Teen killed in Russia after hunter mistakes him for animal

A teenager has been killed in Russia"s Kemerovo region after a hunter reportedly mistook him for an animal and opened fire.

The incident took place in the Krapivinsky district, according to Izvestia, cited by Report.

Authorities say two teenagers were riding mopeds at night when they left the road and hid in bushes, allegedly fearing the approaching vehicle could contain traffic police officers.

Inside the vehicle - an UAZ carrying three hunters - one man used a thermal imaging device to scan the area. He reportedly saw a silhouette in the bushes and assumed it was wildlife.

A 42-year-old hunter then fired a shotgun into the vegetation, striking a 17-year-old boy. The teenager died at the scene.

After realizing what had happened, the hunters initially fled but later turned themselves in to authorities within hours, according to reports. The shooter has been detained. A criminal case has been opened.