High School Football Star Killed In Hunting Accident After Being 'Mistaken For A Squirrel'

A 17-year-old high school football player in Iowa named Carson Ryan was tragically shot and killed during a hunting trip with his friends over the weekend.

Ryan, a senior at Washington High School, was shot in the back of the head by a person in his hunting group as they were on the prowl in Brighton, Iowa, located about 12 miles from Des Moines. According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Ryan "was mistaken for a squirrel" before being shot. He was transported to UI Health Care Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries.

In its statement, the DNR explained that the incident is currently under investigation.

Ryan not only played football for Washington High, but ran track and was a member of the basketball team as well.

The school hosted a vigil on Sunday, where assistant football coach Nic Williams offered up some very kind words about the late teenager.

"Carson was a fierce competitor in everything he did," Williams said, according to the Southeast Iowa Union. "He loved fishing. He loved being with his friends. But more importantly, Carson was a person of incredible faith."

"His smile and his laugh were contagious," he said. "He was loved by so many people: his mom, Heidi, his family and his friends and his teammates, his teachers and coaches and anyone who just got to spend a second with him."

The New York Post reported that "about a dozen" school districts in the area mourned Ryan's death on social media and urged students and staff to wear Washington High's black-and-orange colors to honor him.

A friend of the Ryan family started a GoFundMe page with donations going toward easing the financial burden of memorial expenses and helping his loved ones find some peace and stability in the very difficult time.

As of Wednesday, over $54,000 had been raised.