A South Carolina woman and her husband were walking their dog when she was shot dead by a hunter – who mistook her for a deer while illegally hunting at night.
Kristofer Kelle McDonald, 20, was allegedly hunting unlawfully around 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday when he fired off three rounds from his 20-gauge shotgun after mistaking the sounds of rustling leaves near the Sawmill Branch Walking Trail in Summerville for deer, according to police, local outlets reported.
Lori Wind, 54, was shot and killed by a single bullet, while her husband, who was shot multiple times, was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office said.
“There’s just no excuse for anybody being careless with a firearm, and certainly perhaps someone paid a price with their life,” Chief Deputy Sam Richardson said during a briefing, local outlets reported.
“There’s just no excuse for that.”
The shooting was in violation of state law – which forbids hunting more than an hour after sunset and requires hunters to maintain a distance of at least 300 yards from residential property.
The gun-wielding suspect turned himself in on Wednesday and confessed to illegally hunting after seeing reports of his fatal blunder on the news, according to the arrest warrant.
He was charged with involuntary manslaughter, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, criminal negligent use of a firearm resulting in death, criminal negligent use of a firearm resulting in great bodily harm, and night hunting, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources announced.
McDonald was held at the Dorchester County L.C. Knight Detention Center until he posted a $400,000 bond Thursday, local outlets reported.
He is due back in court in December.
