The 14-year-old bear hunter who shot and killed a hiker on Sauk Mountain in early August has pled not guilty to first-degree manslaughter charges. The teen entered his plea yesterday in a Mount Vernon juvenile court. If convicted, he could be in a juvenile detention facility until his 21st birthday. Along with accepting the teen's plea, the judge put a no-contact order on him and his family--legally barring them from speaking to the slain hiker's family or her friend who witnessed the shooting. more ›

The 14-year-old (unsupervised-by-adults) hunter who shot and killed a local hiker after mistaking her for a bear will be charged with first degree manslaughter. The Skagit County Prosecutor's office points out that the boy broke no laws by hunting in the popular hiking area or for hunting without adult supervision, since there is no minimum age limit for hunting in Washington State...which still boggles our mind. Hopefully, the manslaughter charge will bring about conversation and change in regards to children hunting bears and gun control, and some part of this tragic fiasco could be redeemed for the positive. more ›