A 39-year-old woman was fatally shot in Delaware last week after a hunter allegedly mistook her for a deer, authorities said.
Walter Moorhead, 74, of Salisbury, Maryland, has been charged in connection with the death of Santos Maria Chilel Soto, who was shot Friday evening near Ellendale, according to Delaware State Police. The charges include manslaughter and reckless endangerment.
Investigators with the state police homicide unit said Moorhead was hunting from a crouched position in an open field when Soto walked past with a man and two children. Believing he had spotted a deer, Moorhead fired his rifle in their direction, striking Soto, police said. He was taken into custody at the scene and later released on $43,000 bond.
Troopers arrived at approximately 7:40 p.m. Responders provided emergency medical treatment before transporting Soto to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead, authorities said.
Moorhead is also charged with possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony and three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment.
The investigation remains active. Delaware State Police are asking anyone who may have information about the shooting to contact investigators or submit a tip through Delaware Crime Stoppers.
Delaware State Police
An evangelical church in Georgetown, Delaware, where Soto lived, posted an obituary following her death.
“Our church announces with profound sorrow the passing of our beloved sister in Christ, Maria Chilel Soto,” the church said in the Spanish-language obituary, which was translated. “We stand with her family and loved ones in prayer and solidarity as they face this profound loss.”
The congregation later held services to remember Soto and support her family, with videos shared online. Church officials said details about the funeral would be released once arrangements were finalized.
Soto’s relatives have also created a GoFundMe fundraiser to help cover funeral expenses and the cost of returning her body to Guatemala, her country of origin, for burial. By Monday morning, the campaign had raised roughly $4,500 toward its $6,500 target.
The Delaware shooting occurred about a year after a teenager died in rural Iowa when another hunter apparently mistook him for a squirrel.
