BearHunter
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Andrew Bird
The Times-Standard
KLAMATH -- The principal and counselor of Margaret Keating School are the targets of an investigation into the shooting of an elk near the campus earlier this month, a California Department of Fish and Game warden said.
Richard England, the school's counselor, allegedly shot and killed an elk on March 1, DFG warden Paul Weldon said on Friday.
Weldon said the spot where England allegedly shot the elk was close enough to the campus to qualify as a violation of California's "Gun-Free School Zone Act," which prohibits the firing of a gun within 1,000 feet of a school.
Weldon said he has been investigating the incident for three weeks and has determined that England allegedly shot the elk between 10 and 11 p.m.
The game warden also said he has determined that Jim McQuillan, the school's principal, was present when the elk was shot and allegedly helped England move the carcass.
McQuillan, contacted at the school on Friday afternoon, denied any involvement in the incident.
"I don't know anything about it," McQuillan said Friday. "There were a couple of tribal hunters."
McQuillan then told a reporter he did not want to discuss the matter further.
England did not return a message left on his voicemail.
Weldon said he is wrapping up his investigation and plans to turn it over to the Del Norte District Attorney's Office next week.
Yurok tribal police called DFG to investigate the elk shooting after one of its officers, Joe Pitt, found the "gut pile," the entrails from the slaughtered animal, at the entrance of the school, Weldon said.
Margaret Keating is a public school in the Del Norte County Unified School District that sits on Yurok tribal land on Minot Creek Road.
Weldon said that two days after the elk was shot he followed "drag marks" from the gut pile through a field next to the school to a spot just northwest of the campus grounds, where he determined the animal was killed.
Weldon said England has admitted to shooting the elk.
The warden said he determined from witness interviews that McQuillan was also allegedly at the scene of the shooting, but that the school principal has not cooperated in the investigation.
England is a member of the Yurok Tribe who has the legal right to hunt elk on tribal land, said Weldon and Yurok tribal police Chief Mike Ross.
But California law also applies on tribal land, Ross and Weldon said.
England allegedly violated another law that prohibits hunting on private land without permission from the owner, Weldon said.
Del Norte County Unified School District Superintendent Frank Lynch said on Friday, "we are aware of the alleged event" but that he could not comment on it until the investigation is complete.
Del Norte County District Attorney Mike Riese was not available for comment Friday.
The Times-Standard
KLAMATH -- The principal and counselor of Margaret Keating School are the targets of an investigation into the shooting of an elk near the campus earlier this month, a California Department of Fish and Game warden said.
Richard England, the school's counselor, allegedly shot and killed an elk on March 1, DFG warden Paul Weldon said on Friday.
Weldon said the spot where England allegedly shot the elk was close enough to the campus to qualify as a violation of California's "Gun-Free School Zone Act," which prohibits the firing of a gun within 1,000 feet of a school.
Weldon said he has been investigating the incident for three weeks and has determined that England allegedly shot the elk between 10 and 11 p.m.
The game warden also said he has determined that Jim McQuillan, the school's principal, was present when the elk was shot and allegedly helped England move the carcass.
McQuillan, contacted at the school on Friday afternoon, denied any involvement in the incident.
"I don't know anything about it," McQuillan said Friday. "There were a couple of tribal hunters."
McQuillan then told a reporter he did not want to discuss the matter further.
England did not return a message left on his voicemail.
Weldon said he is wrapping up his investigation and plans to turn it over to the Del Norte District Attorney's Office next week.
Yurok tribal police called DFG to investigate the elk shooting after one of its officers, Joe Pitt, found the "gut pile," the entrails from the slaughtered animal, at the entrance of the school, Weldon said.
Margaret Keating is a public school in the Del Norte County Unified School District that sits on Yurok tribal land on Minot Creek Road.
Weldon said that two days after the elk was shot he followed "drag marks" from the gut pile through a field next to the school to a spot just northwest of the campus grounds, where he determined the animal was killed.
Weldon said England has admitted to shooting the elk.
The warden said he determined from witness interviews that McQuillan was also allegedly at the scene of the shooting, but that the school principal has not cooperated in the investigation.
England is a member of the Yurok Tribe who has the legal right to hunt elk on tribal land, said Weldon and Yurok tribal police Chief Mike Ross.
But California law also applies on tribal land, Ross and Weldon said.
England allegedly violated another law that prohibits hunting on private land without permission from the owner, Weldon said.
Del Norte County Unified School District Superintendent Frank Lynch said on Friday, "we are aware of the alleged event" but that he could not comment on it until the investigation is complete.
Del Norte County District Attorney Mike Riese was not available for comment Friday.
