Maryland hunter charged with manslaughter after fatally shooting woman he mistook for deer

A 74-year-old Maryland man shot and killed a woman in Delaware after mistaking her for a deer while hunting. He faces manslaughter and related charges.

Delaware hunting incident leaves Georgetown woman dead, Salisbury man charged

A 74-year-old man has been charged with manslaughter after fatally shooting a woman he allegedly mistook for a deer during a hunting trip in Ellendale, Delaware, NBC News reports.

Walter Moorhead of Salisbury, Maryland, was arrested after Delaware State Police responded at around 7:40 p.m. on Friday to reports of a woman shot in an open field. Troopers rendered assistance before the victim, a 39-year-old woman, was transported to hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

State police identified the woman on Sunday as Santos Maria Chilel Soto of Georgetown, Delaware.

Chilel Soto was walking through the field with a man and two children at the time of the shooting. Moorhead was allegedly concealed inside a camouflaged shelter known as a "ground blind" when he fired his rifle, believing he had spotted a deer. The shot struck Chilel Soto.

In addition to manslaughter, Moorhead was charged with reckless endangerment and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was released on a $43,000 cash bond, state police said.

Moorhead did not respond to a request for comment. It was not immediately clear whether he has retained legal representation.

Source: Google News MT