A teenager was killed in southeastern Iowa on Saturday, Sept. 27, during a squirrel hunting accident.
Carson Ryan, 17, of Washington, died from injuries he sustained after being shot by a member of his hunting party in Brighton, roughly 15 minutes southwest of Washington.
“[Ryan] was mistaken for a squirrel by a member of his hunting party and was struck in the back of the head,” a news release from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources said on Monday, Sept. 29. “Ryan was transported to UI Health Care Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries.”
The DNR’s new release said the incident is currently under investigation by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Carson Ryan honored by neighboring school districts after hunting accident
After the news of Ryan’s passing, many took to social media to mourn the loss of the Washington teenager, including friends and family who knew him, as well as the Washington sports teams he participated in.
“Washington Boys’ Track & Field team asks you to keep Carson’s Mom, family, classmates and teammates in your hearts as we navigate the devastating loss of Carson,” the school’s track and field team wrote on Facebook. “Our hearts are broken.”
Ryan, who was also a member of the Washington football and boys basketball teams, was also on his school’s 2025 homecoming court, according to the Washington High School website.
Nearly a dozen school districts across southeastern Iowa, spanning from North Liberty to Keokuk, shared messages online offering condolences to Ryan’s family and encouraged their students to wear Washington’s orange and black colors to school on Monday, Sept. 29.
A GoFundMe created by Washington resident Kelsie Wheeler for Ryan’s memorial expenses and family has raised more than $37,000.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Carson Ryan dies in squirrel hunting accident, Iowa DNR says