nearby Greensburg, while Bell’s injuries were more severe in nature. Bell was picked up in a chopper and dropped in Indianapolis for treatment where the pair were both reported to be in stable condition.
The season for hunting coyotes had closed earlier in the year in March, but Indiana law allows landowners to kill coyotes on their property throughout the year using calls and other devices as they so choose.
The investigation remains ongoing according to the Rush County Sheriff’s Department and a report has been filed with the Prosecutor for review of possible criminal charges.
Image: Joseph Bell and Alan Stockman - bell_precision_rifles/Instagram
