It didn’t take long for the fall deer-hunting season to take a tragic turn.
Delaware State Police announced Saturday that Walter Moorhead, 74, of Salisbury, Md., faces multiple charges involving the shooting and killing a woman he had mistaken for a deer.
The incident occurred Friday evening (Sept. 18) in the Delaware town of Ellendale. The 39-year-old victim, whose identity was not disclosed, was walking through an open field with a man and two children when she was shot.
Troopers responded and attempted "life-saving medical care," but the victim was pronounced dead after being transported to a hospital.
Moorhead had been hunting from a blind at the time. Troopers determined that Moorhead "had fired the shot that struck the victim” and took him
into custody, according to a Delaware State Police news release.
"Moorhead believed he saw a deer and fired his rifle, striking the victim,” the news release stated.
Moorhead was released on a $43,000 bond as the Delaware State Police Homicide Unit continues to investigate the case.
Felony charges include Manslaughter Recklessly Caused the Death of Another Person; Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, and Reckless Endangering First Degree.
The deer-hunting season in Delaware began Sept. 1.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Hunter fatally shoots woman he had mistaken for deer, troopers say
