Woman Fatally Shot by Cop During Gun Demonstration

A woman attending a “Citizens Academy” class in Punta Gorda, Florida, was fatally shot Tuesday night by a police officer who was showing participants how to use a gun during a live role-playing exercise. The woman, identified as Mary Knowlton, 73, was shot several times by the officer in front of 35 other participants before being rushed to Lee Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, police said. She and one other student had been randomly selected to participate in a “shoot/don’t shoot” scenario in the free class offered to community members. The police department did not release the name of the officer involved, but said he had been placed on leave. “I am devastated for everyone involved in this unimaginable event,” Chief Tom Lewis said in a statement released after the incident. “If you pray, please pray for Mary’s family, and for the officers who were involved.” The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is set to conduct an investigation.