Rock Springs Daily Rocket, Nov. 20, 1945
Man Killed While Hunting - Father of 4 Dies Later In Hospital Richard Gunyan, 25, Victim of Bullet
Richard Gunyan, 25, of 820 Connecticut street, died at 11:15 o’clock Sunday night at Wyoming General hospital, death resulting from a gunshot wound through the head, according to Sweetwater county authorities who yesterday investigated the accident. The shot is reported to have been fired from a .22 Stevens rifle in the hands of Jack McGarvey, 14, son of Mrs. Patrick McGarvey of 20 Ridge avenue. Gunyan and young McGarvey were two of a party of four who started north to hunt rabbits late Sunday afternoon. The others were Jack Gunyan, brother of the victim and Patrick McGarvey, 16, brother of Jack McGarvey.
The hunters reached the Boar’s Tusk area, north of highway 187 in vicinity of 14 mile hill, north of Rock Springs, after dark. When they spotted rabbits running across the road in front of their car they stopped, planning to kill several by the lights of the car which were augmented by a spotlight. Richard Gunyan was driving the car and his brother occupied the front seat with him. The McGarvey brothers were riding in the rear seat of the car, Jack on the left directly behind Richard Gunyan. Jack Gunyan and Patrick McGarvey vacated the car on the right side and Richard Gunyan and Jack McGarvey left the car on the left side. Gunyan knelt on the ground with his gun in his hand presumably to take aim at rabbits which the party had sighted in the lights ahead. He raised to his feet just as Jack McGarvey standing behind him, fired at a running rabbit. The shot from McGarvey’s gun struck Gunyan in the head and he sank to the ground, authorities report.
Realizing Richard had been shot, the other three hunters placed him in the car and started for Rock Springs. On reaching here they drove directly to Wyoming General hospital entering the wounded man at 8:30 o’clock. He died two and one-quarter hours later.Gunyan lapsed into unconsciousness when he sunk to the ground beside his car after the bullet had pierced his head. He died without regaining consciousness.Coroner J. Warden Opie and Sheriff Mike Maher took a coroner’s jury, accompanied by Jack Gunyan and the two McGarvey boys, to the scene of the shooting yesterday afternoon where the officers investigated, with the three hunters relating what had happened.The jurors were Cecil Outsen, James Davis and Lieut. George Schmidt.At an inquest conducted yesterday afternoon by County Coroner J. Warden Opie, the jury concluded that the shooting was accidental. Verdict reads as follows:’ Richard Gunyan came to his death while hunting on November 18, 1845, as a result of an accidental shot fired from a .22 caliber rifle. We feel that all members of this hunting party should be exonerated.” Jury members were James F. Davis, George A. Schmidt and C.A. Outsen.
Richard Gunyan was born June 27, 1920, in Denver and spent most of his life in Rock Springs. He was employed as a hoistman at the Colony Coal company’s mine at Dines at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife, Audrey Miller Gunyan; four children, Richard Jr., 4; Betty Jean, 3; Gerald, 2 and Rogers, four months; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Gunyan, three brothers and six sisters.
Rock Springs Daily Rocket, Nov. 21, 1945
Gunyan Funeral Services Friday
Funeral services for Richard Gunyan, 25, of 715. Connecticut street, will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at the Congregational church, with Rev. J. Vincent Crane officiating. Burial will be in Mountain View cemetery. The body will remain at the Wildermuth mortuary chapel where friends may call prior to the services. Gunyan died at Wyoming General hospital Sunday night of a gunshot wound which he incurred that evening while hunting rabbits in the vicinity of Boar’s Tusk, north of Rock Springs. A coroner’s jury which investigated the accident Monday exonerated all members of the hunting party from blame and designated Gunyan’s death as accidental. The victim of the accident is survived by his wife, Audrey Miller Gunya, and four children, Richard Jr., 4; Betty Jean, 3; Cheryl, 2; and Rogers, four months; his parents, Mrs. and Mrs. Ben Gunyan of this city; three brothers, Robert of San Diego, and Ronald and Jack, at home; six sisters, Mrs. George Markisich of Salt Lake City, Mrs. Don Corder, Mrs. Harvey Washum and Mrs. George Kettering of Rock Springs, Mrs. Felix Chabre of Dines and Betty Jane, at home.