Daijiworld Media Network - Oklahoma

Oklahoma, Dec 28: An Oklahoma man has been charged with first-degree manslaughter after a woman was fatally shot by a stray bullet while he was allegedly firing a handgun at a target in his backyard on Christmas Day, authorities said.

According to an affidavit, the victim, identified as Sandra Phelps, was sitting under a covered porch with family members and holding a child when they heard gunshots from a nearby area. “Sandra commented that someone got a new gun for Christmas and then shortly after Sandra said ‘ouch’ and collapsed,” the affidavit stated.

The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office said it received a report around 3.15 pm of a person with a gunshot wound. Emergency responders rushed to the scene, where Phelps was pronounced dead.

Investigators found that a single bullet had passed through Phelps’ upper right arm and into her chest. During a canvass of the area, officers identified a house less than a mile away that lacked proper shooting backstops.

The affidavit said deputies learned that the resident of the house, Cody Wayne Adams, 33, had recently purchased a Glock 45 handgun for Christmas and that neighbours had heard him firing the weapon that afternoon. Adams told officers he had been shooting in his backyard and showed them a Red Bull can he had been using as a target.

Authorities concluded that the position from which Adams was firing aligned with the trajectory of the bullet that struck Phelps. The affidavit noted that Adams became visibly upset and began to cry after learning someone had been injured.

Adams was arrested on Thursday and charged with first-degree manslaughter. He was released on a $100,000 bond on Friday. It was not immediately known whether he has legal representation.