A Michigan man mistook his wife for an intruder breaking into their home in the middle of the night. He then shot and killed her with a gun he keeps at his bedside.
The couple’s 4-year-old child called 911 and told the operator that his 30-year-old mother, who was shot in the chest, was not breathing, the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office told ABC News affiliate WXYZ.
MORE: Man with unknown identity convicted of stealing someone else's identity for more than 40 yearsThe man took the phone and spoke with police, the sheriff's office said.
“So he’s a little bit on edge, goes to sleep, thinks his wife is next to him. When wakes he up again, sees what he thinks is someone who is in his home, grabs his weapon and pulls the trigger," said Officer Derrick Jackson of the Washtenaw County Sherriff’s Office.
Neighbors in the small town of Ypsilanti Township, Michigan, spoke with ABC’s WXYZ afterward.
“I was so shocked," said Alexandria Fullbright, who is a nearby resident. “There was police cars all down the street, there’s tape, detectives.”
Investigators say the incident is being treated as an accident and no charges have been filed.
The man was taken into custody following the shooting on Thursday night but was released the following day.