Christmas Day Target Practice in Comanche, Oklahoma Ends in Fatal Shooting of Sandra Phelps

In a quiet Oklahoma neighborhood on Christmas afternoon, what one man called harmless target practice turned into tragedy for a family sitting just a few blocks away. Sandra Phelps, holding a child on her front porch in Comanche, was fatally struck by a stray bullet while a neighbor was firing rounds in his backyard, authorities say. �

It was just after 3:15 p.m. Thursday when first responders rushed to a home off County Road 1800 after reports of gunfire. Family members on the porch told deputies they heard five to seven shots come from the north. Phelps had been seated under a covered porch with relatives, cradling a young child, when she suddenly cried out and collapsed. She was pronounced dead at the scene. �

Law enforcement quickly canvassed the neighborhood and focused on a nearby house where 33-year-old Cody Wayne Adams lived. Neighbors said they’d heard roughly 20 shots over the afternoon, and deputies noted that all other nearby properties had proper shooting backstops except Adams’ yard, court filings show. �

When officers contacted Adams, he said he had been doing what he described as target practice with a Glock .45-caliber handgun he said he “bought for himself for Christmas.” He claimed he was shooting at a single Red Bull can placed on the ground in his backyard. Investigators found spent casings and the can near his deck. �

Deputies pointed out to Adams that there was no barrier behind his property to stop bullets from traveling beyond his yard. At that moment, according to the affidavit, he became visibly upset and began to cry. He later acknowledged during a recorded interview that he had fired multiple rounds southward from his home, using two loaded magazines of Winchester .45-caliber ammunition. �

Adams was arrested and charged with first-degree manslaughter. He was later released on $100,000 bond and is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing in late February next year. The charging document argues that his conduct with the firearm created an unreasonable risk of death or serious harm to others and showed blatant disregard for public safety. �

Friends and family of Phelps are left stunned by the sudden loss on what is meant to be one of the most joyous days of the year. Neighbors say the community is shaken, and local voices are raising questions about gun safety and responsible ownership after a holiday afternoon of shooting turned deadly. �