WALTERBORO, S.C. — Authorities say a man who shot and killed a father and daughter while deer hunting in South Carolina has been arrested.
[ RELATED: Father, 9-year-old daughter killed in South Carolina deer hunting accident ]
Wildlife officials told local news outlets that Sean Peterson faces two counts of negligent use of a firearm while engaged in hunting that resulted in death.
Investigators say Peterson was hunting in an area near Walterboro on Jan. 1 when he shot and killed 30-year-old Kim Drawdy and his 9-year-old daughter Lauren.
Authorities said at the time the father and daughter were mistaken for deer as they trying to drive the animals into an area where they could be hunted.
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South Carolina has a few hunting accidents each year, Department of Natural Resources Spokesperson David Lucas said.
In 2019, the state had 16 hunting accidents, Lucas said. Eleven of those involved firearms, causing two deaths. The other five involved tree stand accidents, such as falls, which led to one death.
“It’s not a thing that happens a lot,” Lucas said. “Hunting accidents are rare in general, and fatalities even more so.”