ANGELINA COUNTY, Texas (KTRE) - A woman was shot in the neck during a New Year’s celebration when a man accidentally discharged an AR-15-style pistol while trying to clear the weapon, according to the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office.
According to Angelina County Sheriff Tom Selman, Leah Latoya Davis, 25, of Hillsboro, was playing a card game with friends inside a residence on the 1100 block of Ryan Chapel Road when a bullet penetrated the front door and struck her in the neck around 2 a.m. Thursday.
The sheriff said Kiander Chatman, 21, of Crockett, was arrested at the scene on a charge of deadly conduct. Deputies said Chatman appeared intoxicated and was initially evasive about what happened.
Deputies responded to the residence after receiving a report of a shooting, where they said they found Davis with a gunshot wound to the neck and Chatman with blood on his shirt and hands.
According to the sheriff, the investigation found that a New Year’s party was taking place at the residence, with celebratory gunfire occurring outside the home. Chatman had been firing an AR-15-style pistol at the time, deputies said.
The sheriff said Chatman eventually admitted to deputies that after firing shots into the woods, he took the weapon to the porch and was pulling the charging handle to clear it when the gun discharged.
Davis was taken to a hospital for treatment. Her condition was unknown, but her injuries did not appear life-threatening, according to the sheriff’s office. Davis was able to speak with deputies while in the ambulance and provided information about the incident.
The sheriff said the weapon involved was retrieved from Chatman’s vehicle. According to the sheriff’s office, Chatman is being held in the Angelina County Jail with bond set at $75,000.