DALAT: A 49-year-old man has been remanded for five days to assist investigations into a fatal shooting of his friend during a hunting trip at a plantation in Mudan, Jalan Oya-Igan, here on Monday.
Dalat Police Chief, DSP Saga Chunggat, said the incident occurred when the suspect had mistaken the 57-year-old victim for a wild boar and fired a shot using a homemade rifle.
“A total of 13 individuals, including the suspect and victim, had gone hunting since 7:00 am.
“At around 5:15 pm, the suspect saw movement in the bushes and believed it to be a boar before pulling the trigger.
“When approaching the scene, the suspect was shocked to discover that the person hit by the shot was his hunting companion,” he said.
The group rushed the unconscious victim to Mukah police station, but he is believed to have died at the scene or en route.
His body has been sent to Mukah Hospital for a post-mortem.
Saga said police were informed of the incident at 7:52 pm, as the location fell under his jurisdiction.
“Initial investigations found that the suspect admitted to firing as he thought the figure in the bushes was a wild boar.
“The homemade rifle used in the incident has been seized for further investigation,” he said.
Both the suspect and victim were farmers from Kampung Telian, Mukah.
