A woman visiting her mother and stepfather in Central Florida for the holidays was fatally shot late Tuesday when she was mistaken for an intruder, police said Wednesday. Sherry Campbell, 45, was asleep when she heard someone enter the door a little past midnight. Not expecting anyone to visit that night, and compounded by the fact that the footsteps were approaching quickly, she assumed it was a home invader and fired off a single shot, according to ABC 7.
However, who she thought was a home invader turned out to be her 27-year-old daughter, Ashley Doby, visiting from North Carolina.
A little while later, Doby's stepfather called 911 to tell them that his stepdaughter had passed out and was having difficulty breathing due to a heart problem.
During his five-minute call, he never mentioned that Doby was shot because he had been asleep at the time of the shooting and was not aware of what truly transpired, reported the Orlando Sentinel. It wasn't until his wife notified him of the shooting that any appropriate attempts to save her life were taken.
But by that point it was already too late. She was taken to a local hospital for gunshot wound, but was declared dead. The mother, revealed to be a 911 dispatcher, was also taken to the hospital for treatment.
Detectives are investigating the case, but believe the shooting was accidental, thus declining to arrest Campbell on criminal charges.
"The homeowner's story is consistent with the physical evidence and the witness' statement," Sgt. Denise Roberts said in a news release, according to CNN. "At this time, the incident appears to be an accidental shooting; however, the investigation is ongoing..."
The Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office will decide whether to file criminal charges after the St. Cloud Police Department completes its investigation. Florida's Department of Law Enforcement will not be investigating since Campbell isn't a law enforcement officer.
She is on administrative leave pending the conclusion of the investigation.
