Ohio man cleaning gun killed Amish girl

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

FREDERICKSBURG, Ohio (AP) — A man cleaning his muzzle-loading rifle shot the gun into the air, accidentally killing a 15-year-old Amish girl driving a horse-drawn buggy more than a mile away, a sheriff said Tuesday.

Rachel Yoder was shot in the head Thursday night while traveling to her home in Wayne County, between Columbus and Akron. She had attended a Christmas party for employees, most of them under 18 years old, at an Amish produce farm and was riding home alone when she was shot, Wayne County sheriff’s Capt. Douglas Hunter said.

The horse continued to cart the girl after she was shot, and she fell out of the buggy near her home, Holmes County Sheriff Timothy Zimmerly said. Her brother found her after he saw the horse walking in circles and went to check it. Authorities initially believed she had fallen out of the buggy and hit her head until a hospital test revealed the gunshot wound.

Hunter said his department traced a trail of blood along the road for about three-eighths of a mile into Holmes County in an area of farms and rolling hills.

Zimmerly said the gun-cleaner’s family came forward and his neighbors reported hearing a shot at about the time the girl was wounded.

The man had fired the gun in the air about 1.5 miles from where Yoder was shot, Zimmerly said. State investigators were checking the rifle for a ballistics match, he said.

“In all probability, it looks like an accidental shooting,” Zimmerly said.

No charges have been filed.

Yoder was born in nearby Mount Eaton and attended the Old Order Amish Church. She is survived by her father, 10 brothers and sisters, 26 nieces and nephews and two grandparents.

More like this story

ComeOnnow 1 year, 4 months ago

Come on now! A dummy accidently discharges a handgun or rifle because he did not check to see if it still has a cartridge chambered. But accidently discharging a muzzle loader! You have got to be kidding! Did he think loading the gun was part of the cleaning process? It really is hard to clean a muzzle loader when it is loaded. No! He simply shot the gun into the air thinking... or NOT, that the slug would fall harmlessly to the ground. Slap the guy upside the head with a slab of bacon and take away his guns. Make him attend the girls funeral so he can see exactly the tremendous pain he caused, have the word "I'm Stupid" tattooed on his forehead and hang the girls picture in his living room to remind him of what he did. HEY! While you are thinking..what an dumb dumb, how about the police department? They bought the accidental discharge story. Can you say… Hey Guber?

oleman 1 year, 4 months ago

A muzzle loader has to be fired to unload it. It does not have a Catridge in it. This was a very bad thing that happened. I feel sorry for the girls family and also for the man that fired the gun.

Holly_Days 1 year, 4 months ago

Hey ComeOnnow: Do you mean Goober, Guber? Also "d" is not a vowel so it should be "a dumb dumb". . . I'm going to leave it at that because it's just too easy.

My thoughts and prayers are with Rachel's dear family for their loss of this beautiful young lady, daughter and sister. I also feel for the poor guy. I'm sure he never, in his wildest dreams, would have thought this would happen.

ComeOnnow 1 year, 4 months ago

Thanks for the grammer lesson... I missed the "an" when I removed Id--t because we can't say it like it is. Still - shooting a weapon in the air! Holy cow!

immemom311 1 year, 4 months ago

Living so close to where someone locked himself in a Pennsylvania Amish school and killed and wounded several children, just a couple of years ago... I find it difficult to believe anybody would believe his story of cleaning his gun by firing it into the air..... he must live in a dream world to get away with that one!!! The pain that family will go through and of course they will believe "it's God's will"... and then forgive him for killing her....... dumb.. dumb... dumb.. dumb..DUMB! (his part ~ not the Amish)

JCLifer 1 year, 4 months ago

How could it not be an accidental discharge? Good luck proving that he purposely shot her with a muzzle loader from 1.5 miles away! It would probably require Devine Intervention to hit something accurately a tenth of the distance with a muzzle loader!

modernsage 1 year, 4 months ago

This story makes no sense,if he "shot the gun in the air" and a girl riding in a buggy more than a mile away is hit and killed by the bullet...????Really?This fool should spend some time in prison for recklessness and taking an innocent life away.Why can't more people like these emulate the Amish with their very peaceful way of life

modernsage 1 year, 4 months ago

The Amish don't own guns, they don't polute the environment,they feed you organic food,yes they own huge tracts of land which i guess offends the hell out of some poor "modern people" with the townhouse mentality.Also during the stormy seasons, when thier properties are damaged by the hurricane or tornadoes, they don't sit around waiting for FEMA official to come to town, they mobilize the entire fellowship and rebuild within a few days.They are probably the most healthiest Americans.Yes,there is alot we can learn from the Amish.People need to stop harrassing them for thier land and buggies and way of life.

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