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'Gonzo' author shoots assistant

FROM IAN BRODIE IN WASHINGTON THE eccentric advocate of gonzo journalism, Hunter S. Thompson, slightly wounded his woman assistant when he fired a shotgun to drive a bear off his 60-acre ranch near Aspen, Colorado.

It is not the first time that Mr Thompson, 63, has been involved in incidents involving guns. He is renowned for having a small arsenal. Authorities shrugged off the episode.

The victim, Debra Fuller, 58, was admitted to the local hospital with a gunshot wound and left two hours later. Ms Fuller, who lives in a cabin on Mr Thompson's property, has been his secretary and helper for many years.

A bear near the Thompson home was reported by the sheriff's department to the state wildlife office; a spokesman said that there had been many similar sightings in the mountains around Aspen this summer. "It's like a zoo up there," she said. The district attorney, Mac Myers, confirmed that there had been a shooting on the Thompson property, but said that he had not received any written reports about it.

The incident was a reminder that Mr Thompson, or Dr Thompson as he calls himself, is still the master of Owl Farm, a hunting lodge that has been described as part hippy commune, redneck firing range and unabashed shrine to his heyday. For years he has been portrayed as sitting on his porch, drinking bourbon and firing his .357 magnum into the bush.

In the Seventies, he wrote bestselling books, including Hell's Angels and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Mr Thompson, who has sold artworks he created by shooting holes in photos of Mickey Mouse and the late J. Edgar Hoover, said recently that he had every right to carry guns.

"I just bought another huge weapon. A lot of people should not own guns. I should. I have a safety record. Guns are a lot of fun out here."

Copyright 2000 Times Newspapers Ltd.
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