Hunter Accused of Fatally Shooting Man Who He Thought Was a Deer
A 38-year-old man faces a manslaughter charge after he allegedly shot and killed a man just south of Red Lake Nation while hunting in 2020.
It was around 7:15 p.m. on Nov. 25, 2020, when the man called law enforcement, stating he accidentally shot and killed another hunter who he thought was a deer, according to the criminal complaint.
The man explained that he was approximately 200 yards west of the person he believed was a deer when he fired a single shot from his hunting rifle. Upon walking up to the scene, he realized he had killed another hunter.
According to the complaint, the man and the victim, identified as Lukas Dudley, were separately participating in the Red Lake firearms deer season. Both men were members of Red Lake Nation.
Court documents indicate that Dudley was not wearing blaze orange clothing but instead was dressed in brown camouflage.
The 38-year-old man fully cooperated with investigators and expressed "extreme remorse," the complaint states.
The maximum sentence for a second-degree manslaughter charge is 10 years.
Red Lake Nation spans much of the area surrounding the western half of Upper Red Lake and all of Lower Red Lake in northwestern Minnesota.