Grandma who beat cancer five times is fatally shot on Christmas Day after her neighbor's target practice goes horribly wrong, police say
Sandra Phelps, 74, who had beaten cancer five times was killed on Christmas Day by a stray bullet fired during her neighbor's target practice, according to police.
Published: 22:27 GMT, 28 December 2025 | Updated: 22:30 GMT, 28 December 2025
A great-grandmother who had beaten cancer five times was killed on Christmas Day by a stray bullet fired during her neighbor's target practice, according to police.
Sandra Phelps, 74, was enjoying the holiday with family at her home in Comanche, Oklahoma when the horror unfolded.
She was out on her porch holding a child when she was fatally struck just before 3.15pm on December 25.
Her family told deputies they had heard five to seven gunshots for 'several minutes' to the north of their house before Phelps was hit.
Moments before she was hit, Phelps remarked that someone nearby must have gotten 'a new gun for Christmas,' the affidavit states.
The bullet entered her upper right arm and traveled into her chest cavity, according to the affidavit.
Police identified the person responsible as Cody Wayne Adams, 33, and said he was using Glock .45-caliber handgun he bought for himself as a Christmas gift when one of his bullets struck Phelps.
‘Our mom was the most amazing person you’ve ever met,’ her youngest daughter, Sharon Marie Brooke, 50, told Daily Mail. ‘She gave life everything she had. Anyone who was lucky enough to meet her loved her.’
Sandra Phelps, 74, was enjoying the holiday with family at her home in Comanche, Oklahoma when she was killed by a stray bullet
Phelps was sitting under a covered porch and holding a child in her left arm when the bullet hit
Adams was arrested later that evening and charged with first-degree manslaughter.
He appeared in court Friday and was released on a $100,000 bond. He has been ordered to not contact the victim's family.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for February.
Deputies said they canvassed the area and discovered Adams' property lacked a suitable backstop for shooting.
Investigators recovered spent shell casings and a broken ceramic tile near the target, which they believe may have altered the bullet's trajectory.
Adams admitted to firing about 20 rounds using two magazines of Winchester .45-caliber ammunition according to the affidavit.
He told deputies he had been firing toward a Red Bull can on the ground, per the charging documents.
When Adams was informed his shooting may have caused Phelps' death, he 'became visibly upset and began to cry,' and told officers he was 'sorry,' according to the affidavit.