A woman has pleaded guilty to accidentally killing her teenage daughter while trying to shoot a stray dog that was attacking kittens.
Amanda Myrene Fields Moffett, 43, was charged with involuntary manslaughter in Oklahoma following the death of her 16-year-old daughter Laramie.
On 5 October 2018, Laramie had told her that a stray dog was attacking kittens outside.
Moffett admitted that she stepped onto her front porch and fired a handgun into the dark yard at what she believed was the dog, without checking if her daughter was out of the line of fire.
US Attorney Clinton Johnson said in a statement: “Every gun owner has the legal responsibility to use extreme caution when discharging a firearm.
“This case unfortunately highlights the potential tragic results absent that caution.”
She was initially charged with first-degree murder with deliberate intent, but the case was dismissed after her lawyer argued that Moffett was wrongfully charged in state court, KSN 16 reported.
There also had been discrepancies in how many times the girl was shot, according to Nowata County District Court documents.
Moffett faces a maximum of eight years in prison.
A federal judge will determine the sentence after considering US sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
She will remain on conditions of supervised release until sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled, officials said.