Bruce Best, 65, of Oak Hill died on January 20, 2016, in a hunting incident that local authorities described as an accident. Best was hunting in a wooded, swampy area of Oak Hill with a friend, 65-year-old Leeshawn Sutton, who reportedly mistook Best for a deer and fired a 12-gauge shotgun in his direction. The shot proved fatal and Sutton immediately called 911, expressing panic and sorrow.

Emergency responders had difficulty reaching the remote scene; a sheriff’s office helicopter guided ground units to the location, where deputies confirmed Best’s death. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission assisted the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office investigation. Authorities found no evidence of foul play or intentional harm, and the shooting was classified as an accidental death with no charges filed.

Best was remembered locally as an experienced woodsman and familiar member of the hunting community. Did anyone in the Oak Hill area hunt with him that season or have information about where they were that day?