Man charged in death of woman struck during target practice

RILEY TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A man has been charged in the death of a 73-year-old woman after she was struck by a stray bullet fired during target practice in rural Michigan.

Twenty-one-year-old Michael Vultaggio was arraigned Thursday on charges of careless discharge of a firearm causing death and lying to a police officer. Bond was set at $10,000.

His lawyer, Wayne Tomala, declined to comment to the Times Herald of Port Huron.

Shirley Pfeil died after being shot inside her home March 25 in St. Clair County’s Riley Township, about 45 miles (72 kilometres) northeast of Detroit. Police say Vultaggio was shooting at a berm on his nearby property.

Pfeil’s husband reported she collapsed after he heard a loud crack, and she died at a hospital.

A preliminary examination is set for May 15.