On a crisp November morning in 2022, the life of 11-year-old Easton Thom, a White male from Berlin, Wisconsin, was tragically cut short in a hunting accident. The incident occurred on Sunday, November 20, in Green Lake County, during the opening weekend of the state's popular gun deer season. Easton was with a hunting party when the fatal event unfolded.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, a 41-year-old man, who was a member of the same hunting party, was
attempting to unload his firearm while it was in the back seat of a vehicle. In a devastating turn of events, the firearm discharged, and a single bullet struck Easton in the chest. Emergency services were immediately called, and the young boy was airlifted by Med Flight to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention. Despite the efforts of medical professionals, Easton succumbed to his injuries and passed away.
The news of the young boy's death sent ripples of shock and grief through the Berlin community. An investigation into the shooting was launched by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Reports from the time of the incident consistently refer to the individual who fired the weapon as a 41-year-old male who was part of Easton's hunting group.
While the circumstances of the accidental shooting were detailed in multiple reports, the name of the 41-year-old man involved was not publicly released in the immediate aftermath. Online sources and news articles available do not contain information regarding any arrests being made or charges being filed against the individual in connection with the fatal incident. The case was one of several hunting-related shooting incidents that occurred during that year's opening weekend of deer season in Wisconsin.
