Four seamen arrested in connection with Collier County bird shootings

Feb 22, 2009 1 min read

NAPLES (AP) – The U.S. Navy is investigating the arrests of four men accused of wantonly shooting and killing 21 protected birds.

In all, seven people were accused in the shootings of the wading birds near Goodland last week. Four of them are recent graduates of the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and enrolled at the Naval Aviation Schools Command in Pensacola.

A base spokesman say the Navy takes the action seriously and says an internal investigation is under way. The spokesman refused to discuss possible reprimands.