Andrew AJ Smith, 28, of Elyria, Ohio, died on December 2, 2020, in a hunting accident in Delaware County, Ohio. He was hunting white-tailed deer with his father, Bradley Smith, and friends along Pollock Road when Bradley mistook AJ for a deer and shot him. AJ was not wearing the orange hunting clothing required during deer gun season.

The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office and the Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office reviewed the death; the prosecutor’s office concluded the shooting was an accident and Bradley Smith was not charged. AJ had been a baseball player, graduated from Lincoln College in Illinois, and was working as an independent contractor in Columbus while also serving as a volunteer firefighter. Funeral services were held at Dicken Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Elyria.

Does anyone have memories of AJ or information about hunting safety practices from that area to share?