Man Kills Himself by Accident, Police Say
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SANTA ROSA — A man pestered by woodpeckers fluttering around his home headed out to shoot at them but apparently slipped and shot himself instead, police said.
The body of Gary Bowers, a well-known local businessman, was found outside his home about noon Thursday.
Detectives were told that Bowers, reportedly in his early 50s, had been bothered by woodpeckers and had been using a pellet gun to shoot them. On Thursday, he apparently decided to use a shotgun, but slipped on the front porch en route to his targets, Police Sgt. Tom Combs said.
“I heard what I thought was a shot, and I didn’t pay that much attention to it,” said neighbor Virginia Truzzolino.
Combs said an autopsy and a test for gun residue will be conducted to determine whether Bowers fired the shot.
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