Father, Daughter Killed In Hunting Accident In South Carolina

A father and his young daughter in South Carolina were shot and killed by another hunter who apparently mistook the pair for deer, police said.

The shooting occurred around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday as Kim Dawdry, 30, and his daughter Lauren, 9, were out deer hunting near Walterboro, South Carolina. Dawdry and his daughter were part of a four person hunting party when the group split up to try and drive deer into shooting range. One of the other hunters reportedly mistook Dawdry and Lauren for a deer and fired multiple shots, wounding both.

Police have not released the names of the other hunters.

Dawdry and his daughter were rushed to a nearby hospital and declared dead shortly after arriving.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources issued a statement on the incident on Twitter. It also began an investigation alongside local police.

“When I got the message, I just couldn’t believe it. My heart stopped when they told me it was my brother and his daughter,” Dawdry’s brother, Benny Dawdry, told reporters. “You know, it was terrible. He was a real outdoorsman. He loved the outdoors like we all do. He loved to hunt and stuff.”

An autopsy has reportedly been completed by the Colleton County Coroner, but the results were released immediately to the public.