News
Rose petals, fresh flowers and M&Ms remained scattered on Hayden McLeran's desk at Chicago Park School Tuesday as the seventh-grader's classmates left a mute tribute to the popular 12-year-old.
Meanwhile, the Nevada County Sheriff's Office is sending out the rifle involved in the accident that killed the boy to a state laboratory for routine testing.
“We had a rough day” on Monday, school Principal Dan Zeisler said Tuesday. “In a very short period of time, he earned the respect of the entire junior high and made friends with everyone.”
McLeran died in a deer hunting accident Saturday morning in an area between North San Juan and Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park.
Investigators believe McLeran accidentally shot himself with a high-powered rifle.
The coroner has ruled the cause of death to have been a perforated gunshot wound to the chest, investigators said Tuesday.
“We are conducting a thorough, in-depth investigation,” said Nevada County sheriff's Sgt. Steve Tripp. “We've classified it as an accidental death, but unfortunately, we may never know what happened.”
As is typical with hunting parties, the hunters had separated slightly, and McLaren was not in sight of the other members of the group when the gun discharged, Tripp said.
“He was only a couple hundred feet from his relatives, and they heard the gunshot,” he said.
Tripp emphasized investigators found no evidence of negligence, adding McLeran had taken hunter safety classes and had already been out hunting several times this season.
“I'm not sure (the accident) could have been prevented,” he said. “This is one of the most safety-conscious families around. It's just a tragedy.”
The gun being used by McLeran has been sent to a California Department of Justice gun lab for testing, Tripp said.
“They'll look for malfunctions, to see if maybe the gun could have fired because it was dropped,” he said. “We're just trying to piece it together.”
McLeran was conscious and breathing when a 911 call was placed at 11:03 a.m. Saturday from the hunters' remote location. CPR was administered while an ambulance was en route from Grass Valley, according to sheriff's reports.
Members of the hunting party put McLeran in a pickup truck and drove until they met the ambulance on Lake City Road, according to Calfire spokeswoman Lynne Tolmachoff.
They met crews from Calfire and the North San Juan Fire Protection District at 11:17 a.m. Paramedics administered CPR, but McLeran was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:38 a.m.
A Calstar helicopter also was dispatched after the first call came in “because of the nature of the injuries,” Calfire spokeswoman Chelsea Fox said.
To contact Staff Writer Liz Kellar, e-mail lkellar@theunion.com or call 477-4229.
Meanwhile, the Nevada County Sheriff's Office is sending out the rifle involved in the accident that killed the boy to a state laboratory for routine testing.
“We had a rough day” on Monday, school Principal Dan Zeisler said Tuesday. “In a very short period of time, he earned the respect of the entire junior high and made friends with everyone.”
McLeran died in a deer hunting accident Saturday morning in an area between North San Juan and Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park.
Investigators believe McLeran accidentally shot himself with a high-powered rifle.
The coroner has ruled the cause of death to have been a perforated gunshot wound to the chest, investigators said Tuesday.
“We are conducting a thorough, in-depth investigation,” said Nevada County sheriff's Sgt. Steve Tripp. “We've classified it as an accidental death, but unfortunately, we may never know what happened.”
As is typical with hunting parties, the hunters had separated slightly, and McLaren was not in sight of the other members of the group when the gun discharged, Tripp said.
“He was only a couple hundred feet from his relatives, and they heard the gunshot,” he said.
Tripp emphasized investigators found no evidence of negligence, adding McLeran had taken hunter safety classes and had already been out hunting several times this season.
“I'm not sure (the accident) could have been prevented,” he said. “This is one of the most safety-conscious families around. It's just a tragedy.”
The gun being used by McLeran has been sent to a California Department of Justice gun lab for testing, Tripp said.
“They'll look for malfunctions, to see if maybe the gun could have fired because it was dropped,” he said. “We're just trying to piece it together.”
McLeran was conscious and breathing when a 911 call was placed at 11:03 a.m. Saturday from the hunters' remote location. CPR was administered while an ambulance was en route from Grass Valley, according to sheriff's reports.
Members of the hunting party put McLeran in a pickup truck and drove until they met the ambulance on Lake City Road, according to Calfire spokeswoman Lynne Tolmachoff.
They met crews from Calfire and the North San Juan Fire Protection District at 11:17 a.m. Paramedics administered CPR, but McLeran was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:38 a.m.
A Calstar helicopter also was dispatched after the first call came in “because of the nature of the injuries,” Calfire spokeswoman Chelsea Fox said.
To contact Staff Writer Liz Kellar, e-mail lkellar@theunion.com or call 477-4229.
