New Mexico hunting guides claimed they were shot by illegal immigrants crossing the border while on a trip in southern Texas, but investigators discovered they had actually shot each other.

The Washington Post reports that hunting guides Walker Daugherty and Michael Bryant from New Mexico were leading a party through Circle Dug Ranch in southern Texas when they claim their group was attacked in the middle of the night by illegal immigrants crossing the border. Daugherty was shot in the stomach and 59-year-old Edwin Roberts, a member of the party who hired Daughery and Bryant, was shot in the arm. While they were being airlifted to a hospital, the group said they were attacked by illegals who were attempting to rob them and steal their RV. Family and friends of the group also stated that the alleged attackers were attempting to kill the hunting party.

Support for the hunting party poured out, with a GoFundMe page being started to cover Daugherty's medical bills, collecting over $26,000, as well as public support from the Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller who posted the story to Facebook as a means to support President Trump's border wall, saying,

This is why we need the wall and to secure our borders. There are violent criminals and members of drug cartels coming in and it must put a stop to it before we have many more Walker Daughertys.

After the report of the shooting, Border Patrol sent 30 agents to the area to search for the alleged attackers, but found no physical evidence to corroborate the statements from the hunting party. Presidio County Sheriff Danny Dominguez revealed that evidence suggested that Daugherty had shot Roberts and Bryant had shot Daugherty, believing the shooting stemmed from paranoia about stories of violence along the Texas/Mexico border. Both Daugherty and Bryant were taken into custody and indicted on one count each of using deadly conduct by discharging firearms in the direction of others.

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