A December hunting trip near Walterboro, South Carolina, ended in tragedy when 67-year-old William Heape Sr. was fatally shot on December 31, 2013. Heape was hunting deer with friends in wooded terrain off Mount Carmel Road, about a half-mile down a dirt road and another half-mile on foot into the woods. Emergency responders from Colleton County Fire-Rescue and the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched at approximately 12:30 p.m. and found Heape with a fatal gunshot wound.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources investigated and concluded the shooting was accidental. No arrests or charges were filed in connection with the death. The community and Heape’s family were left to mourn his unexpected loss.

If anyone was in the Mount Carmel Road hunting area that day or has information about the group involved, please share what is known.