A woman was shot in a Meridian park on Oct. 3. Here’s what police are saying now
Police in Meridian say they believe a woman who was shot earlier this month in Kleiner Park accidentally shot herself.
The victim in the case — a woman in her 50s — is being investigated for negligent discharge of a firearm while in the park, according to an updated press release from the Meridian Police Department. It’s a misdemeanor in Idaho punishable by up to 6 months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
At around 5:15 a.m. on Oct. 3, Meridian police were dispatched to a home in the 3800 block of Tahiti Court and found the woman with a gunshot wound to her stomach. The woman was exercising in nearby Kleiner Park when she said she felt a “sharp pain in her abdomen,” so she walked home to it check out, according to an Oct. 3 press release from police.
Initially, the woman told police that she did not see or hear anything, just felt the pain from the wound. She was taken to a local hospital and underwent surgery before being listed in stable condition.
Meridian police say they gathered evidence that suggests the woman’s initial story wasn’t true.
Police confronted the woman and said she admitted to a “negligent discharge” of her own gun in the park. Officers recovered a handgun from the woman’s home.
Police said Tuesday that the case will be forwarded to local prosecutors for possible charges.
Police also thanked the public for cooperation and patience with the investigation.
This story was originally published October 13, 2020 at 1:33 PM.
