Hunter Killed by Stepson

Alabama Baldwin County A Baldwin County grand jury will decide whether charges will be brought in Thursday night's fatal shooting in Whitehouse Fork.

by Debbie Williams

Published: Fri, January 23, 2009 - 5:16 pm CST Last Updated: Fri, January 23, 2009 - 5:36 pm CST

Vince Rook was killed by a single gunshot to the head. The shooter, his stepson.
Investigators were back in Whitehouse Fork Friday morning looking for evidence and according to Captain Steve Arthur with the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office, they found it. "There was a deer found this morning, a dead deer, a baseball or some type of cap the victim was wearing and it had a bullet hole in it."
It was around 5:30 Thursday night. A party of four was hunting on private land off Johnson Cemetery Road. One of the men had shot a deer. They were looking for it when another shot rang out. "The stepson was distraught," says Arthur, "it was a horrific scene, it was an unfortunate, unnecessary death."
Donnie Mixson knew Rook and lives across the street from where he died. "Just bad news, just bad for something like that to happen.".
What is disturbing to both hunters and investigators, no one in the hunting party reportedly had hunter orange on. It is not only a legal requirement but proven to save lives.
"I don't know why first it's the law and that late in the afternoon it's getting dark a flashlight would have prevented this from happening. Hunter orange may have prevented it too," says Alan White an outdoor expert who knew Rook. He says he was a well-liked and well known local sportsman whose death should serve as a warning to others. "Take extra time, think about what you're doing. Wear your orange. Use your flashlight and be extremely careful," says White.

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bama03 Says:

Sun, Jan 25, 2009 at 11:23 pm

Vince Rook was a wonderful outdoorsman!!! He loved to hunt and fish. Him and his family are very good people. They really need your prays right now!

sbcsbc Says:

Sun, Jan 25, 2009 at 12:03 pm

I live on Johnson Cemetary Rd, and I have complained on many occasions to the local law officials about people going in to the area where the gentlemen was shot. People are in there at all hours of the night, they wake me and the neighbors up with their loud vehicles and loud 4 Wheelers and nothing is ever done. I guess they will start taking action now. I and other people in this area have children and in time of hunting season the hunters come so close to our residents that we can hear them talking in the woods. Once not too long ago a hunter shot his gun within 100-200 yards from the house. Now what if this was my child that was shot in this inccident and he was playing in our yard, just think I would feel. It would be too late for the law to do anything then.

Violator Says:

Sun, Jan 25, 2009 at 10:47 am

I am amazed at how the deceased was portrayed as such an avid outsdoormans and he was even wearing the required orange attire. Seems like he would have known better. That is some of the basics in going hunting. Also it happened at 5:30pm, it’s almost pitch black dark at that time, were they “night hunting”? Truly a sad story.

carl Says:

Sun, Jan 25, 2009 at 9:14 am

Since rifles have a much greater range it seems they should be controlled for hunting except for certain areas where there would be less chance of an accidental shooting.There seems to be a increase in the number of cases where the rifle bullet travels outside the hunting area and into someone or someone’s home.If I couldn’t have at least a half mile in any direction that was uninhabited,I wouldn’t use a rifle. Wonder why they weren’t wearing their orange?

2BorNOT2B Says:

Sat, Jan 24, 2009 at 5:11 pm

I live in Baldwin County not far from Whitehouse Fork. This tragedy seems to grow stranger and stranger each day.