HAILEY, Idaho — Michael Bosse of Hailey is a dog trainer, who frequently spends his time at Lion's Park. On Friday, Sept. 1, while he was at the park playing on his phone, he noticed a man drive by him and then turn around. What happened next changed his life forever.
“He asked if I had seen a moose around here,” Bosse said. “I said 'no,' and then he said 'no,' kind of questioningly. I said, 'no, sorry,' and then he didn't drive away, which I thought was kind of weird. So, I just started staring at my phone and then I heard a pop and I immediately went blind and couldn't see anything.”
Bosse told KTVB he was shot in the head. Doctors have told him his eyes are beyond repair.
“There's no chance for me to return any of my vision, I will be blind for the rest of my life," Bosse said. “I don't know the details of that, that's something that when we get to the University of Washington, they're going to have to run more tests. It's going to be challenging.”
Despite the challenge, Bosse remains in good spirits. He told KTVB he certainly hasn't lost his sense of humor, with "a great support system behind me."
His sister, Tamara Gessner, was by his side as KTVB talked with him on Thursday.
“It's been pretty emotional and heartbreaking," Gessner said. "I mean, we're lifted up though, because he has been so positive and we've joked around for the last few days … I’m so thankful that his mind is just not affected by this in the sense of he's still my little brother. I'm thankful for that.”
One day after Bosse was shot, the Blaine County Sheriff's Office arrested 72-year-old William R. Butler in connection to the shooting. Bosse said he does not know Butler.
“This person didn't intend to blind me, he didn't intend for me to be talking to the news or the police or anything like that," Bosse said. "Like, his intention was for me to die that day and it's kind of like – I hope anyone who is feeling that kind of way, that's a signal to seek help."
A GoFundMe account has been created to go toward medical and rehabilitation expenses. The fundraiser can be found by clicking here.
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