Friends and members of the Mickelson family are mourning the loss this week of Brad Mickelson, 20, of Byron, who died Saturday in an accidental shooting in the Big Horn Mountains east of Lovell.
According to Sheriff Ken Blackburn, Mickelson was shot Saturday while attempting to retrieve a rifle from a pickup truck during a family camping trip. Family members rushed him to the Porcupine Ranger Station, where he was later pronounced dead.
The son of Ted and Nancy Mickelson, Brad Mickelson was a 2007 graduate of Lovell High School, where he was a three-sport athlete and the Class 2A Northwest Player of the Year for boys basketball in 2007. Funeral services were held Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Stake Center in Lovell.
Mickelson, along with family and friends, was camping Saturday just off the Devil’s Canyon Road about a mile to a mile and a half past the Jaws.
After fishing earlier that day, the group prepared to break camp around noon, Blackburn said, but brothers Brad and J.T. decided to take the four-wheelers and shoot some rock chucks. J.T. prepared the four-wheelers, while Brad went to retrieve the rifles.
Blackburn said the investigation showed Brad was at the pickup and was pulling a 44 magnum Marlin lever-action rifle from the front seat area, pulling it toward him barrel first.
The weapon discharged, and the bullet struck Mickelson in the chest and exited through his back. He collapsed, and his brothers, J.T. and Jared, rushed to him. Recognizing the severity of the injury, they rushed him to the Porcupine Ranger Station, “which was exactly the right thing for them to do,” Blackburn said, because there was an off-duty fire crew there with advanced medical training.
The crew responded immediately and provided medical aide and took care of family members, Blackburn said. Radio calls for an ambulance were made, and a forest ranger also drove to Wyoming High Country nearby to use the satellite telephone, making sure emergency services were responding and preparing to arrange for a flight-for-life helicopter.
A call had also been made at 12:18 p.m. by sister-in-law Robin Mickelson, who was part of the camping party.
Members of the fire crew performed CPR and other life-saving measures until an ambulance from North Big Horn Hospital arrived. The ambulance crew activated advanced life-support equipment and consulted with a physician, Blackburn said. Mickelson was unresponsive, and the physician called a halt to the life-saving measures at 1:08 p.m.
Blackburn said the shooting death was investigated by the Big Horn County Sheriff’s office and County Coroner Del Atwood, with four deputies and a deputy coroner assisting at various points of the investigation.
“A very detailed investigation was conducted at both scenes, and at this time the cause of death has been determined to be an accidental gunshot wound,” Blackburn said, stressing that the final determination would be made by the coroner’s office. An autopsy was conducted Sunday.

Blackburn said the response to the situation was excellent by all parties.
“The Forest Service personnel went above and beyond the call of duty,” he said. “They really served the family well. They signed on to fight fires but used their advanced (medical) skills.
“Everything that could be done was done.”
The family response was also right on, the sheriff said.
“The family did absolutely the right thing by loading him into a vehicle as quickly as they could,” he said. “That was the right thing to do, no two ways about it.
“It’s a tragedy, and our condolences go out to the family who is grieving. These kids weren’t doing anything wrong. It was just an accident, a tragic accident.”