On January 20, 2024, Maurizio Gabriel Justiniano Dadin, a 19-year-old Hispanic male, died from a gunshot wound during a duck-hunting outing along the North Platte River northwest of Torrington, Wyoming, on the Rawhide Wildlife Management Area. First responders were dispatched at about 2:30 p.m.; despite resuscitation efforts, 19-year-old Maurizio Gaberiel Justiniano Dadin was pronounced dead at the scene.
A joint statement from the Goshen County Sheriff's Office and Coroner initially classified the death as accidental.
Investigators determined 19-year-old Maurizio Gabriel Justiniano Dadin was one of three people hunting from a driftwood blind on the riverbank when another hunter's shotgun misfired. That hunter set the firearm down, briefly used a companion's 20-gauge, and then returned to inspect his own gun; it discharged, striking 19-year-old Maurizio Gabriel Justiniano Dadin in the left abdomen. Case documents state the third hunter confirmed his sequence of events and that 19-year-old Maurizio Gabriel Justinaiano Dadin was not licensed to hunt and had joined to learn about waterfowling.
Following the investigation, authorities identified the shooter as Gaige Zook. In April 2024, an arrest warrant was issued, and by early June the case had been bound over to Goshen County District Court, where Zook—then 20—was charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter alleging he “involuntarily but recklessly” caused the death of 19-year-old Maurizio Gabriel Justiniano Dadin. The charge carried a potential sentence of up to 20 years; Zook was released on bond while the case proceeded.
Pretrial litigation in late 2024 focused on whether the shooting could legally constitute “reckless” conduct. In November 2024, the district judge denied Zook's motion to dismiss, ruling that the question of recklessness should be decided by a jury. The court record also clarified a naming issue in early filings: although some documents referred to the victim as “Maurizio Justiniano,” the correct surname is Dadin; the full name appears publicly as Maurizio Gabriel Justiniano Dadin.
In January 2025, Zook pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, and in April 2025 he was sentenced to three years of supervised probation under a deferred adjudication agreement, ordered to pay court costs, fines, and $3,420 in restitution for cremation expenses, and allowed to appeal the earlier denial of his dismissal motion. Under the deferral, if Zook successfully completes probation, the case will not result in a felony conviction; if he fails, the court can enter conviction and impose prison time. No other arrests were announced in connection with the death of 19-year-old Maurizio Gabriel Justiniano Dadin.
