Dad of 5 Killed Inside Own Home After Stray Bullet from Hunter Goes Through Wall

An Oregon father of five was killed inside his own home when a bullet believed to have been fired by a nearby deer hunter tore through the wall, leaving his devastated family searching for answers.

Robert Alan Church, 54, was fatally shot Saturday, October 10, at his home near Sweet Home, Oregon, in what investigators believe was an unintentional shooting.

According to the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a 911 call around 5:48 p.m. reporting a shooting at a residence in the 24000 block of Springer Road.

When officers arrived, they found Church suffering from a gunshot wound. Deputies and paramedics from the Sweet Home Fire Department immediately attempted lifesaving measures, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators determined that the fatal bullet had been fired by someone hunting deer along Springer Road, a rural area about nine miles south of Sweet Home.

Authorities believe the hunter partially field dressed a deer before taking the animal and leaving the area.

What remains unclear is whether the hunter even realized someone had been struck.

Linn County Sheriff Michelle Duncan told local news station KPTV that investigators do not believe the shooting was intentional. However, detectives are trying to identify the person responsible and determine exactly how the bullet entered Church’s home.

Duncan urged the hunter to come forward, emphasizing the importance of giving Church’s grieving family answers about his death.

The tragedy has devastated Church’s five children, who are struggling to understand how their father could be killed while inside his own house.

His daughter, Shy, remembered him as a loving father with a personality unlike anyone else’s.

She described him as “one of a kind” and said he “loved his children more than anything in the world.”

Another daughter, Shyanne, organized an online fundraiser to help relatives manage the unexpected expenses following his death.

“His death was sudden, shocking, and impossible for our family to prepare for,” she wrote.

She also expressed anger over the circumstances, accusing the unidentified hunter of failing to take proper precautions before firing toward a residential area.

The family says Church’s father, who is already caring for two foster children, has agreed to cover the cremation expenses but cannot afford all the additional costs.

Donations will help pay for moving and storing Church’s belongings, travel expenses for relatives, a memorial gathering, and other family needs.

Neighbors told KPTV that the surrounding area is popular with hunters, particularly during deer season. Some expressed concern about the dangers of shooting near homes and urged hunters to be certain of their targets and what lies beyond them.

The incident highlights a fundamental rule of firearm safety: Hunters must identify not only their intended target but also anything that could be struck if a bullet misses or passes through it.

Even in rural areas, where hunting is common, homes and other occupied buildings can be within range of a rifle shot.

For now, investigators are focused on locating the hunter and reconstructing the circumstances of the fatal shooting.

The sheriff’s office is asking anyone who traveled along Springer Road on October 10 to contact detectives, especially those who noticed parked vehicles, saw someone carrying a deer, heard gunfire, or have surveillance or trail camera footage.

Anyone with information can contact Detective Derek Klein at 541-967-3950.

As of October 15, authorities had not publicly announced an arrest or identified the hunter.