Idaho Man Struck In Neck By Stray Bullet In Home Survives

A north Idaho man has received medical treatment after being struck in the neck by a stray bullet fired by an unknown person while on the phone in his home. The bullet is thought to have come from a hunter's riffle.

Carl Hunter, of Bonner's Ferry, is recovering from an incident that nearly cost him his life recently. October 30, 2019, he was in the middle of a phone conversation when he heard the sound of breaking glass and felt an instant pain in his neck, according to details shared by krem.com. He immediately realized what had happened, and went to seek medical care.

Bonner's Ferry is located in the northern most portion of Idaho, just 27 miles south of the Canadian border. The bullet broke through the glass of a bay window and grazed Hunter near his Adam's Apple. The bullet left a two to three inch scar on his neck.

According to U.S. data shared by the International Hunter Education Association, stray bullets fired by hunters kill less than 70 people a year, and just 12% of national firearm fatalities result from hunters. In North America, it's estimated that less than 1,000 people are struck by stray bullets fired by hunters annually.

Since 2011 In the U.S., approximately 13 million people have used firearms for hunting purposes. When comparing U.S.households between 1977 and 2014, hunting, as a hobby, has seen a 16% decrease in adults taking part.

Bonner's Ferry is located in a region of Idaho that is known to have a large population of Grizzly Bears, and is a popular hunting area for deer, elk and moose as well.