Hunter pleads guilty in death on Ft Bragg trail

FAYETTEVILLE, NC (AP) — A hunter has pleaded guilty in a shooting that killed a Fort Bragg soldier as he jogged on a trail at the base last year.

The Fayetteville Observer reports that Allen Thompson pleaded guilty to criminally negligent hunting resulting in death in federal court and faces a maximum of 120 days in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced next month.

Thompson told the court he was hunting on Jan. 1, 2011 when he thought a deer was nearby. He fired two shots, and heard a squeal.

Authorities say 33-year-old Capt. Jeremiah Sipes, of Belgrade, Mont., was killed by a single gunshot.

Fort Bragg has added bright signs closing the trail during hunting season and installed a buffer to keep hunters a safe distance away.

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