The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reported a shot fired at a deer hit a woman inside her home. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
UPDATE: Local 5 News caught up with shooting victim Janet Wright at her home. Watch the interview.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reported today that a woman in rural Ottumwa, in southeast Iowa, suffered a gunshot wound to the back of her head while cleaning the stove in her kitchen.
Learn more from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources:
WAPELLO COUNTY, Iowa — The Wapello County Sheriff’s Office was called to Ottumwa Regional Hospital on January 4, 2019, around 7:45 p.m. for a female with a gunshot wound to the back of her head.
Deputies discovered that Janet Wright, 73, had suffered a gunshot wound to the back of her head while in her kitchen cleaning her stovetop. Wright heard a loud noise and felt pain to the back of her head when she discovered she was bleeding heavily and immediately drove herself to the hospital. Doctors later removed a bullet from the back of her head.
After further investigation, Wapello County Deputies arrested Lee Joseph Ryals, 34, who had been staying in a camper at 8716 100th Ave. At approximately 7:00 p.m., Ryals fired a gun at a deer from the front deck of the residence. The round missed the deer, traveled across a field and across 100th Avenue before striking Ms. Wright in the head.
The Wapello County Sheriff’s Office charged Ryals with Possessing a Firearm as a Felon and Reckless Use of a Firearm; both charges are Class D felonies. The Wapello County Sheriff’s Office referred the illegal hunting incident to the DNR conservation officers.
On January 5, 2019, DNR Conservation Officers conducted an investigation into the incident that occurred the previous evening. Conservation officers learned that Ryals was allegedly intoxicated when he shot at the deer, which was determined to be fired from a 30-30 rifle. Conservation officers also discovered that the round that struck Wright traveled 123.5 yards before it entered her home through a living room window, traveling the length of the house before striking her in the back of the head.
DNR Conservation Officers subsequently have charged Ryals with hunting without a hunting license, shooting at a deer after legal hunting hours, attempting to take a deer illegally, and possession of a prohibited rifle while hunting deer.
Read more from the Iowa DNR:
DNR shoots wandering elk in Iowa
He was not a hunter, he is a poacher!
Just because he shot at a deer doesn’t mean this guy was a “Hunter”. You should remove that from your headline. Putting it in quotes doesn’t help. Hunters don’t pursue their quarry like this guy did. Don’t lump him into our group.
This is not hunting…everything that was done by this guy was wrong and against the law. Please don\’t call this hunting…call it what it is — Poaching! He wasn\’t even out in the woods…he was on his porch for goodness sake. It was 7:00 PM at night.
Cindy fix your Title to this story. He was NOT a hunter, he was a poacher.. there is a big difference.
Point taken on all of your comments, but he wasn’t charged with poaching. He was charged with hunting without a license.
He couldn\\\’t be charged with poaching. He missed the deer. Had to charge with everything they could.
Then is he technically a poacher?
It would be nice to know the woman\’s condition and prognosis!
Agreed! I’ll try to find out.
Hunting without a license is the very definition of poaching.