Officers are yet to identify the victims
Taking aim at a bear, an Oregon local accidentally shot his brother dead instead of the large black bear approaching his home.
Josephine County Undersheriff Travis Snyder said that a 911 call was placed at around 7am, with the caller claiming to have “accidentally shot his brother while loading a gun.”
Deputies are said to have responded to the emergency call off Interstate five in the Sunny Valley community, where they found the body. Upon checking the estate, officers found a second body with a self-inflicted gun wound.
“Based upon the investigation, it is believed the caller took his own life after calling 911 to report the accidental shooting,” the sheriff’s office said.
Authorities have yet to identify the victims and a full investigation is underway.
Experts at artofmanliness.com told The Independent in 2015 that black bears are usually “shy and timid” compared to grizzly bears which tend to “attack to defend territory and cubs.” They added that black bears don’t usually attack to defend cubs.
However, they added that black bears are known to “bluff charge” to scare off predators. They explained: “A bear will run toward a person and then stop or veer away within a few feet.”
They added: “Being the target of a bluff charge can be a disconcerting experience, as the charging bear will be huffing and clacking its jaw or teeth while doing it.”
Black bears have killed 61 people across North America since 1900, reports the North American Bear Center.
Lynn Rogers, PhD, explained: “My chances of being killed by a domestic dog, bees, or lightning are vastly greater. My chances of being murdered are 60,000 times greater. One of the safest places a person can be is in the woods.”
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