Two People Killed in Unintentional Shootings on Christmas Day

Sitting on a covered front porch in Comanche, Oklahoma, Sandra Phelps was accidentally shot and killed by 33-year-old Cody Wayne Adams target shooting less than half a mile away. Two adult family members were with Phelps on the porch; she was holding a child in one arm, with another one in a stroller in front of her. Investigators found that people had fired guns from several homes in the area, but only one didn’t have “suitable shooting backstops of firing locations.” Adams had been shooting at an energy drink can with a Glock .45 handgun he bought himself for Christmas. When he was told by investigators that he may have fatally shot Phelps, he became “visibly upset and began to cry.” Adams has been charged with manslaughter.

And in a home in Orlando, Florida, 13-year-old Emony Nicole Jackson was accidentally shot and killed by a 15-year-old boy. She died at the hospital, and the suspected shooter was charged with manslaughter. 

Sources:

Amanda Holpuch, “Man Charged in Fatal Shooting During Backyard Target Practice,” nytimes.com (December 28, 2025).

Anthony Talcott, “Teen Arrested After Young Girl Shot to Death in Orange County on Christmas Day,” clickorlando.com (December 26, 2025).