Hunter Shoots Woman Mistaken for Deer in Delaware

A tragic incident unfolded in Delaware when a woman was mistaken for a deer and fatally shot by a hunter. Police report that 74-year-old Walter Moorhead faces several charges, including manslaughter and reckless endangerment, for the death of Santos Maria Chilel Soto, aged 39. The event occurred Friday evening in Ellendale.

Moorhead, from Salisbury, Maryland, was present when the shooting took place. Police arrested him but later released him on a $43,000 bond. According to the Delaware State Police, a preliminary investigation revealed Moorhead was hunting in an open field when he accidentally shot Soto, who was passing by with a man and two children. Mistaking her for a deer, Moorhead fired his rifle.

Authorities received a call to the scene around 7:40 p.m. Responders provided Soto with immediate medical attention and transported her to a nearby hospital where she was declared dead. Besides manslaughter, Moorhead is charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment.

“We request anyone with information about this case to contact our department directly or leave tips via Delaware Crime Stoppers,” the state police urged.

Soto lived in Georgetown, Delaware. An evangelical church in the area expressed condolences in an obituary, stating, “It is with deep sorrow that our church announces the passing of our beloved sister in Christ, Maria Chilel Soto.” The church has organized services to honor Soto and her family, with recordings available on social media. Details about funeral arrangements will be provided as they become available.

Her family has initiated a GoFundMe campaign to cover funeral costs and transportation for her burial in Guatemala. By Monday morning, they had raised around $4,500 of their $6,500 target.

This incident has occurred about a year after a similar case in rural Iowa, where a teenager was shot and killed by another hunter who mistook him for a squirrel.