Oklahoma man charged with fatal shooting of woman during backyard target practice

An Oklahoma man shot and killed a woman several blocks away while target practicing on a Red Bull can in his backyard on Christmas Day, local authorities said.

The victim was sitting with her family under a covered porch when they heard multiple rounds of gunshots, according to a probable cause affidavit. She commented that someone got a new gun for Christmas before saying “ouch,” and collapsing from the gunshot. The woman, who was hit by a bullet in her right upper arm, had been holding a child in her left. The bullet entered her chest cavity.

When Stephens County Sheriff’s Office Captain Timothy Vann, the affidavit deponent, arrived at the scene that afternoon, he said that CPR was still in progress for the victim and that she was pronounced dead minutes later.

Cody Wayne Adams, 33, was charged with first-degree manslaughter. Deputies learned that Adams had recently received a Glock .45 caliber handgun, which he later confirmed he had bought himself for Christmas. When Vann told Adams he suspected his shooting caused the victim’s death, he “became visibly upset and began to cry,” according to the affidavit. 

Adams consented to a search of the property, where Vann noticed a broken piece of ceramic tile in front of the Red Bull can, which would account for the high angle of entry into the victim’s yard, according to the affidavit.

“I also noted to Adams that while he was shooting towards the ground in his backyard that there was nothing behind his property to stop any bullets from traveling beyond his property and hurting someone,” Vann wrote. 

After being escorted to the sheriff’s office, Adams acknowledged that he had been shooting south from his residence and that the first loaded magazine had about eight rounds while the second had about 10 rounds, according to the affidavit. At the conclusion of the interview, Vann again told Adams he believed his shooting caused the victim’s death, to which Adams responded, “I’m sorry,” the affidavit said. 

CBS News has reached out to Adams’ attorney. His initial court appearance is slated for Feb. 2, 2026 and his bond is set at $100,000. He is not allowed to have contact with the victim’s family. 

In 2023, more than 400 people were killed by accidental shootings in the United States, according to the most recent Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence report.