SRU student succumbs to injuries sustained in accidental shooting
A memorial service will be held Wednesday for a Slippery Rock University student killed in a freak weekend hunting accident in Crawford County
Jacob S, Smith, 19, of Linesville was duck hunting with three friends near Conneaut Lake Park about 8:25 a.m. Saturday when he was wounded by his own gun, according to state police.
Investigators said the teen was wading through a marsh pulling a small skiff filled with hunting gear including his 12-gauge shotgun. The load shifted when a piece of the gear got caught on foilage.
“As Smith reached toward the gear and grabbed his shotgun,” police said, “(a) waterfowl shell was fired into his lower abdomen.”
Police said he succumbed to his wound while emergency crews removed him from the marsh using a specialized utility vehicle.
The cause of death was ruled a gunshot wound to the abdomen, according to the Crawford County Coroner's Office. The manner of death was listed as accidental.
Smith, a Greenville, Mercer County native, was a sophomore at SRU and was majoring in safety management. He would have celebrated his birthday next month.
SRU President William Behre, in an email to students, faculty and staff, extended the university's “sincerest condolences to (Smith's) family, friends and all those touched by this tragedy.”
The email also urged anyone with “troubling feelings” in wake of the death to contact the university's Health Center.
“If you or another student you know has been impacted by this event and needs someone to talk to, please contact the SRU Counseling Center at 724.738.2034 or Office of Student Support at 724.738.2121,” the email said.
The memorial service to celebrate Smith's life will he at noon Wednesday at the Linesville First Baptist Church with Rev. Jim Tubbs, retired Methodist minister, officiating.
The Royal-Coleman Funeral Home in Linesville is handing funeral arrangements.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission, which assisted at the scene, is handling the ongoing investigation Also assisting were volunteer firefighters from Summit Township and Conneaut Lake and ambulance services from Conneaut Lake and Meadville.
