Police: Daughter accidentally shot by mother was visiting from out of state for the holidays

ST. CLOUD, Fla. – A woman fatally shot by her mother in central Florida after being mistaken for an intruder had been visiting for the holidays, police said Wednesday.

The mother was asleep when she heard someone enter her home late Tuesday, St. Cloud police Sgt. Denise Roberts said Wednesday. The mother told police she heard footsteps approaching quickly so she fired a single shot.

She then discovered the person was her 27-year-old daughter, according to a news release from police. The daughter had been visiting from North Carolina and didn’t live in the home, Roberts said.

The daughter was taken to a hospital where she died. The mother also was taken to a hospital for treatment.

St. Cloud police officials said the mother is a 911 dispatcher for Osceola County and her husband is a St. Cloud police corporal. The Associated Press isn’t naming the family members because of the husband’s past work as an undercover narcotics officer, as well as the fact that no criminal charges have been filed.

Detectives were investigating the case but say the mother’s story matches the evidence so far.

“At this time, the incident appears to be an accidental shooting,” the news release said.

The state attorney’s office will review the shooting to decide whether charges should be filed after the St. Cloud Police Department has completed its investigation.

Because the shooter wasn’t a law enforcement officer, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will not be investigating.