Farmer mistook woman for Groundhog

[Hum]

An Ohio woman died after a Sugar Creek Township farmer accidentally shot her.

Police said that field hand Natasha Stover, 22, was shooting targets with a pellet gun in tall grass on Monday when her boss, 79-year-old Ralph Adams Jr., thought she was a groundhog and opened fire with his rifle.

The bullet struck the young woman in the head from about 165 feet away. She was taken to a hospital where she died Tuesday.

The Stark County Sheriff's Office has handed over the investigation to the prosecutor's office. Sheriff George Maier told WKYC that the shooting appears to be an accident, although the investigation is ongoing.

No charges have been filed.

source & video

[+Matthew S. Subscriber²]

SMH... prepare for the Gun vs Control debate in...

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[Hum]

Was she crawling on the ground ?

 

Humans are usually a little taller than groundhogs.

[blerk]

RIP to the woman. Unfortunate accident. 

 

SMH... prepare for the Gun vs Control debate in...

3...

2...

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Silly topic for a gun control debate - pretty much universally accepted that farmers can own and use guns. 

 

Was she crawling on the ground ?

 

Humans are usually a little taller than groundhogs.

Big groundhogs in Ohio. They all have long hair as well, apparently. 

[theyarecomingforyou]

Silly topic for a gun control debate - pretty much universally accepted that farmers can own and use guns.

Exactly. Even in the UK, which has strict restrictions on firearms, I go out with a semi-automatic shotgun shooting rabbits on a local farm. The issue here is whether the farmer acted irresponsibly by shooting at an unidentified/misidentified target and should face criminal charges. Certainly he should be banned from using firearms until he has undergone firearms training and counselling to determine his psychological state.

[+Matthew S. Subscriber²]

RIP to the woman. Unfortunate accident. 

 

Silly topic for a gun control debate - pretty much universally accepted that farmers can own and use guns. 

 

Big groundhogs in Ohio. They all have long hair as well, apparently. 

 

 

Exactly. Even in the UK, which has strict restrictions on firearms, I go out with a semi-automatic shotgun shooting rabbits on a local farm. The issue here is whether the farmer acted irresponsibly by shooting at an unidentified/misidentified target and should face criminal charges. Certainly he should be banned from using firearms until he has undergone firearms training and counselling to determine his psychological state.

I know, but it's still fuel for those that want Gun Control.  

[Yazoo]

"Should have gone to Specsavers"  Human , Groundhog yeah they look alike  :/

[trag3dy]

79 year old man confusing a person for a ground hog. Has he had his vision checked recently? 

[Ilys]

[...]was shooting targets with a pellet gun[..]

 

If only they banned pellet guns, this tragedy would never have happened!

 

 

Obligatory /s tag.

[AsherGZ]

What was a 79yo even doing with a gun? Just like senile people have their driving licenses revoked, the same should apply for weapons.

[Fergdog]

Just like how the elderly are checked more often for driving license renewals, should they be checked often for accuracy/vision if they own a gun?

 

Edit: And Asher said the same thing while I was typing :p

[watkinsx2]

Should have gone to Specsavers.

[Ambroos]

What was a 79yo even doing with a gun? Just like senile people have their driving licenses revoked, the same should apply for weapons.

 

There are 79yo's that are in a better mental condition than you are. Age is not a guarantee.

[Rohdekill]

No double-tap, obviously an accident.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

I have no idea how this could happen, she was a fair distance away so the guy had to be a pretty good shot, but he confused a woman with a groundhog? Just how big to groundhogs get over there?

If only they banned pellet guns, this tragedy would never have happened!

 

 

Obligatory /s tag.

The woman who died had the pellet gun, her boss has something much more deadly.

[DocM]

Going to guess here, not excusing his obviously poor shot selection.

Short woman

Pellet gun target boxes & pellet catchers are less than 2 feet high

There was shrubbery or dried high grass between them.

She goes to check her target box, which is usually on the ground, squatting with her head down at less than 3 feet. He comes on the scene and only sees her hair above the grasses. He mistakes her hair sticking up above the grass for a woodchuck, and Bang.

Woodchucks, a large ground squirrel, have various colorations between gray and brown. Big ones can weigh 20-35 pounds and stretch out to well over 2 feet high, some 3 feet, when checking for predators.

Most are smaller, but some in the midwest are HUGE,

[theyarecomingforyou]

I know, but it's still fuel for those that want Gun Control.  

I am a major advocate of gun control but it's not reasonable to relate it to this particular incident. Clearly this man had not properly identified his target, which resulted in the death of an innocent person. That to me is grounds for criminal charges and, as I said, it strikes me as reasonable that he be banned from operating firearms until he has been psychologically analysed and has undergone firearms training. People in the US have a right to bear arms but they also have a right not to be shot and killed for no reason.

[xrobwx71]

At least it's not in Florida. Sorry for the women and her Family.

[User6060]

no matter the question the answer is SHOOT IT

[Rippleman]

I know, but it's still fuel for those that want Gun Control.  

 

no its not, virtually ALL pro gun control people agree that some people actually "NEED" guns and one of those groups of people include farmers. Sounds like you have an issue about it though.

If only they banned pellet guns, this tragedy would never have happened!

 

 

Obligatory /s tag.

 

you should read the story....

[AsherGZ]

no its not, virtually ALL pro gun control people agree that some people actually "NEED" guns and one of those groups of people include farmers. Sounds like you have an issue about it though.

I'm curious, why do farmers absolutely NEED guns? Maybe I'm missing something. Is farming really such a life threatening occupation there? Or does it make the crops grow faster or something? I guess we must be doing it wrong here then, equipping or farmers with only farming tools.

[Mandosis]

I'm curious, why do farmers absolutely NEED guns? Maybe I'm missing something. Is farming really such a life threatening occupation there? Or does it make the crops grow faster or something? I guess we must be doing it wrong here then, equipping or farmers with only farming tools.

I will give you a realistic example.

 

A wolf is trying to kill your sheep and you need to protect the herd from the wolf. What do you do?

( A ) Scream

( B ) Shoot it with a gun

( C ) Throw rocks at it

( D ) Chase it

 

I am guessing you would go with answer b. there are many other scenarios than this one but it is definitely a need on a farm. I have lived around farms and and even been on farms where guns are used quite often for hunting on their land and also just killing animals they raise for food. I hope that was a good enough explanation.

[theyarecomingforyou]

I'm curious, why do farmers absolutely NEED guns? Maybe I'm missing something.

Farmers don't need guns but they are used to kill off unwanted predators (e.g. foxes) and animals that damage crops (e.g. deer). In terms of firearms usage it is one of the most legitimate uses for firearms and poses minimal danger to the public, hence why farmers are able to acquire shotguns with relative ease in the UK.

 

Certainly a case could be made for banning farmers from owning firearms but it's not a focus of gun control advocates due to the minimal risk to the public.

[Rippleman]

I'm curious, why do farmers absolutely NEED guns? Maybe I'm missing something. Is farming really such a life threatening occupation there? Or does it make the crops grow faster or something? I guess we must be doing it wrong here then, equipping or farmers with only farming tools.

 

It makes the crops grow faster... if it doesn't, you're doing it wrong and you should try harder.

 

Sarcasm aside, if all you have is agriculture with a crops based farm, then its extremely unlikely you will never need one. But if you have animals, there is always a threat from coyotes, foxes, and even the possibility of a cougar or bear. Porcupines/skunks are also a problem if you have dogs. Also, lets say you have a horse, cow, donkey etc that has broken its leg/shoulder/hip or is on the verge of death and dying slowly, what are you going to do let it suffer and die slowly? You put it down. 

[Authentic X]

Killing something before you know what it is,should be considered a negligent crime.