Tragedy struck in Stuart, Florida when a husband shot his six-month pregnant wife to death because he thought she was an intruder. The incident happened on November 4, Wednesday, at exactly 1:30 a.m.
What happened?
According to Martin County Sheriff William Snyder, the events on Wednesday happened a little after midnight. The man (suspect's name has been withheld) said that he heard a scuffle outside their bedroom. He checked his wife's side of the bed and thought she was there. Apparently, she was not, reported Meaww.
He got his pistol and checked outside. He saw a figure in the dark and thought it was a felon. Training his sights, he fired a round at the figure in the dark.
However, upon checking the person whom he shot, he was surprised that it was his wife.
Realizing that he shot his spouse by accident, he immediately called 911 and reported that he accidentally shot his wife with his gun. Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) were summoned to their residence. The pregnant woman was rushed to the hospital, where she was declared dead from the gunshot wound.
The child she was carrying, however, was saved, cited NBC News.
The sheriff said the man gave a detailed statement about what happened. "He gave us a pretty in-depth statement, in which he said that he woke up in the middle of the night, though he heard somebody in the house, went to investigate with a handgun, saw a shape in the hallway and fired one round and unfortunately, it turned out to be his wife," said Sheriff Snyder as reported by the Tampa Bay Times.
Also read: Jealous Husband Slays Ex-Wife's Fiancé With an Axe Before They Got Married
The sheriff added that it is a difficult case because you have someone convinced that he is protecting the residence but instead shot his wife to death.
Nevertheless, the authorities will still investigate the incident to make sure that there was no foul play and that the man was telling the truth. This will take several steps.
The man also had a two-year-old toddler in the house during the shooting. But the child is safe, noted US News.
Snyder also took the opportunity to warn people who have guns in their homes to be cautious instead of protecting their family; they might be the ones harming them, albeit unintentionally.
Using a deadly weapon like a pistol should be done smartly. Make sure that whoever is out there is not a family member, and take time to think before firing a gun. Deadly force should be used in the right way.
A similar case happened when a 15-year-old Alabama girl was shot by her stepfather, who also thought she was an intruder. The girl had gone home late at 2:15 a.m. and went in through the garage door.
Her stepdad thought she was an intruder and shot her in the stomach. The girl is said to be in serious condition.
Related article: Man Fatally Shoots Wife and Mother-In-Law Because of a Misplaced Gun Magazine
