Charges were filed against a squirrel hunter in Kanawha County on Friday after gunfire prompted an elementary school lockdown, according to court documents.
James Lee Wilson, 50, of Miami, has been indicted for careless shooting, unlawful possession of wildlife, and hunting without a license, as per a criminal complaint submitted in Kanawha County Magistrate Court.
The complaint indicated that the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Police were sent to a Cabin Creek site near Sharon Dawes Elementary School, where Wilson was hunting squirrels with a 12-gauge shotgun.
Deputies stated that maintenance personnel reported hearing several gunshots in the vicinity and discovering shotgun round pellets on the school’s rooftop.
Investigators stated that the site where the squirrel was shot aligned with the school building, and Wilson lacked a valid hunting license.
Wilson is detained with a bail set at $500 at South Central Regional Jail.
