Hunter shoots and kills woman after mistaking her for a deer, troopers say
ELLENDALE, Del. (Gray News) – Authorities in Delaware say a 74-year-old hunter is facing charges after he mistook a woman walking through a field for a deer and fatally shot her.
Delaware State Police arrested 74-year-old Walter Moorhead on manslaughter and related charges. While hunting, he allegedly shot and killed 39-year-old Santos Maria Chilel Soto after mistaking her for a deer.
Troopers responded about 7:40 p.m. Friday to an open field in Ellendale for a report of a woman who had been shot. They gave the victim lifesaving medical care before she was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Moorhead was taken into custody at the scene.
Troopers say a preliminary investigation revealed Chilel Soto was walking through the field with a man and two children while Moorhead was hunting deer from a ground blind, a type of hunting blind set up on the ground to hide hunters while they wait for game.
Troopers say Moorhead believed he saw a deer and fired his rifle, striking Chilel Soto.
Moorhead is facing felony charges of manslaughter, three counts of first-degree reckless endangering and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Troopers say he was released after posting a $43,000 cash bond.
The incident remains under investigation.
