Groom-To-Be Fatally Shoots Best Man After Skunk Hunting At Christian Camp: Sheriff

A man staying at a Christian camp in Arizona fatally shot a Peoria resident who was set to be the best man at his upcoming wedding, local authorities announced Friday.

Jack Creed, 22, died shortly after the July 26 incident at United Christian Youth Camp in Prescott, with a camp spokesperson telling HuffPost on Tuesday that Creed had worked on staff there. The man who fired his weapon has not been named.

The shooting seemed to be accidental, according to a press release from the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators said that Creed and his friend had been “hunting skunks” in a secluded part of the campgrounds.

“After they were finished, and trying to make sure their weapons were clear, the shooter was pointing his weapon across at the victim and after pulling the charging handle back several times, the shooter ‘thought’ the weapon was empty and pulled the trigger firing a .22 caliber round into the abdomen of the victim,” the sheriff’s office wrote.

Creed was taken to an area hospital, where his condition was stabilized, but complications arose while he was being transported to a hospital in Phoenix. He died the morning of July 27 after surgery.

The shooting is still under investigation, and no charges have been filed, according to local media.

The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment. The Yavapai County Attorney’s Office declined to comment when reached by email.