Man ‘investigating a noise’ accidentally shoots woman, killing unborn baby, KS cops say

An armed man went outside in the early morning, “investigating a noise” he heard outside the front of his home, according to police in Kansas.

As the 23-year-old man turned back inside, authorities said he shot a pregnant resident.

Officers with the Hutchinson Police Department were called to the accidental shooting at about 2:40 a.m. Friday, Nov. 4, according to an incident report. They found the 30-year-old woman, in the middle of her pregnancy, with a gunshot wound to her side.

She was rushed to a hospital in Wichita for treatment, police said.

Four days later, police learned the unborn baby’s heart had stopped and was pronounced dead, according to the report.

The man was arrested on Nov. 10 on a charge of involuntary manslaughter, police said. He was booked into the Reno County Correctional Facility with bail set at $10,000.

His relationship to the woman and her condition were not disclosed.

The shooting is still under investigation.

Hutchinson is about 50 miles northwest of Wichita.

This story was originally published November 11, 2022 at 12:03 PM.