Oak Hill, FL – A 65-year-old Oak Hill man is dead in what deputies are calling an apparent hunting accident in the southeastern part of Volusia County.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office says a 911 call came in at 2:11 PM Wednesday directing deputies to an area west of I-95 and north of Maytown Road in Oak Hill.
The victim – Bruce R. Best – was apparently shot by a friend with a 12-gauge Browning shotgun after that friend mistook him for a deer and fired.
“The location is deep in a wooded, swampy area west of I-95 and north of Maytown Road,” VCSO spokesman Gary Davidson added. “The Sheriff’s Office’s Major Case Unit is continuing to investigate the death. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is assisting.”
A VCSO helicopter in the air helped deputies get to the scene around 30 minutes later, where they confirmed that the victim was dead, per Davidson.
Deputies also found a semi-automatic shotgun in the bushes near where Best was shot, according to the incident report.
The shooter has been identified as 56-year-old Leeshawn S. Sutton of Osteen. Charges are pending at this time.
Volusia County Jail records show Sutton was booked in April 2011 for hunting deer or turkey out of season.
Leeshawn S. Sutton (2011 mugshot courtesy VCJ)
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