A beloved Iowa varsity football star, known for his kindness and fierce competitiveness, was accidentally shot dead when his friends mistook him for a squirrel on a hunting trip, officials said.

Carson Ryan, 17, a senior at Washington High School, was blasted in the back of the head by a member of his hunting party while on the prowl for squirrels Saturday afternoon in Brighton, roughly 12 miles from Des Moines, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

The young athlete was rushed to UI Health Care Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Carson Ryan, 17, was killed Saturday afternoon during a hunting trip gone wrong. GOFUNDME

“Carson was a fierce competitor in everything he did,” Washington assistant football coach Nic Williams said at a vigil hosted by the

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