Larry McElroy was aiming for the armadillo.
The Lee County, Georgia man fired his 9 mm pistol at the armadillo Sunday night. He killed the critter but the bullet richocheted off the animal, hit a fence and went through his mother-in-law’s mobile home.
Carol Johnson, 74, was sitting in a recliner when the bullet travelled through the back door and hit her in the back.
McElroy was about 90 metres awa
Authorities say a woman was accidentally shot by her son-in-law while he was trying to shoot an armadillo.
The incident had a lot of people scratching their heads- even law enforcement.
“Just the circumstances, just all the way around, the whole situation was unusual, said investigator Bill Smith with the Lee county Sheriff’s Office.
The shooting happened Sunday night on Gosa Road.
Lee County Sheriff’s deputies said 54-year-old Larry McElroy was outside when he fired his 9 mm pistol at the armadillo. The bullet killed the animal, but also ricocheted off of it, hit a fence, went through the back door of his mother-in-law’s mobile home, through a recliner she was sitting in, and into her back.
According to a report, McElroy was about 91 metres away from the home.
Johnson was not severely injured and was able to walk and talk.
Armadillos James Morgan, the Dougherty County Extension Coordinator told news station WALB.com that shooting armadillos for residents who live in the county, or using a trap are actually encouraged.
“At first I ask if they live in the city or county, because shooting is an effective way of getting rid of them. However, you have to be safe when you do that,” said Morgan.
Authorities also suggest using a shotgun to possibly avoid a situation like what happened Sunday.
Apparently to shoot at varmints, a shotgun has less spread pattern and less range.
While some people think armadillos are harmless, they’re actually a scourge for some residents in rural areas, especially farmers.
Because the critters forage for food and the insects and grub they eat, armadillos can dig up a lot of hand, going through fields.
h/t: WALB.com
