Elyria native dies in hunting accident in Delaware County, reports say
Cliff Pinckard, cleveland.com
DELAWARE, Ohio — A 28-year-old Elyria native died in a hunting accident earlier this month when he was accidentally shot by his father, according to reports.
A spokeswoman for the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department tells the Columbus Dispatch that Andrew “A.J.” Smith was hunting with his father and a group of friends on Dec. 2 in Delaware County. All were experienced hunters, the spokeswoman said. Smith’s father reportedly mistook his son for a deer.
The shooting occurred at about 5:45 p.m. in a wooded area, WBNS Channel 10 reports. The sheriff’s office tells WBNS that Smith was not wearing orange hunting clothing. State regulations require hunters to wear orange clothing 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset, WBNS reports.