Hunter Shot Son While Under The Influence

**krauty** · 05-05-08, 11:37 PM

BELLE PLAINE, Minn. (WCCO) ― A Belle Plaine, Minn. man who fatally shot his 8-year-old son while turkey hunting in April was under the influence of alcohol and marijuana, according to charges filed Monday in Sibley County.

Anthony Klaseus shot his son Hunter on the evening of April 19 in Faxon Township. The boy was shot in the neck and chest with a 12-gauge shotgun. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to Anthony Klaseus, his son was tagging along during a turkey hunt. While his father moved towards a ridge where he said he spotted a group of turkeys, the boy had moved his position in the field. His father shot at him, presuming him to be a turkey.

Both were wearing camouflage.

Though authorities initially described the shooting as an accident, further investigation revealed Anthony Klaseus did not have a license to hunt. He had entered a lottery and was drawn for a license but failed to pay the $18 to hunt legally.

While questioning Anthony Klaseus, authorities detected the odor of alcohol. He agreed to give authorities a urine sample. Test results came back indicating not only the presence of alcohol in his blood stream but also marijuana.

While authorities were awaiting the results of the urine test, a search warrant was executed on Anthony Kalseus' pickup truck, where investigators said they found a sizable amount of beer cans and bottles and a plastic bag containing a lighter, a pipe and the odor of burnt marijuana.

Anthony Klaseus has been charged with second-degree manslaughter and reckless discharge of a firearm (both felonies), as well as misdemeanor trespass and hunting turkeys without a license.

He is scheduled to appear in Sibley County District Court on May 22.

http://wcco.com/crime/turkey.hunter.....2.716457.html

**Just KC** · 05-05-08, 11:50 PM

What an awful story....he will have to live with that forever. I would never forgive myself. Probably would have to commit me, honestly.

**Cidp24** · 05-06-08, 12:14 AM

It's weird, I want to see him burned in court for this but what in the world can you sentence him to that is anything worse than what he sentenced himself to that day.

**gozling** · 05-06-08, 03:03 AM

Originally Posted by Cidp24

It's weird, I want to see him burned in court for this but what in the world can you sentence him to that is anything worse than what he sentenced himself to that day.

you know i agree with you on that to some degree... and then there is that other side of me....

that side that feels he is too friggin selfish an individual and one of those sociopaths that walk amongst us or whatever and though it may sting him and hurt him.... I dont know... I think he is the type to have that defense mechanism for him to easily shut off and move on and go smoke another friggin joint...

jmo and its that bad ugly side of my brain talking that wonders what the hell people think sometimes when they do stuff like that around their kid!

**Cidp24** · 05-06-08, 03:22 AM

I see your point goz, have to agree.

**Wolven** · 05-06-08, 07:29 AM

That is so sad. Some people should not be able to breed.

I hope he has continual nightmares and suffers for the rest of his pathetic llife. It would have been tragic enough had it been an accident..but the fact that the dad (and I use the term loosely) was drunk and high...what a waste of oxygen.

**gopherpuckfan** · 05-06-08, 08:49 AM

I read the criminal complaint online and it mentioned he blew a .06 in the PBT with a weak sample. The urine test (taken 3 hours after the shooting) came back with a .05 BAC. It also listed how much alcohol was found in his truck during the subsequent search.

http://extras.twincities.com/pdf/klaseus_complaint.pdf

**Buttercup** · 05-06-08, 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by gozling

you know i agree with you on that to some degree... and then there is that other side of me....

that side that feels he is too friggin selfish an individual and one of those sociopaths that walk amongst us or whatever and though it may sting him and hurt him.... I dont know... I think he is the type to have that defense mechanism for him to easily shut off and move on and go smoke another friggin joint...

jmo and its that bad ugly side of my brain talking that wonders what the hell people think sometimes when they do stuff like that around their kid!

I agree with you.

**Willowdared** · 05-06-08, 11:55 AM

Why was his son.....

Not glued to his side?

Not wearing an orange hat/vest?

He had a reckless disregard for all the basic "rules" of hunting....the most important being "sober" closely followed by "all children should be in your eye-sight at all times."

**gopherpuckfan** · 05-06-08, 02:30 PM

Originally Posted by PDawg

Why was his son.....

Not glued to his side?

Not wearing an orange hat/vest?

He had a reckless disregard for all the basic "rules" of hunting....the most important being "sober" closely followed by "all children should be in your eye-sight at all times."

Me thinks him being stoned and having drank a few beers may have slightly impaired his judgement

**Willowdared** · 05-06-08, 04:35 PM

Originally Posted by gopherpuckfan

Me thinks him being stoned and having drank a few beers may have slightly impaired his judgement

No kidding.

**MacLean** · 05-06-08, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by PDawg

Why was his son.....

Not glued to his side?

Not wearing an orange hat/vest?

He had a reckless disregard for all the basic "rules" of hunting....the most important being "sober" closely followed by "all children should be in your eye-sight at all times."

You don't wear orange when hunting Turkeys.

Spot on regarding the rest of the points.

I say give him back his gun with one shell.

Cold? Maybe, but I teach firearms and there is no excuse for that sorry son of a bitch.

**Cidp24** · 05-06-08, 05:44 PM

Originally Posted by maclean

.....there is no excuse for that sorry son of a bitch.

I have never understood the "mistaken identity" hunting accident. If you shoot a human thinking its a game animal, you did not identify your target, period.

**MacLean** · 05-06-08, 05:46 PM

Originally Posted by Cidp24

I have never understood the "mistaken identity" hunting accident. If you shoot a human thinking its a game animal, you did not identify your target, period.

Damn straight, and being drunk and stoned behind a gun with your child in tow is worse.

**Willowdared** · 05-06-08, 10:31 PM

Originally Posted by maclean

You don't wear orange when hunting Turkeys.

Spot on regarding the rest of the points.

I say give him back his gun with one shell.

Cold? Maybe, but I teach firearms and there is no excuse for that sorry son of a bitch.

Sorry, I grew up wearing orange or red during hunting season to avoid being shot by accident. That was the rule for all the kids.

I grew up in a family of hunters in rural Wisconsin.

Of course, I was never afraid of being shot by anyone in my family because they were good hunters. The kind that didn't shoot at movement, but waited until they had a kill shot. It was the damn city-folk we were afraid of - they'd shoot at cows, horses, dogs and kids.

**MacLean** · 05-06-08, 10:44 PM

Originally Posted by PDawg

Sorry, I grew up wearing orange or red during hunting season to avoid being shot by accident. That was the rule for all the kids.

I grew up in a family of hunters in rural Wisconsin.

Of course, I was never afraid of being shot by anyone in my family because they were good hunters. The kind that didn't shoot at movement, but waited until they had a kill shot. It was the damn city-folk we were afraid of - they'd shoot at cows, horses, dogs and kids.

Nod, orange is the rule here too, except for Turkeys and Ducks.

Turns out the birds see too well, and orange scares the shit out of them.