Texas Woman Shot and Killed by ‘Celebratory Gunfire’ on New Year’s Eve
NEW YEAR’S EVE NIGHTMARE
A Texas woman celebrating the new year with her family Tuesday night died after being accidentally shot by “celebratory gunfire,” news station ABC13 reports. Officials said Philippa Ashford was standing on her driveway just after midnight while her friends and family shot off fireworks in the cul-de-sac. At one point, the 61-year-old nurse clutched her body and collapsed. “I think I’ve been shot,” she said before she died. Sgt. Ben Beall of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said they believe there was “celebratory gunfire somewhere else in the neighborhood” that hit Ashford. “No indication a family member or anyone else in the cul-de-sac was discharging a firearm,” he said. Authorities reportedly went door-to-door looking for shell casings and talking to residents.