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Wayward Rifle Shot Lands Colorado Elk Hunter In Jail
A wayward rifle shot that endangered sleeping children landed a hunter in Colorado?s Routt County Jail last week.
Geoffrey Paul O?Leary, 53, was firing at an elk last Tuesday morning when one of his shots flew through the bedroom window of a North Routt residence.
Two children were sleeping in the room and awoke to the sound of breaking glass. They alerted their parents, who called police.
Officials from the Routt County Sheriff?s office and Colorado Division of Wildlife searched the area and found five empty shell casings about 300 yards from the house.
O?Leary, who lives in North Routt, admitted to shooting and killing the elk but was unaware he was putting anyone in danger.
The bedroom window was above a bed. The rifle shot sent glass flying over one of the children, but neither was injured.
O?Leary faces charges of reckless endangerment, as well as fines and the loss of his hunting privileges for shooting a bull elk. He was carrying a cow elk license.
He stands to lose his hunting privileges for a year and be fined up to $1,400. He was released from the Routt County Jail on a $2,000 bond.
A wayward rifle shot that endangered sleeping children landed a hunter in Colorado?s Routt County Jail last week.
Geoffrey Paul O?Leary, 53, was firing at an elk last Tuesday morning when one of his shots flew through the bedroom window of a North Routt residence.
Two children were sleeping in the room and awoke to the sound of breaking glass. They alerted their parents, who called police.
Officials from the Routt County Sheriff?s office and Colorado Division of Wildlife searched the area and found five empty shell casings about 300 yards from the house.
O?Leary, who lives in North Routt, admitted to shooting and killing the elk but was unaware he was putting anyone in danger.
The bedroom window was above a bed. The rifle shot sent glass flying over one of the children, but neither was injured.
O?Leary faces charges of reckless endangerment, as well as fines and the loss of his hunting privileges for shooting a bull elk. He was carrying a cow elk license.
He stands to lose his hunting privileges for a year and be fined up to $1,400. He was released from the Routt County Jail on a $2,000 bond.
