Two hunters accidentally shot each other and then blamed it on undocumented immigrants, U.S. police have revealed.
Officers attended the scene in a remote Texas ranch near the Mexican border in early January to find two men bleeding from gunshot wounds.
Guide Walker Daughtery, 26, and client Edwin Roberts, 59, told police they suspected the shooters were migrants they had seen on the ranch earlier.
Another guide, Michael Bryant, was also involved in the incident but was not injured.
Their story made headlines across the country and was shared thousands of times online, including by Texas Agriculture Commissioner and Donald Trump ally Sid Miller.
But officials have now confirmed the men were lying about the incident, and actually shot each other.
Investigators believe Daughtery thought illegal migrants were inside the car that Roberts and his wife were in, in an attempt to kidnap them, CBS7 reports.
Instead of announcing himself, Daughtery attempted to get inside the car without saying anything, and that’s when Roberts shot at the door.
Walker immediately ran back to his cabin to grab his gun and to get backup from Bryant, and together they opened fire on the truck.
Both Daughtery and Roberts were shot in the chest and arm. It is beleived Daughtery shot Roberts, and Roberts shot Daughtery.
Sheriff Dominguez believes paranoia of violence spilling over from Mexico into the United States may have caused the pair to mistakenly shoot each other.
Police told CBS7 they are conducting ballistic testing to determine which guns fired which bullets.
After the alleged shoot-out, a GoFundMe page was set up claiming Daughtery and his group were attacked by illegal immigrants that were trying to steal his RV with his clients still inside.
The appeal raised over $26,000 to help with the 26-year-old’s medical bills before it was shut down.
Daughtery and Bryant have both been indicted on third-degree felony charges, punishable by up to five years in prison.
