Man dies after dog steps on rifle, causing it to discharge, Kansas officials say

A man died in Kansas on Saturday after officials believe he was struck by a rifle that discharged after a dog stepped on it.

The shooting unfolded around 9:40 a.m. in a truck on the 1600 block of East 80th Street, a country road about 46 miles south of Wichita, Wellington Fire and EMS Chief Tim Hay told NBC News. The dog stepped on the rifle in the back of the truck, causing it to fire and hit the back of the man, who was found in the front passenger seat, he said.

Emergency medical personnel administered CPR before the 30-year-old victim, whose name has not yet been released, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Hay.

Another person who was in the driver’s seat was physically unharmed, he said.

It was not immediately clear who owned the truck or the dog or who called 911.

Representatives for the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks did not immediately respond to questions.