A 74-year-old Maryland man is facing manslaughter and weapons charges after he fired a rifle at what he believed was a deer and instead struck and killed a 39-year-old woman walking through an open field in Ellendale, Delaware. The woman was walking with a man and two children when the shot hit her Friday evening.
According to Delaware State Police, emergency responders were dispatched around 7:40 p.m. on September 18 to an open field near South Old State Road and East Robbins Road. Troopers administered emergency medical care at the scene before the woman was rushed to an area hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. Police identified Walter Moorhead as the hunter who fired the fatal shot, and as reported by 6abc Philadelphia, Moorhead has since been released after posting bond.
Investigators say Moorhead was hunting deer from a ground blind when he fired his rifle at what he believed was a deer in the field, striking the woman instead. Moorhead was charged with manslaughter, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and three felony counts of first-degree reckless endangering — the latter charges tied to the presence of the man and two children walking alongside the woman when the shot was fired. He posted a $43,000 cash bond following his arrest.
Questions Over Timing and Hunting Season
The shooting's timing raises questions that police have not yet publicly addressed. Delaware hunting regulations restrict legal deer hunting hours to a half-hour before sunrise until a half-hour after sunset.
There's also the matter of equipment and season timing. Delaware's 2026–2027 deer season opened statewide on September 1 for archery and crossbow gear, per eRegulations. Moorhead was reportedly using a rifle at the time of the shooting.
Safety Rules for Ground Blinds and Buffer Zones
Delaware law sets specific safety standards meant to prevent exactly this kind of tragedy. Under Delaware Code Title 7, Section 718, any hunter using a ground blind during firearm deer seasons must display at least 400 square inches of hunter orange material placed within 10 feet outside the blind and elevated at least three feet off the ground, according to Justia Law.
It remains unclear whether Moorhead was hunting on private or public land, or whether the required hunter orange markings were displayed outside his ground blind. It's also unknown whether Delaware's environmental police will pursue additional administrative or game-law violations alongside the felony manslaughter charge already filed by state police.
A Tense Backdrop for Sussex County Hunters
The shooting comes amid a period of heightened scrutiny for deer hunting in Sussex County. Two days before the incident, state officials scheduled a public meeting at Delaware Technical Community College Owens Campus to explain temporary emergency deer hunting regulations, according to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. White-tailed deer are the most popular game species in the state, managed across 19 public wildlife areas spanning roughly 68,000 acres, as officials work to reduce agricultural damage and vehicle collisions tied to the herd.
Moorhead's case is now working its way through the Delaware court system following his release on bond. Police have not released further details on his exact hunting location or whether additional charges may follow as the investigation continues.
