Christmas target practice turns deadly as stray bullet kills Oklahoma woman sitting on porch
An Oklahoma man is facing a first-degree manslaughter charge after authorities say a bullet he fired while doing target practice in his backyard struck and killed a woman sitting with her family on Christmas Day.
Cody Adams, 33, was charged with first-degree manslaughter in connection with the shooting, court records show.
At approximately 3:15 p.m. on Dec. 25, the Stephens County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of a shooting in Stephens County, Oklahoma., where Sandra Phelps was fatally struck while sitting on her front porch holding a child, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Witnesses told deputies they periodically heard gunshots over several minutes north of the residence, before Phelps said "ouch" and collapsed, the affidavit states. Moments before, Phelps allegedly commented that someone got a new gun for Christmas.
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Investigators determined the bullet entered Phelps’ upper right arm and traveled into her chest, consistent with a steep downward angle.
A canvass of nearby properties identified one residence without a suitable shooting backstop, which belonged to Adams, according to the affidavit.
Adams told deputies he had been shooting a new Glock .45-caliber handgun he bought for himself for Christmas, and he showed police where he had been shooting in his backyard at a Red Bull on the ground.
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The affidavit states that "there was nothing behind his property to stop any bullets from traveling beyond his property and hurting someone."
Investigators also found spent shell casings and a piece of broken ceramic tile in front of the target, which they say likely caused the bullet’s altered trajectory, according to the affidavit.
Adams later told police he was "sorry" and "became visibly upset" after being informed they believed his bullet caused Phelps’ death.
Adams appeared in court on Friday and was released on a $100,000 bond, according to court records.