Two Mississippi hunters killed in separate incidents
Published 7:27 pm Saturday, December 30, 2023
- Graphic/Ocean Springs High School. A photo of the other victim was not available from the Smith County Sheriff's Office.
Two Mississippi hunters were confirmed killed in two separate incidents Friday.
According to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Hayden Bonta, 17, was declared deceased after deputies and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks responded to the rural area.
“OSSD is saddened to share that Hayden Bonta, a student at OSHS, passed away yesterday at the young age of 17,” a statement from Ocean Springs High School reads. “Hayden was a sweet young gentleman with a sense of humor and a love for nature.”
Although officers assume the shooting was accidental, the incident is still under investigation.
“Please keep Hayden’s family and friends in your thoughts as they grieve the loss of a son, brother, friend, and student,” the statement continues.
Details in the other hunting death were very limited as provided by the Smith County Sheriff’s Department.
According to a statement, the department received a 9-1-1 call about 5:30 p.m. Friday about a hunting accident on Forestry Service Road 516. Officers and medical responders arrived at the scene and found a male subject with a gunshot wound while hunting. The department did not release the age of the male victim.
“Unfortunately, moments later, he succumbed to his injuries,” a statement from the Smith County Sheriff’s Officer reads. “Out of respect for the family, no names will be released at this time.”
The incident remains under investigation.