STANWOOD — A duck hunter was rushed to a local hospital with a gunshot wound Wednesday after being hit by gunfire while he was on a boat off Warm Beach.
The 47-year-old man and his brother reported that they were several hundred yards offshore when they heard a loud explosion. A bullet pierced the boat’s hull. It struck a duck decoy and then hit the victim in the leg, Snohomish County sheriff’s spokeswoman Shari Ireton said.
Investigators suspect that the shooter used a high-powered rifle given the distance and direction the bullet traveled, she said. Detectives expect to know more once the bullet is recovered and examined.
The shooting happened about 5 p.m. There were no other reports of gunfire.
The victim’s leg injury wasn’t believed to be life-threatening. He was conscious and talking to paramedics before he was taken to a nearby hospital.
Detectives were expected to continue their investigation into the night. No suspects had been identified as of Wednesday evening. No other details about the incident were immediately available.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the sheriff’s tip line at 425-388-3845.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com.
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