A pregnant woman in Florida was accidentally shot by her own husband inside their home after he mistakenly thought she was an intruder, authorities said.
The shooting incident happened at a Stuart home, a city located on the Atlantic Coast of Florida, at about 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said at a press conference, CBS12 reported.
Snyder said the man, whose identity wasn’t revealed, told authorities he heard noises outside his bedroom, grabbed his handgun, and fired a single round that struck his wife.
The woman, who was about six months pregnant, was rushed to a local hospital where medical officials declared her dead. Snyder told the outlet that doctors managed to safely deliver the premature baby, but no further details on the baby’s health condition were provided.
The father gave a “pretty in depth” statement to authorities after the alleged accidental shooting, officials said. He hectically called 911 dispatchers, telling them he accidentally shot his wife and requested urgent assistance.
“He awoke in the middle of the night, thought he heard somebody in the house,” the sheriff said.
After waking up and reaching for what he thought was his wife together with him in the bed—which later turned out to be the families’ dog—he went to investigate with his firearm and saw “a shape in the hallway and fired one round,” he continued.
The victim hit by the gunfire sadly turned out to be the man’s own wife.
Snyder said he sounded “in horrible anguish” and “extremely distraught.”
“It was hard to listen to,” the sheriff added.
Besides the victim and her husband, a 2-year-old toddler was also present at the house at the time of the shooting. That child was not injured, according to officials.
The sheriff issued a warning to people who own guns, urging them to always be cautious. “Do everything you can to make sure you know what you’re dealing with when you’re about to use deadly force,” he said.
Snyder also said the man’s statement seemed legitimate, though the case remains under investigation to “make sure that he’s telling the truth.”