Man Accused of Fatally Shooting Woman During Backyard Target Practice

An Oklahoma man, who was doing target practice in his backyard on Christmas Day, is accused of shooting and killing an elderly woman a few blocks away.

According to court records obtained by PEOPLE, 33-year-old Cody Wayne Adams has been charged with first-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of Sandra Phelps.

The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office first announced on Thursday, Dec. 25, that its deputies and other emergency personnel were dispatched to a home in Comanche at around 3:15 p.m. local time after receiving reports of a person who had sustained a gunshot wound.

Court records state that Phelps was seated on a covered front porch and holding a baby in her left arm as she chatted with family members when a bullet struck her — first in the arm and then in the chest.

“The group heard someone shooting periodically 5-7 rounds over several minutes to the north of the residence,” a probable cause affidavit states. “Sandra commented that someone got a new gun for Christmas, and then shortly after, Sandra said ‘ouch’ and collapsed. There were no further gunshots after this.”

Investigators wrote in the affidavit that Phelps was likely struck in the upper right arm, and the bullet then entered “her chest cavity just below the armpit.” The shot “would have been at an extremely downward angle,” they added. Phelps was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officials who responded to the scene began canvassing the area, and found that many homes in the area had “suitable shooting backstops or firing locations,” except for one home.

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A local resident who spoke with investigators said that a neighbor, later identified as Adams, had received a new handgun as a Christmas present and had been heard shooting “about 20 rounds” on Thursday afternoon.

Investigators went to Adams’ address, and he told them that he had been shooting a Glock 45 — which he recently bought for himself for Christmas — at a Red Bull can in his backyard.

According to the document, officials said they found several spent casings on the ground around Adams’ backyard, and flashing police lights coming from Phelps’ home were visible from the location where Adams had been shooting.

“[A] small piece of ceramic tile that appeared to have been hit and broken by one or more bullets. This plus the angle of the shooting by Adams would account for the high angle of entry by the bullet into Sandra,” Stephens County Sheriff’s Office Captain Timothy Vann wrote in the affidavit.

“I also noted to Adams that while he was shooting towards the ground in his backyard that there was nothing behind his property to stop any bullets from traveling beyond his property and hurting someone,” Vann added.

The affidavit states that investigators told Adams about Phelps being shot and that they suspected he may have caused her death. He then reportedly became visibly upset and began to cry.

Adams later allegedly admitted during an interview with law enforcement that he had been shooting his Glock south from his residence during the afternoon. When Vann asked if Adams had anything to say after telling him that he believed he had caused Phelps’ death, he replied, “I’m sorry,” per the affidavit.

Adams was arrested and charged with first-degree manslaughter. He appeared in court on Friday, Dec. 26, and his bond was set at $100,000, court records show.

A preliminary court hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 26.