Accidental Shooting Raises Concerns Over Hunting Practices in Delaware

A tragic incident unfolded in Ellendale, Delaware, when Walter Moorhead, a 74-year-old hunter, fatally shot Santos Maria Chilel Soto, mistaking her for a deer. Delaware State Police reported Moorhead, who hails from Salisbury, Maryland, faces charges including manslaughter and reckless endangerment. He was released on a $43,000 bond after his arrest at the scene.

Preliminary investigations reveal Moorhead was hunting in an open field when Soto and her companions passed by, prompting him to fire his rifle mistakenly. Officers responded at around 7:40 p.m., providing life-saving care before transporting Soto to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Moorhead is charged with manslaughter, possession of a firearm during a felony, and three counts of reckless endangerment. Authorities continue investigating and urge anyone with information to contact them or use Delaware Crime Stoppers.

Soto was a resident of Georgetown, Delaware, where an evangelical church expressed its sorrow through an obituary: “We announce the passing of our beloved sister in Christ, Maria Chilel Soto.” The church organized services in her memory, sharing videos online, and plans to announce funeral arrangements as details emerge.

Soto’s family initiated a GoFundMe campaign aiming to collect $6,500 for funeral expenses and transporting her remains to Guatemala. As of Monday morning, $4,500 had been raised.

This incident echoes a similar tragedy from last year in Iowa, where a teenager lost his life after being mistaken for a squirrel by another hunter.