Joseph Austin Smith, 30, of Wichita, Kansas, died on January 21, 2023, after a hunting trip near Geuda Springs turned fatal. Smith was seated in the front passenger seat of a pickup truck when a rifle in the truck bed discharged. The firearm was stepped on by the owner’s dog, which applied enough pressure to fire a single round that struck Smith in the back.

Deputies from the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call and found Smith gravely wounded; life-saving measures were attempted but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators concluded the shooting was an accident, with no criminal intent identified; no arrests were made and no suspects named. Friends and family have been left to mourn a sudden and tragic loss.

If anyone was with the group that morning or has information about the incident near Geuda Springs, please share what you know.