A HUNTER has gunned down a mother-of-five after he mistook her for a deer, police say.
Walter Moorhead, 74, was charged with manslaughter after allegedly shooting Santos Maria Chilel Soto, 39, as she strolled through a Delaware field with her two kids.
Walter Moorhead, 74, was charged with manslaughter following the horror shooting Credit: Delaware State Police
Santos Maria Chilel Soto, 39, was shot by a hunter who mistook her for an animal Credit: Facebook/Iglesia De Dios Fuente De Verdad Delaware
According to state cops, Moorhead was hunting deer from a camouflaged structure in Ellendale when he fatally shot the mother.
Moorhead believed he saw a deer and fired his rifle, horrifically striking Santos in a tragic blunder, police said.
Sign up for The Jattvibe newsletter
Thank you!
The horror incident unfolded around 7.40pm on Friday after which Santos received lifesaving medical care but was later pronounced dead at hospital.
Delaware State Police said: “The preliminary investigation revealed that the victim was walking through the field with a man and two children while Moorhead was hunting deer from a ground blind.”
‘ENDLESSLY CARING’
Mum-of-two killed after being hit by car while riding bike is pictured
‘POISON’ PROBE
Horror as ten lions found dead after ‘poisoning’ at popular wildlife reserve
Santos was a “beloved aunt” and a mother of five children, according to a GoFundMe to raise money to send her body back to Guatemala.
The family are said to be in “overwhelming pain” following the sudden loss.
The fundraiser said: “This heartbreaking situation has placed a heavy financial burden on the family at a time when they are grieving deeply.”
Moorhead has since been released after posting a £32,140 cash bond.
In addition to the charge of felony manslaughter, he is facing three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, as well as a count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, state police said.
The shocking case comes as a young man died last year after an accidental shooting during a hunting trip in Ireland.
The victim, named locally as Paul Fitzpatrick, 21, was understood to have been hunting for foxes near Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow, when he suffered a gunshot wound.
It is understood Paul had been out on the late night hunting trip when he was fatally struck by a bullet discharged by one of his companions.
In 2018 a French national shot a British mountain cyclist dead after he was mistaken for a fast-moving animal such as a boar or a deer.
Marc Sutton, 34, was killed as he rode through “thick woods” near a ski resort in the French Alps in October.
He died “from a single bullet” wound, said a source.
The gunman was admitted to hospital “in severe shock” so he could not immediately be interviewed or charged.
In a shocking twist, Marc’s sister said he deserved to be shot like an animal.
Katie Toghill, 32, says he did her family a favour by killing Sutton, who she claimed repeatedly raped and beat her when they were kids.
