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PA Hunter Shot Neighbor In Head Instead Of Deer: Police

A 40-year-old Pennsylvania hunter has been arrested for accidentally shooting a man on his own lawn instead of the deer he was targeting, authorities said.

White tailed deer

White tailed deer

Photo Credit: avia5 Pixabay

Police arriving at the scene at Lenape Lane in College Township on Dec. 4, 2021, found Michael Lloyd, of Boalsburg, tending to the elderly victim according to State College police.

The victim, only identified as an 81-year-old man, was airlifted to UPMC Altoona, where he had a piece of his skull removed due to a hole from the bullet, approximately 1 to 2 inches long and half-inch wide, police said in a criminal complaint obtained by StateCollege.com. 

Lloyd fired two shots from a .45mm semiautomatic pistol at a deer on a hill across the road or about 10 to 15 yards up the driveway, the outlet reports citing the complaint.

Lloyd supposedly had been driving his truck at the bottom of his neighbor’s driveway when he spotted the deer, hopped out and fired, WJAC reports citing the same criminal complaint.

Lloyd got back in his car, went home, and surveyed his neighbor's land for the deer -- only to find his neighbor laying on the ground, the outlet reports citing investigators.

Photos posted to Lloyd's Facebook page show deer taxidermy hanging in his home.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission helped investigate this case and noted that it was hard to see the area where the man was from where Lloyd fired, claiming there was heavy brush in the area, according to the report by WJAC.

Lloyd was charged with the following on Jan. 28, according to his court docket:

  • M2 Recklessly Endangering Another Person
  • M2 Shoot At Kill Injuring A Human Hunting
  • S2 Taking/Possession Of Game Or Wildlife
  • S3 Use Vehicle Conveyance Propelled By Other Than Military Personnel
  • S4 Unlawful Presence Of A Loaded Firearm Vehicle
  • S4 Unlawful Shooting On Or Across Highway
  • S5 Use Semi Automatic Rifle or Pistol
  • M2 Propulsion Of Missiles Onto Roadways

His preliminary hearing has been scheduled with Magisterial District Judge Gregory M. Koehle on Mar. 2 at 8:30 a.m., according to the docket.

The victim's last status update was that he was in stable condition, according to a release by the police.

Click here to read more from StateCollege.com and here to read more from WJAC.

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