Complaint: Man accused in hunting shooting did not have current hunting license

WAYNE COUNTY, WV (WOWK) – A man is facing multiple charges in connection to the shooting of a hunter in Wayne County.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Wayne County Magistrate Court, Steven “Stevie” Jackson, 63, is facing charges of negligently shooting a human while hunting, hunting without a license, failure to render aid and felon in possession of a firearm.

The incident happened around 1:45 p.m. Tuesday when a hunter, identified by law enforcement and his family as Wayne Williamson, Jr., was shot while hunting in the Joels Branch area of Genoa, West Virginia. His father, Kermit Assistant Fire Cheif Wayne Williamson, tells WOWK 13 News the incident happened the day before his son’s 25th birthday.

“A lot of people is going to blame this on guns, but it wasn’t the gun’s fault,” said Wayne Williamson, the Kermit Assistant Fire Chief and father of Wayne Williamson Jr. “The gun had nothing to do with it. It was an error of a heartless man that thought my 6-foot-tall son was a wild turkey.”

The complaint says Williamson, Jr., told authorities and medics that the suspect had shot him, and then when he “begged” the suspect for assistance, the suspect fled from the scene without providing aid. Williamson was flown to a hospital in Huntington to be treated for injuries. Authorities say Wayne Jr. was shot only one time, but his father tells WOWK 13 News the single shot caused injuries to his neck, right arm and chest.

According to the complaint, officers investigated the area and spoke to the landowner of a neighboring property. The landowner showed them a photo of Jackson entering the property and hunting on Saturday morning. They also received a description of the suspect from Williamson, Jr.

The complaint states that while searching the WV DNR Electronic Licensing System, investigators discovered that Jackson does not have a current hunting license. A background search on Jackson also found that he had been convicted of multiple felonies, including malicious assault and malicious wounding in 2009 and twice in 1982, and voluntary manslaughter in 1982.

Officers say they went to a property in Genoa associated with Jackson but were not able to find him. The complaint says they did, however, find turkey decoys and targets on the property. He was also not at any other “possible locations” officers checked throughout the night.

On Wednesday, authorities who had returned to the scene to continue the investigation were notified that Jackson was willing to turn himself in, and then met with him at the sheriff’s department. During the investigation, they also learned Jackson did not have permission from the property owner to hunt on her property.

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