In the late afternoon of November 23, 2015, the quiet of Mount Morris, Wisconsin, was shattered by a single gunshot that would tragically end the life of 56-year-old Gregory Welk, a White male. An avid hunter, Welk was on his own property, enjoying the waning hours of daylight just before sunset. He was wearing blaze orange, a standard precaution for hunters, yet this measure was not enough to prevent the fatal incident that was about to unfold. Across the road, on public hunting land, a 23-year-old man from Oshkosh was also hunting.
Unseen through the dense foliage that separated the two men, the younger hunter discharged his firearm. The bullet traveled across the distance and struck Welk. Despite his grievous injury, Welk was able to make a call to 911 for help and managed to provide some information to investigators before he was rushed to Theda Clark Hospital in Neenah. Surrounded by his family, he succumbed to his injuries later that day. His sudden and accidental death sent shockwaves through the community, leaving his family and friends to mourn the loss of a man described as a wonderful husband, father, and friend with a huge heart.
An investigation into the shooting was launched by the Waushara County Sheriff's officials and the state Department of Natural Resources. The investigation ultimately concluded that the shooting was a tragic accident. It was determined that the 23-year-old hunter could not see Welk through the thick underbrush and that the act was not intentional or criminal in nature. As a result of these findings, no charges were filed against the man who fired the fatal shot, and he was not publicly identified. The incident served as a somber reminder of the inherent dangers of hunting, even when precautions are taken.
