LINN COUNTY, IA — A 62-year-old man, Kevin Gouchee, has been arrested in rural Linn County after police say he shot a young boy in the head with birdshot, mistaking him for a groundhog.
Gouchee was initially charged with reckless use of a firearm, but authorities have now also charged him with felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, Gouchee was previously convicted of third-degree burglary in 1995 in Cedar County, making it illegal for him to own or use a firearm.
The shooting occurred on Monday near 975 River Bay in rural Mount Vernon, as a 12-year-old boy (listed as 10 years old in court documents) was fishing along the Cedar River. Gouchee told authorities he saw movement in the bushes and fired from about 90 feet away, believing it to be a groundhog.
The birdshot struck the boy in the back and head, causing bleeding wounds. Emergency crews transported him to the University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center in Iowa City, where he was reported to be in serious but stable condition. His injuries were described as non-life-threatening.
Gouchee appeared in court on Tuesday and is currently being held in the Linn County Jail on a $25,000 bond.
