A well-known Alabama fire chief was killed Sunday night when a homeowner shot at both of them after he stopped to help a driver who collided with a deer, authorities said.
Coweta County Fire Battalion Chief James Bartholomew Cauthen and the driver involved in the accident were walking down a driveway near County Road 276 in Chambers County to get help around 5 p.m. when William Without warning, Randall Franklin began firing at the two men, authorities said. he told WRBL on Monday.
According to the Chambers County Sheriff's Office, Kosen, 54, and the driver were both struck by gunfire, and the fire chief was pronounced dead at the scene. said in a news release.
The driver was injured but is expected to survive.
Chambers County Chief Deputy Mike Parrish told WRBL that a 33-year-old gunman was also injured in what police say was an exchange of gunfire after an armed driver returned fire.
The two victims had no cellphone service, so they approached Franklin's home.
Authorities said Kosen first learned of the deer crash because he was tending to land he owns or manages nearby.
“Coweta County Fire and Rescue Services continues to be devastated by the tragic death of Battalion Chief Bert Causen,” his department said in a statement Monday.
“Cosen has been with our department for over 24 years. He was a wonderful, hard-working man with a kind soul.”
Franklin is expected to recover from his wounds and will later be charged with murder, the sheriff's office said.
The wife of the driver involved in the deer collision also did not get out of the car and was not injured.
The sheriff's office said the first deputy to arrive at the scene became alarmed when he saw blood stains.
“This was an unusual call that no one could have prepared for,” the sheriff's office said on Facebook.
“The first lieutenant on the scene thought he was just pulling up a deer wreck. Instead, he found three people with gunshot wounds. Nothing prepared him for that. There was nothing.”
The allegations surrounding the Alabama gun death are reminiscent of the upstate New York homeowner who fired shots at a car that accidentally pulled into his driveway, killing 20-year-old Kaylin Gillis in 2023.
The perpetrator, Kevin Monaghan, was found guilty last year and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
