By KCRG Staff and Emily Van de Riet
Published: Sep. 30, 2025 at 12:46 PM EDT

BRIGHTON, Iowa (KCRG/Gray News) – An Iowa teenager was killed in a hunting accident when a member of his group mistook him for game.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says 17-year-old Carson Ryan of Washington died while squirrel hunting Saturday afternoon in rural Brighton.

According to a news release from the DNR, Ryan “... was mistaken for a squirrel by a member of his hunting party and was struck in the back of the head.”

Ryan was taken to UI Health Care Medical Center where he died.