GOSHEN COUNTY – A warrant for the arrest of a 20-year-old man, Gaige Zook, was issued on April 8 in the Cricut Court for the Eighth Judicial District in and for Goshen County.

The warrant was the result of a hunting accident that took place January 2024.

“Torrington Central Dispatch received a call of a male who had been accidentally shot while hunting along the North Platte River, on Saturday, January 20 around 2:30 p.m., a release from the Goshen County Sheriff’s and Coroner’s Offices said,” a previous (January 24) Telegram article read. “The death has been ruled an accident, according to the release.”

The deceased was identified as 19-year-old Minnesota resident Maurizio Dadin Justiniano.

According to the criminal warrant, Zook is being charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter.

“On or about January 20, 2024, Gaige Zook did involuntarily but recklessly and unlawfully kill a human being without malice, expressed or implied, to wit: Gaige Zook did involuntarily but recklessly and unlawfully kill Maurizio Justiniano,” the criminal warrant issued on April 8 reads. 

According to the affidavit of probable cause, Jason E. Lamb of the Goshen County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call on January 20 at approximately 2:58 p.m.

“I arrived at the junction of Wyoming Highway 156 and road 37. I exited road 37 at its end and crossed a large field to the north and ended up just south of the North Platte River,” the statement from Lamb said. “I was dispatched there for a call about a gunshot wound to a 19-year-old male hunter. I arrived with EMS (emergency medical services) and there was EMS personnel already with the victim by the river.”

The affidavit continues to say that Air Link landed at approximately 3:04 p.m.

“The shooter, Gaige Zook, took me (Lamb) to the scene and talked me through what happened. He stated there were three of them (hunters) [and they] were sitting on a man-made driftwood blind on the south shore of the river. They had decoys placed out in the water,” the probable cause affidavit reads.

The affidavit continues explaining when a duck landed on the river the Zook became excited and brought his gun up and pointed at the duck but when he pulled the trigger, he had a misfire.

“He (Zook) leaned his gun up against the fallen tree they were sitting on, barrel pointing up,” Lamb wrote in his affidavit.

Zook then asked to use the third hunter’s shotgun, which he fired at the duck, missing it. He returned the functioning firearm to the hunter and began evaluating his firearm. 

“As he (Zook) was trying to evaluate his firearm, due to the misfire, the shotgun discharged, striking Maurizio in the left side of his abdominal area,” the affidavit continued. 

The third hunter, identified in the affidavit for probable cause, Jackson Harbor was also questioned at the time of the accident. 

“Jackson stated that ‘Marz’ was not a licensed hunter but wanted to learn so they were going to have him do calls that day. He stated that a duck entered their decoys and since he had already shot a couple of ducks, he told Gaige to take that one since he hadn’t gotten any that day. He said Gaige got up to fire his gun, but it didn’t go off, so Gaige sat his gun behind himself, and Jackson gave his shotgun to Gaige shot at the duck, and missed,” Lamb reported in the affidavit. “Jackson stated that he was turned around, away from the other two, when he heard the shot go off and ‘Marz’ yell.”

The criminal warrant for Zook’s arrest was entered into the National Crime Information Center with a bond to be determined by the court on the charge of involuntary manslaughter with a maximum penalty of not more than 20 years.

As of press time, no arrest had been made.