Boy, 11, shot and killed by stepfather during deer hunt in St. Clair County

CLAY TWP, Mich. (FOX 2) - An 11-year-old boy has died after he was shot by his stepfather while hunting deer on private property in Clay Township in St. Clair County.

The Clay Township Police Department said the shooting happened around 8 p.m. in the 6300 block of Benoit Road Sunday.

Clay Township Police said the 11-year-old was with his family in the woods, hunting for deer, when witnesses heard gunshots and saw the boy on the ground.

"They had went out into the woods earlier, they were hunting, they had shot a deer and then they went back with other people to try to track the deer. In doing so, some shots were fired and the 11 year old was struck," said Clay Twp. Police Chief Michael Koach.

The child had been hit by a round that was discharged by his 40-year-old stepfather.

According to police, the boy was being treated by family members when police arrived and CPR was being performed. While they were there, police said another gunshot went off.

Police said the child's mother had shot herself in the hand as she was trying to unload a gun and it mistakenly went off.

The boy was taken to McLaren Hospital Macomb where he was later pronounced dead.

His stepfather is currently in custody and the case is being reviewed by the St. Clair County Prosecutor's Office.

This past weekend was Michigan's Liberty Hunt, open specifically for minors and hunters with disabilities. 

"This last weekend was the youth hunt through out Michigan," said Koach. "Allows the kids to get out there and get into the woods before any of the pressure starts by bow season starting up on October 1st," 

The boy is the second hunting-related death in eastern Michigan. On Saturday, a 14-year-old boy was killed when he apparently fell asleep in a cornfield and was run over by a harvester.