On the morning of December 2, 2025, a tragic hunting excursion unfolded in the woods of Juniata County, Pennsylvania, involving 26-year-old Floyd Wengerd, a male member of the Amish community. The McAlisterville resident was participating in a hunt shortly after 8:00 a.m. when the quiet of the morning was shattered by the discharge of a firearm. During the event, Wengerd sustained a severe penetrating gunshot wound to his right hip, an injury that immediately precipitated a medical emergency in
the remote location.
Emergency responders worked to transport the wounded man to Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital for urgent care. Despite the extensive life-saving measures attempted by medical personnel upon his arrival, the trauma proved too great. Approximately four hours after the incident, at 12:14 p.m., Wengerd was pronounced dead. The subsequent investigation by Mifflin County Coroner Andrea L. Alcalde determined that the fatal injury had caused hypovolemic shock, a critical condition resulting from severe blood loss.
Authorities and the coroner’s office reviewed the circumstances surrounding the shooting to determine if criminal negligence or intent was involved. The official inquiry concluded that the gunshot was the result of a mishap involving a fellow hunter. Consequently, the death was ruled accidental, and law enforcement officials did not report any arrests, file charges, or name any suspects in connection with the fatality. The case was treated as a heartbreaking accident rather than a criminal homicide.
In the wake of the sudden loss, the community mourned the young father who left behind a wife and two young daughters. The final reports from the coroner closed the official narrative, attributing the premature end of his life to the inherent risks associated with the sport, leaving his family and the region to grapple with the sorrow of the unexpected tragedy.
