Sheriff: Ohio man cleaning gun killed Amish girl

CBS/AP

FREDERICKSBURG, Ohio - A man cleaning his muzzle-loading rifle shot the gun into the air, accidentally killing a 15-year-old Amish girl driving a horse-drawn buggy more than a mile away, a sheriff said Tuesday.

Rachel Yoder was shot in the head Thursday night while traveling to her home in Wayne County, between Columbus and Akron. She had attended a Christmas party for employees, most of them under 18 years old, at an Amish produce farm and was riding home alone when she was shot, Wayne County sheriff's Capt. Douglas Hunter said.

Hunter said his department had traced a trail of blood along the road for about three-eighths of a mile into Holmes County in an area of farms and rolling hills.

Pictures: Inside Amish life

Holmes County Sheriff Timothy Zimmerly said investigators figured out what happened after the gun-cleaner's family came forward and after his neighbors reported hearing a shot at about the time the girl was wounded.

The man had fired the gun in the air about 1.5 miles from where Yoder was shot, Zimmerly said. State investigators were checking the rifle for a ballistics match, he said.

"In all probability, it looks like an accidental shooting," Zimmerly said.

No charges have been filed.

Yoder was born in nearby Mount Eaton and attended the Old Order Amish Church, The (Wooster) Daily Record reported. She is survived by her father, 10 brothers and sisters, 26 nieces and nephews and two grandparents.

Hunter said earlier there was no indication the shooting was related to a rash of beard-cutting attacks against Amish men in a feud over church discipline.

Still, the mystery of the shooting in the wake of the beard-cutting attacks had left the Amish shaken and "on pins and needles," Zimmerly said.

Zimmerly said he informed the Yoder family that the shooting appeared to be accidental. The shooting has initially been ruled a homicide.

"Obviously, that makes them feel a lot better than if someone might have been targeting the Amish or (if it was) a random shooting murder," he said.

Gun violence in Amish communities is rare but not unheard of. A man shot 10 schoolgirls, killing five, inside a one-room schoolhouse five years ago in Nickel Mines, Pa. The Amish were praised for their forgiveness after the shooting and reaching out to comfort the gunman's widow.

[mk3509]

Everyone knows that the first thing a gun owner does before cleaning his or her firearm is to make sure there is no bullet in the chamber. This gun owner is guilty and should be prosecuted in a court of law. Everyone that owns any kind of gun should have to complete a gun safety class!

[1stlttightwad]

The old rhyme: I shot an arrow into the air...Where it landed I know not where. While his actions caused an unintended consequence he should be charged with involuntary manslaughter IF it is proven that his muzzle loader could even attain the distance. I could not find any charts beyond 1000 yds (3000 feet) which is far shorter than the roughly 8000 feet the distance reported. At 1000yds the shooter would have to aim 9 1/2 feet over the target. Maybe someone has better ballistics..NEVER the less, a young woman is dead and what really occured must be thoroughly checked out..My sincere condolences to her family.

[1stlttightwad]

Found some more info..According to a Pennsylvania study. a muzzle loader (could) travel 1 1/2 miles......IF it were fired at an optimum high angle of 35 degrees..however, the falling angle is only about 10 degrees off of vertical..which means in order for this to have happened she had to be hit almost in the top of her head..This angle may help determine the propsed shooters guilt or innocence

[shipdog7]

The maximum range of today's more powerful muzzle loading rifles is generally considered to be approximately 200 yards. There are 1760 yards in a mile. His unloading of the gun went close to 2500 yards and killed a young Amish girl in the head. A mile and a half. The longest range recorded for a sniper kill currently stands at 2,475 m (2,707 yd) and was achieved by CoH Craig Harrison, a sniper from the Household Cavalry of the British Army. It was accomplished in an engagement in November 2009 in which two stationary Taliban machine gunners were killed south of Musa Qala in Helmand Province in Afghanistan with two consecutive shots by CoH Harrison using an Accuracy International L115A3 Long Range Rifle chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum.

[enlightenu]

yes, it doesn't seem to add up, but we don't know all the facts, such as wind conditions and elevation changes. It could have been a down hill shot and the wind could have carried it just right.

[SeattleMark952]

Very unlucky as well as foolish for this to possibly happen. Seems to be fishy to me. Hopefully the police will get the real story and make this guy pay the price for taking an innocent life.

[HappyHolidays1]

Terrible news. It's good to hear it's a large family - 10 brothers and sisters - as they will find solace in each others' company as they mourn.

[HappyHolidays1]

by smittyc December 20, 2011 8:55 PM EST
Dot92 Will be interesting to see the outcome from ballistics. called a good ole boy who is close friend. He has the newer rifling in the 50 caliber, not a custom made gun though. His gun is accurate to 250 yards and his comment is noway will the slug travel 1.5 miles.

====

How can you be so knowledgeable about guns, yet so uneducated about gays?

[smittyc]

Dot 92 That is not me posting about gays. Don't know what that guy issue is.

[AnnieDanny]

Yes, I'm wondering about that? How can the bullet travel so far. And how would it still have enough momentum to kill someone? It does seem very strange.

[j_mcdonald-2009]

If you fire any gun into the air, nothing after that is "accidental".

This is worse than negligent homicide, because he had to consciously and deliberately perform an unsafe act.

[Skruffy1]

'If you fire any gun into the air, nothing after that is "accidental".' Very good point. Besides, it does sound fishy, especially since the sheriff seems to have become the mouthpiece for the shooter.

[jwilsonte]

this guy came forward after neighbor told were shot came from!!!No accident I have black powder guns no.. But sherrif more and likely grow up with the loser who killed this girl by any law in any state thats manslaughter!!!!

[smittyc]

My heart felt sympathies for the family. May the child Rest in Peace. As for the gun firing into the air and killing someone 1.5 miles away, that is not possible. A black powder rifle does not have that kind of range and considering it was fired in the air it actually travel a lot further than 1.5 miles. A fifty caliber black powder rifle even with rifling is accurate to about 600 yards and that is a gift. After that the weight of the lead bullet causes it to fall way far short of the roughly 7920feet(1.5miles) discussed in this article. The sheriff needs to stop covering up, if he does not know what to do, call the state police in and the FBI.

[smittyc]

dot 92 Don't disagree with you on 1000 yards that is 3000 feet. 1.5 miles is 7920 feet more than double. Accuracy for most black powders I have fired is about 140 yards, drop is about 1 to 4 inches, but the firearms are far from the best quality. the newer black powders with rifling sounds like what this man might have had, but unless a custom gun and a very very long barrel I strongly doubt this guy is involved. The distance is just way to far. If it was a high power rifle and an encased cartridge, then of course, a different story.

[smittyc]

Dot92 Will be interesting to see the outcome from ballistics. called a good ole boy who is close friend. He has the newer rifling in the 50 caliber, not a custom made gun though. His gun is accurate to 250 yards and his comment is noway will the slug travel 1.5 miles. My opinion is the sheriff is flat wrong, been playing with musket, black powder and rifles 40 years as a hobby. My friend has 15 years on that and is why I called him. Sadly, I say this, think this poor child was murdered. Am aware of the range a 22 will cause some harm, a little over a mile is correct. There is a weight ratio involved here though, the weight of the 22 is far ligter if you extrapolate the number of grains as opposed to the weight of the 50 or 54 caliber against the grains of powder. Other forces of physics are involved as well. Will make something of a game of this over the weekend with my friend using his superior rifled black powder. Will start at 250 yards and move out from their 50 yards at a time with targets. Hope am wrong about it being a murder.

[OnTheRoad01]

'Stupid' is not an accident! The normal method for removing a bullet froma muzzle-loading gun of any kind is to fire it! But, you do not fire it into the air! The man should/must be held responsible for being stupid!