Dog Kills Kansas Man in Fatal Shooting Accident, Police Say

A Kansas man is dead after being shot in an incident police claim was the result of a dog stepping on a gun.

Per a regional report from KSN-TV citing information provided by the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office, the fatal shooting in question occurred in the morning hours on Monday, although initially available details on the incident remained relatively scarce at the time of this writing.

What’s known, according to police, is that the unidentified man was sitting in the front passenger seat of a truck at the time of the shooting. A rifle and other pieces of hunting-related gear were in the backseat, though it hasn’t yet been publicly confirmed whether anyone else was inside the vehicle.

At some point, a dog authorities say belonged to the owner of the vehicle (although it’s not clear if the man in the passenger seat is the owner or if this is in reference to a separate individual) “stepped on the rifle,” which caused the weapon to discharge, striking the man in the front of the truck. The man is reported to have been shot in the back, with emergency personnel arriving at the scene of the shooting shortly after, at which point lifesaving efforts were initiated. However, these proved unsuccessful and the man ultimately died.

Complex has reached out to the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, and the Wellington Fire Department for comment on the fatal shooting. This story may be updated with additional details.