Bristol resident Gil Jaeger remains at Maine Medical Center in fair condition at press time after a neighbor accidentally shot him, probably during target practice.
Jaeger was shot in the woods outside his Upper Round Pond Road home the morning of Oct. 18, sustaining “non-life-threatening injuries to his torso,” according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
A retired oyster farmer, Jaeger is a captain with the Bristol Fire Dept. He was an assistant chief for 25 years and received the Chief Bob Maxcy Lifetime Achievement Award for his service in 2011.
LCSO detectives, with assistance from the Maine Warden Service, continue to investigate the incident and will forward the results of the investigation to the district attorney’s office.
Law enforcement will not release the name of the shooter until the district attorney’s office decides whether to charge the individual, according to an LCSO press release.
Lt. Rand Maker said applicable offenses might include reckless conduct, a Class D misdemeanor.
According to the Maine Criminal Code, “A person is guilty of reckless conduct if he recklessly creates a substantial risk of serious bodily injury to another person.”
Another law might also apply, he said. According to the Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, “It is unlawful to discharge any firearm… within 100 yards of a building without permission from the owner, or, in the owner’s absence, an adult occupant who dwells in that location.”
Jaeger reported the incident at 10:35 a.m., telling Lincoln County Communications “he had been shot when he entered the woods near his home after hearing several gunshots in the area,” according to LCSO.
Bristol Fire and Rescue, the Central Lincoln County Ambulance Service and the Maine Warden Service assisted LCSO at the scene.