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WALES — A local hunter and another who shot and killed him Tuesday were shooting at the same deer, state investigators said Wednesday.
The Maine Warden Service said Gerard Parent, 49, of East Road was shot by Christopher Austin, 41, of Andrews Road.
“During the course of the incident, both men fired at what is believed to be the same deer,” according to a statement issued by Maine Warden Service Cpl. John MacDonald.
The men were hunting in an area between East Road and Route 126. Both men were hunting with rifles and a preliminary investigation revealed that Austin fired two shots and Parent one, MacDonald said. Early indications are that Austin’s second shot struck Parent, killing him, he said.
The incident was reported at 4:19 p.m. Tuesday and nearly two dozen game wardens and 10 troopers from the Maine State Police responded to the scene.
The state’s investigation of the incident, in cooperation with the Attorney General’s Office and the Medical Examiner’s Office, remains ongoing, MacDonald said.
An autopsy by the state Medical Examiner’s Office was scheduled for Wednesday.
State police and wardens were supported by Wales and Monmouth fire and rescue volunteers.
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