Columbus man shot while hunting, dies

HOLTON — An autopsy was conducted to determine the cause of death of a Columbus man after he was shot while hunting in Ripley County, authorities say.

Anthony Thompson, 29, was hunting Saturday morning in a ground blind in Holton with his brother and a boy, said Travis Stewart, an Indiana Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division conservation officer.

Foul play is not suspected, Stewart said.

Ripley County Sheriff’s deputies arrived first on the scene Saturday to secure the area. Ripley County Emergency Medical Service provided medical assistance to Thompson, who was initially reported to have life-threatening injuries.

Soon afterward, state conservation officers arrived at 8:35 a.m. Saturday, joining the investigation, Stewart said.

The Ripley County Coroner pronounced Thompson dead after arriving on scene at about 11:30 a.m. Saturday, he said.

Results of Sunday’s autopsy, conducted in Ripley County, were not immediately available, Stewart said.

The names of the other two people in the hunting party are not being released while the investigation into the shooting continues, he said.