Man preparing to shoot bear found dead after accidentally killing brother, Oregon cops say

An Oregon man called 911 to report he’d accidentally shot his brother while loading a firearm to deal with a bear on their property, authorities said.

Deputies responding to the 7 a.m. call Tuesday, Feb. 8, arrived to find the man ”dead with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

His brother’s body also was found in the Sunny Valley home, officials said.

Oregon State Police are assisting in the investigation, which will be forwarded to the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office, the release said.

Oregon is home to 25,000 to 50,000 black bears, according to the Josephine County Parks Department.

This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 12:16 PM with the headline "Man preparing to shoot bear found dead after accidentally killing brother, Oregon cops say."