ELLENDALE, DE. (THECOUNT) — Walter Moorhead, 74, of Salisbury, Maryland, has been charged with manslaughter after allegedly shooting and killing Santos Maria Chilel Soto, 39, while she was walking through an open field with a man and two children Friday evening in Ellendale, Delaware, according to Delaware State Police.
Moorhead is accused of mistaking Soto for a deer while hunting and firing a rifle in the direction of the group. Soto was struck by the gunfire and later pronounced dead at a hospital despite lifesaving efforts.
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State police were called to the scene at approximately 7:40 p.m. following reports of a shooting in the Ellendale area of Sussex County. Preliminary investigators determined that Moorhead was crouched close to the ground in an open field while hunting when Soto, a man and two children passed through the area.
According to police, Moorhead believed he saw a deer and fired his rifle in their direction, striking Soto. Emergency personnel provided lifesaving care before she was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Moorhead was arrested at the scene and faces charges of manslaughter, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment.
The three reckless-endangerment charges were filed in connection with the alleged gunfire that placed the other individuals in the group at risk. The charges are allegations, and Moorhead is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Moorhead was subsequently released on $43,000 bond. Additional details regarding the investigation, including the circumstances surrounding the shooting and the actions leading up to the gunfire, may emerge through future court proceedings.
Soto’s death has prompted efforts to help her family cover funeral expenses and transport her remains to Guatemala. A GoFundMe fundraiser established for those purposes had raised approximately $4,500 toward a $6,500 goal as of Monday morning.
Via GoFundMe:
Family Chilel is raising funds for Maria Chilel Soto, a beloved aunt whose life was tragically taken by a firearm. Maria’s family is now facing the overwhelming pain of this sudden loss while also trying to make sure she is laid to rest with dignity. They need help covering funeral services and the cost of sending Maria’s body to Guatemala so she can be brought home. This heartbreaking situation has placed a heavy financial burden on the family at a time when they are grieving deeply.
The funds raised will help cover expenses that exceed $15,000 for funeral and transportation costs. If possible, support may also help the five children Maria left behind as they face life without their mother. Please support Family Chilel during this heartbreaking time. Any donation, no matter the amount, will help them honor Maria’s memory, lay her to rest, and provide some relief to the children she loved so much. If you are unable to give, sharing this fundraiser and keeping Maria’s family in your thoughts would also mean so much.
A church obituary mourned Soto and shared information regarding services held in her memory. Her family was expected to provide additional funeral arrangements and details.
Delaware State Police are asking anyone with information about the shooting or the events leading up to it to contact investigators. Authorities have not reported any additional victims who were struck by the gunfire.
Ellendale is located in Sussex County in southern Delaware, approximately 25 miles north of Salisbury, Maryland, in the rural Delmarva Peninsula region. The precise location of the open field where the shooting occurred was not provided in the available information.
Google Maps: Ellendale, Delaware — approximate incident area
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