OR man accidentally shot brother dead when he tried to defend himself against bear kills himself

An Oregon man took his own life after he accidentally shot dead his brother when he tried to defend himself against a black bear in his yard.   

The unidentified man was loading up his gun around 7am on Tuesday when he 'accidentally shot his brother,' the Josephine County Sheriff's Office said. 

Police deputies located the man's brother with gunshot wounds at a residence in the 2000 block of Placer Road in Sunny Valley. Upon 'checking the residence,' officers found the caller 'with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.' 

'It is believed the caller took his own life after calling 911 to report the accidental shooting,' the police report read. 

The investigation is ongoing and has been passed to the Oregon State Medical Examiner's Office.

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office responded to a call on a the 2000 block of Placer Road on Tuesday when a man called to report that he 'accidentally shot his brother' while he was trying to load a gun to protect them from a black bear on the property

Deputies found the man with a self-inflicted gunshot wound on the property and believes 'the caller took his own life,' the police report said 

The Sheriff's Office told DailyMail.com on Thursday that there is 'no further information available' at this time. 

A bear sighting isn't rare in the state, which is home to around 25,000 to 30,000 black bears, according to the Josephine County Parks Department, which calls Oregon 'Black Bear Country.'   

The Parks Department said bear attacks are 'uncommon' and the animals typically 'avoid human contact,' but reminds the public that it is 'never safe to approach a bear.' 

It is unknown if the black bear (stock image) was being aggressive toward the two men when it arrive on their property around 7am on Tuesday. Black bears are typically non-aggressive and avoid human interaction 

'If you encounter a bear, stay calm,' the department recommends. 'Do not run or make any sudden movements. Back away slowly as you face the bear. Avoid direct eye contact with the bear.' 

It also warns that - although unlikely - if a bear were to attack, 'fight back' by 'shouting, being aggressive, using rocks, sticks, and hands' to fend off the animal. 

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It is unclear if the bear on Placer Road was acting aggressively toward the two men or what happened to it after emergency services arrived.  

In addition, almost 500 people died of unintentional firearm injuries every year, equating to less than two per cent of all gun deaths in the US, according to the Education Fund to Stop Gun Violence. 

Bear sightings are not uncommon in Oregon, as many parts of the state have rural areas, such as Placer Road, where the incident occurred 

These deaths amount to almost 40 per cent of all nonfatal firearm injuries. 

In addition, Americans are four times more likely to die from an unintentional gun injuries than those living in other 'high-income countries,' the group said.   

If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.  

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