April 21: 8-year-old Belle Plaine boy killed in hunting accident

By CHAO XIONG, Star Tribune

Last update: April 21, 2008 - 2:06 PM

Anthony Klaseus had no reason to think that his hunting companion -- his 8-year-old son -- was nearby as he waited for wild turkeys to come within range Saturday evening in Sibley County.

The 39-year-old Belle Plaine man had told the boy, Hunter, to stay where he was -- well out of range -- as he stalked the wildfowl near County Road 6 in Faxon Township, about 3 miles west of Belle Plaine.

But Hunter, caught up in the excitement of the chase and eager to catch up with his dad, headed toward him.

Hunter, dressed in camouflage, was 20 to 30 yards away, in a grassy area near the woods where his father stood, when his father mistook him for a turkey and fired his 12-gauge shotgun, said Sibley County Sheriff Bruce Ponath.

Hunter was hit in the chest.

"To say that he was distraught would be an understatement," the sheriff said of the father.

Klaseus called 911 from his cell phone at 6:25 p.m.

Klaseus then carried his wounded son about a quarter-mile to where emergency personnel could get to him, Ponath said.

But efforts to revive the boy failed and Hunter was pronounced dead at the scene.

The shooting remains under investigation, but the sheriff characterized it as a tragic accident.

Last year, two people died in hunting accidents in Minnesota, according to a report released this month by the state Department of Natural Resources. There were 23 incidents of hunters being shot at, either by themselves, others in their hunting party, strangers or, in one case, a dog.

Hunter's family did not return calls Sunday.

Pat Pribyl, principal at Raven Stream Elementary School in New Prague, where Hunter was a third-grader, echoed the feelings of many when he said, "A lot of people are in shock. It just doesn't seem possible."

Hunter was an active, eager student who wrestled in a children's league and loved the outdoors, Pribyl said. He recently had written and illustrated a book about hunting with his father for a class.

"He was an intelligent little boy," he said. "Fun-loving, full of energy."

On Sunday, Raven Stream's faculty members were informed of Hunter's death. They will meet this morning before school to talk about how to help his fellow students cope with his death.

Teachers will talk to their classes about the accident and counselors will be available, Pribyl said. Counselors also will ride the school bus Hunter took each morning.

Pribyl said that he spoke with Hunter's mother Sunday and that funeral plans are pending. "She was very shook up and for lack of a better word, devastated," he said.

In addition to his parents, Hunter is survived by two sisters, Alison, 11, and Ashley, 12.

Chao Xiong • 612-673-4391

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