On a crisp autumn morning, a hunting trip near Colfax, Washington, turned to tragedy for a group of friends. On October 10, 2015, Nicholas Nava-Farias, a 31-year-old Hispanic male from Kennewick, was with his hunting party in a remote area about four miles east of the city. At approximately 7:50 a.m., a call was made to 911 to report that a member of the group had been accidentally shot.
The shot came from a muzzleloader rifle, fired by another member of Nava-Farias's own hunting party. It is believed that he was struck by a single round in what authorities have described as a hunting accident. While waiting for emergency services to navigate the rugged terrain and locate them, the other hunters, guided by dispatchers, performed CPR on their friend in a desperate attempt to save his life.
Despite their efforts and the arrival of deputies from the Whitman County Sheriff's Office and local emergency crews, Nicholas Nava-Farias was pronounced dead at the scene. The investigation into the fatal incident was taken over by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, which is standard procedure for hunting accidents. There have been no reports of any arrests or suspects in connection with the shooting, as all indications point to a tragic accident.
