Hunter who accidentally shot himself now recovering at home

ORANGE, Mass. — An Orange man is recovering at home after accidentally shooting himself last year while hunting.

Hunter Richardson was with his father, brother, and cousin when he used the butt of his gun to check how thick the ice was on a frozen river and it fired.

“A couple times of tapping it, the gun discharged into my chest. After it went off I said ‘thank God it missed me,’ then I looked down and I was like ‘oh damn I was shot,” 18-year-old Richardson said.

Richardson’s father, a Marine with medical experience, and his cousin were able to stabilize Richardson until paramedics arrived.

Six weeks later, Richardson has nearly 30 staples in his chest and is breathing on his own.

“Everybody makes mistakes, for me this is a learning experience. To all the haters out there, no one is perfect,” he said.

Richardson said he can’t wait to go back to college and start playing sports again, but for now he’s at home recovering with his family.

Cox Media Group