BREVARD, N.C. -- A jury has found a hunter not guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of another man collecting plants in the North Carolina mountains.

The Citizen-Times of Asheville reports 22-year-old Kyle Keith hugged supporters after hearing the verdict Wednesday.

Keith was hunting in the Pisgah National Forest in December 2008 when he shot and killed 50-year-old Luciano Martinez, who was picking plants used in Christmas decorations.

Keith testified he was sure he was shooting at a deer, and his defense attorney says Martinez wasn't wearing orange and was crawling on his hands and knees.

Prosecutors agreed the shooting was an accident, but said Keith was grossly negligent when he violated a cardinal rule of hunters to verify what you are shooting at.

Information from: The Courier-Tribune

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