From the Hunt Network

van der Walt, Beeld

Fochville - A man who went to adjust the sights of his rifle before a hunting trip was fatally shot by a friend behind a target on the shooting range.

A dejected Viresh Jeevan, 36, applied for bail in the local magistrate's court on Thursday. He has been charged with murder.

What should have been a fun outing to the local shooting range for him and his friend of many years, Wim Norris, 43, ended in tragedy.

Jeevan shot Norris, who died on the scene, in the neck two days ago.

Planned a hunting trip

"My husband was going to go hunting with some friends from work," Rika Norris said on Thursday. "He went to adjust his rifle sights.

"Viresh went along, as he was going for his shooting licence on Saturday. They left later than planned. The grass is high around the shooting range and it was already past 17:00."

It appears from the preliminary police investigation that the men went together to inspect the targets they had shot at.

Norris apparently told Jeevan to go and take aim again while he would lie down flat behind the targets.

Apparently Jeevan shouted to Norris at some point after he had fired three shots. When Norris didn't reply, Jeevan went to have a look and discovered the wounded Morris, police spokesperson Captain Adele Myburgh said.

"My husband was a wonderful man with a passion for the Lord. He was always laughing and on the go.

"This was a freak accident, through and through. Be gentle with Viresh, everyone is suffering," she pleaded. She and Norris had been married for 21 years.

Scores of friends and family gathered around the family's dining room table on Thursday. They smiled with tear-stained cheeks when they talked about Norris - someone with a great love for hunting and condensed milk.

Shortly after Jeevan was released on bail of R1 500, he said he "didn't have words". Tears streamed down his cheeks.

"I don't know how I'll be able to look his family in the eye again. Yesterday, just before we went shooting, I was still sitting drinking coffee with them. We were good friends," he said sadly.

Jeevan was supported by his wife, Ria, a stepson and other relatives at the court. He has to appear in court again on 27 September.

The police have seized his firearms and he also had to hand in his passport.

Seloushunter

Tragic.........The world you know can change in the blink of an eye.

"...Norris apparently told Jeevan to go and take aim again while he would lie down flat behind the targets..."

Tragic indeed.

But, if the above quote is correct, it is the most stupid thing anyone would do on a shooting range!

quote:

Originally posted by mboga biga bwana:
...It appears from the preliminary police investigation that the men went together to inspect the targets they had shot at.

Norris apparently told Jeevan to go and take aim again while he would lie down flat behind the targets.
...

As tragic an incident as this may be, the road to accidents like this is lined with neglect of safety rules. It really becomes dangerous when we foolishly believe that familiarity with our firearms compensates for neglect of basic safety rules.

Sad story.

- mike

"Charged with murder". Don't they know the difference between murder and manslaughter?
Peter.

Cause of death: Terminal stupidity

quote:

Norris apparently told Jeevan to go and take aim again while he would lie down flat behind the targets.

This reads like a nomination for the Darwin Awards.

Hopefully anyone else that practices this kind of behaviour hears about this.

Cheers,
Canuck

Obviously. the gene pool got upgraded with that incident. Heartless, but realistic! Both are quilty of ignoring the basics of weapon safety, but the sad thing is the survivor will be plaqued with a sinking feeling the rest of his life. Imagine, friends with the family yet. My sympathies to all the survivors, but things like this should never happen, IMO.

Very sad!

Dak

A sad story but a lesson.

THINK OF DOGS :

My friend Claude whose only child is a Jack Russel
was practicing shooting at a running boar target.
Pirate, the dog, was frolicking around and went unseen behind the moving target. A 9.3 bullet nicked his back. Fortunately 4 stitches did the trick.

My cousin organised a ball-trap and shut his dachshound up in the car letting the front window slightly open. The dog excited by the blasts and suspecting our hunting without him, jumped from this narrow aperture (8 times its height) and go unseen swimming in the pond over which the shooters were practising. Clay pigeons were thrown just brushing the water and the unseen dog got hit and died a couple of minutes later. That's the first time I saw my cousin crying his eyes out. Early the morrow I offered him a new dachshound puppy.......

Safety first,

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
"...Norris apparently told Jeevan to go and take aim again while he would lie down flat behind the targets..."

Tragic indeed.

But, if the above quote is correct, it is the most stupid thing anyone would do on a shooting range!

No argument here. In fact, it is so utterly stupid as to be unbelieveable. Something tells me there is a lot more to this story.

As for the murder charge, that is the way it is done in most African countries for any suspicious death. You then get to present evidence of your innocence by way of justifiable homicide, accidental shooting, etc., at the same time the state presents evidence of an intentional or reckless act.