Woman mistaken for groundhog fatally shot by farmer

A 79-year-old man said he thought he saw a groundhog when he shot a woman in a field on his farm in northeast Ohio on Monday afternoon.

The woman died on Tuesday. The Stark County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the shooting, which appears to be accidental, and no charges have been filed, said Sheriff George T. Maier.



Natasha G. Stover, 22, of New Philadelphia, was an employee of the farm on Poorman Street SW. The man called 911 and the Brewster Fire Department responded and took the woman to Aultman Hospital. She suffered from a single gunshot wound to the head and died in the hospital, the sheriff said.

The investigation shows the woman was lying on the ground about 150 to 200 feet away shooting a BB gun at a target out in a field when the man saw the top of her head and thought she was a groundhog. He shot her with a long rifle, striking her in the head.