Hunter accidentally killed his friend when his gun discharged as he put it in the back of his truck
- Stephen James Foley, 48, of Carson City, Nevada, died from a gunshot wound inflicted by a friend
- Foley and three friends were on an elk hunting excursion when the incident occurred 20 miles south of Jackpot, Nevada, on Friday
- Chad Zenor, 49, dropped the magazine of a hunting rifle but forgot to clear the chamber before setting the gun into a vehicle
- As the gun was being set down it discharged a bullet, which went through a car door and hit Foley in the chest
A hunter in Nevada accidentally killed his friend when a gun he was packing into a car fired, authorities said.
Stephen James Foley, 48, of Carson City, died on Friday from a gunshot wound inflicted by a friend at about 3pm after finishing a five-mile hike 20 miles south of Jackpot, according to Elko County Undersheriff Clair Morris.
Four friends on an elk-hunting excursion were putting their gear in a vehicle to head back to camp when one of the men - 49-year-old Chad Zenor - dropped the magazine of a Browning 30-06 hunting rifle.
Stephen James Foley, 48 (right in a Facebook photo) died on Friday when a friend's gun accidentally discharged and a bullet struck him in the chest
Morris said Zenor 'failed to clear the chamber', and when the gun was being put down the back of the truck, the rifle discharged a round, went through a door and hit Foley in the chest.
HUNTING SAFETY GUN RULES
1) Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction at all times.
2) Treat every gun as if it is loaded.
3) Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
4) Be sure of your target.
Morris says the hunting party tried to give Foley first aid after calling for help, but he succumbed to his injuries.
Deputies arrived about 20 minutes after the 911 call.
'The cell service in that part of the county is very poor to say the least,' Morris told the Elko Daily Free Press. 'It would be very difficult to survive something like that.'
Detectives have ruled the shooting an accident.
'It certainly wasn't intentional,' Morris said. 'Unfortunately, it's one of those accidents.'