IWATE (TR) – A man died after a rifle discharged from the back of a truck and struck him during a deer hunt in Takizawa City, police said on Saturday.
Katsu Sugawara, 37, a veterinarian, was sitting in the truck when his back was struck by a bullet from the rifle placed by his 64-year-old male companion, Nippon News Network reports (Nov. 19).
Sugawara’s companion will be questioned for possibly violating the Swords and Firearms Control Law and professional negligence resulting in death, TV Asahi reported.
Under the firearms law, bullets must be removed from guns when setting them down. The rifle was loaded when it was placed in the back of the truck, police said.
Hunting season was opened in Iwate Prefecture on Tuesday.
