A dog escaping from a hunting cabin in Fulton County led to the accidental death of a Springdale man. According to Fulton County Sheriff Al Roork, the body of 32-year-old Michael Harston, Jr. was found Friday evening by emergency responders and law enforcement with a single gunshot wound to the upper right chest.
The sheriff’s office received a call just after five p.m. from Harston’s father, 51-year-old Michael Harston, Sr. of Springdale at Wildcat Hollow on the northeast side of Cherokee Village stating he had accidentally shot his son and needed an ambulance. Both men were staying at the cabin for a father/son outing, and the older Harston was target practicing with his .300 Winchester Magnum rifle from the back porch when the family dog came out of the cabin. The younger Harston came out to retrieve the dog, and when both men bent down to pick up the dog, the gun discharged striking the younger Harston.
The incident is being investigated by special agents with the Arkansas State Police and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, and the body of Michael Harston, Jr. was sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab in Little Rock for an autopsy.
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