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September 28, 2012

Area man dies at gun range

Officials believe shooting was accidental and self-inflicted

By Dylan Goforth Phoenix Staff Writer

Cherokee County officials say a Tahlequah man died near Camp Gruber in what they believe is an accidental shooting.

Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Investigator James Brown said James Woolard died at a gun range near the Zeb entrance of Camp Gruber.

Woolard, 44, died from what appeared to be an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound, Brown said.

“It looks like he was target practicing out there,” Brown said. “I don’t know if he was cleaning his gun, or what.”

Brown said the shooting occurred on the “state side” of the camp.

“It happened in what we would call Camp Gruber, but it wasn’t on the actual military side of the camp,” Brown said.

Brown said Woolard’s wife called neighbors to check on him after Woolard failed to pick up the family’s children. Brown said it appeared the shooting happened about 2 p.m. Tuesday.

“Neighbors went out there and found him,” Brown said.

Brown said Woolard’s body had been released by the state’s Medical Examiner’s Office, which did Woolard’s autopsy.

“I don’t have the report on him yet from the ME’s office,” Brown said. “Usually they get the autopsy done quick, but the report may take a while. It may be next week before we get the report.”  

Brown declined to comment on what type of gun Woolard was shot with. Brown also said he couldn’t say if Woolard’s bullet wound matched the type of ammunition Woolard was firing.

“That’s stuff that I’ll have to wait on from the Medical Examiner’s Office before I can comment,” Brown said. “Right now, I just can’t say for certain, not without seeing the report first.”

The Medical Examiner’s Office said it would likely take more than a week for the report to be finalized.

Services for Woolard, a Cherokee Enterprises supervisor, will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Park Hill Baptist Church, according to a death notice from Reed-Culver Funeral Home of Tahlequah.

Reach Dylan Goforth at (918) 684-2903 or dgoforth @muskogeephoenix.com.

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