A New Jersey woman called 911 to say she shot an intruder in her home Thursday, but investigators say the intruder was a friend who'd been trying to surprise her.
The incident that left Kelvin Watford dead in Hamilton Township played out inside the unidentified woman’s home along Genesee Street around 11:20 p.m. Thursday, said Mercer County prosecutors.
The woman told prosecutors that Watford, 50, was on the phone with her and said he was not in the area as he returned from a trip.
As they spoke, the woman heard a dog barking and noises outside her house, causing her to grab her gun, investigators said.
“She heard someone inside of her house and walked to her bedroom door, still on the phone,” according to a news release from prosecutors. “She then opened her bedroom door, observed the shadow of a person in the dark on the stairs, and fired one gunshot.”
Watford died at the scene from a gunshot wound to his chest.
Prosecutors said an initial investigation found the shooting was accidental and no charges were filed, though the incident remained under investigation.
