STEPHENS COUNTY, Okla. — An Oklahoma man is accused of fatally shooting a woman with a handgun while he was doing target practice in his backyard, striking the victim who was sitting with two children on a neighboring front porch, authorities said.
According to the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office, Cody Wayne Adams, 33, was arrested and charged with first-degree manslaughter in the Christmas Day shooting.
The victim was identified as Sandra Phelps, of Comanche.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Phelps was sitting on a covered front porch with family members and was holding a baby in her left arm. Investigators said she was struck in her right upper arm and the bullet then penetrated her chest cavity just below her armpit.
According to the affidavit, Phelps allegedly heard shots and remarked that someone had received a gun as a Christmas gift. Shortly afterward, she said “ouch” and collapsed.
Authorities investigating the shooting went to residences in the area and discovered that only Adams’ property had “suitable shooting backstops of firing locations,” according to the affidavit.
Adams told investigators that the Glock .45 handgun he was using had been bought by him as a Christmas gift. He also showed them an energy drink can that he had been using for target practice.
According to his neighbors, Adams had been shooting “about 20 rounds” Thursday afternoon, the affidavit stated.
Adams allowed investigators to search his residence. According to the affidavit, authorities determined that there was “a clear line” from Adams’ vantage point to the porch where Phelps had been shot.
At that point, Adams became “visibly upset and began to cry,” the affidavit stated.
Adams was arrested later Thursday on the manslaughter charge.
He made his initial appearance in court and was later released on a $100,000 bond, online court records show. He is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 25.
If convicted of the manslaughter charge, Adams could spend up to four years in prison.
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