Hunter Faces Felony Charges After Shooting Woman While Deer Hunting

The shooting occurred on September 18th near Ellendale, Delaware, when Walter Moorhead (74) was hunting and allegedly fired at Santos Maria Chilel Soto, believing she was a deer.

According to court documents, Chilel Soto was walking through a harvested field with her partner, Minivaldo Velásquez, and two children, ages 10 and 7, when the shooting occurred. Velásquez told investigators the group was walking close together when he heard what he described as an “explosion” and saw Chilel Soto fall to the ground. She had been struck in the upper torso, and Velásquez applied pressure to the wound while calling 911.

At the time, WHYY news reports Moorhead was hunting deer from a ground blind with a scoped rifle. He told investigators that he initially spotted what he believed was a doe through his scope, but had to reposition himself and his rifle as the target moved. After repositioning, Moorhead fired.

According to the probable-cause affidavit obtained by WBOC, Moorhead then left the blind and headed toward the area where he believed he had shot the deer. Upon reaching the area, he found Chilel Soto injured and surrounded by Velásquez and the two children. Police and emergency personnel responded to the field shortly afterward, and Chilel Soto was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Although Delaware’s regular deer firearms season was not open at the time, Moorhead was legally hunting under a crop-damage permit, which allows landowners or authorized hunters to remove deer causing agricultural damage outside of the regular hunting season.

Moorhead was arrested and charged with five felonies: manslaughter for recklessly causing the death of another person, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and three counts of first-degree reckless endangering. He was arraigned in Justice of the Peace Court and later released after posting a $43,000 cash bond.

On Sept. 25, Moorhead waived his preliminary hearing, moving the case forward to Delaware Superior Court.

Now, Chilel Soto’s partner is speaking out about the shooting and questioning how Moorhead could have mistaken her for a deer. According to The Guardian, Velásquez said Chilel Soto was wearing a yellow blouse while he was wearing a blue T-shirt.

Velásquez said he does not believe the shooting was simply an accident, arguing that Moorhead should have been able to distinguish a person from a deer before pulling the trigger. He called Moorhead’s explanation “unacceptable and senseless” and said there was “no excuse” for what happened.

The case remains pending in Delaware Superior Court, and Moorhead has not been convicted of any of the charges against him. But regardless of how the case ultimately plays out, the shooting serves as a tragic reminder of one of hunting’s most fundamental safety rules: Know what you’re aiming at before you pull the trigger.

Feature image via Facebook.