Mountain biker shot dead by a hunter in the French Alps

A British mountain biker was shot dead by a hunter in the French Alps on Saturday as first reported by Le Dauphine. The fatal shooting happened in Montriond in the Haute-Savoie region of France near the border of Switzerland. The deceased was Mark Sutton, a 34-year-old man who had been living in that region of France for four years and owned two restaurants in nearby Les Gets.

The mountain biker was descending a trail on the edge of the forest at around 6 pm when he was fatally shot by a 22-year-old. According to the investigators, the victim was riding a popular trail at 1,350 m of elevation that was frequently used by mountain bikers. According to state prosecutor Philippe Toccaniera, Sutton would have been “perfectly identifiable” to the hunters.

The hunter was part of an expedition of seven invited members organized by the local hunting club. According to the procecutor, the hunter was treated for shock at a local hospital adding that “He could not be placed in custody” because of his condition.”

The local gendarmes opened an investigating for involuntary aggravated manslaughter and are trying to establish under what conditions the shooting took place.