Idaho Hunting Accident Claims Life Of Riverside County Sheriff's Lieutenant

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — A Riverside County Sheriff's Department lieutenant was fatally shot over the weekend in eastern Idaho while on a hunting trip, but law enforcement there determined the shooting was accidental, according to various news reports.

Nathan Thomas Kaas, 48, was preparing to hunt mule deer in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest just before 6 a.m. Sunday. A member of the shooting party pulled a rifle from its case and the weapon accidentally discharged, striking Kaas in the thigh, according to a Southern California News Group report.

Kaas was severely bleeding and died before help could arrive, according to East Idaho News.

The Caribou-Targhee National Forest is a vast 3 million-acre protected area in southeastern Idaho, adjacent to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.

Clark County Sheriff Mark McClure told reporters the death was accidental and no charges will be filed.

Kaas began his career with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department in 2000 and was most recently assigned to the Sheriff's Emergency Response team, according to Riverside County Lt. Deirdre Vickers.

"We extend our heartfelt condolences to Lieutenant Nathan Kaas's family, friends, and colleagues as they navigate this difficult time," Vickers said.

Throughout several years of his career with the sheriff's department, Kaas was a presence in Lake Elsinore and surrounding communities, serving as a sergeant at the Lake Elsinore Sheriff's Station.

A man who identified as a family member of Kaas's shared on Facebook that the lieutenant was married with three children, and was "counting down the days until he could retire in Idaho."