Trigger Warning: This article mentions details about gun violence leading to an accidental death.
In a shocking case of gun violence, a man in Oklahoma abruptly shot a woman sitting on the front porch of her house. Deputies said the victim, described as an elderly woman, was sitting on a covered porch with family members at a home on County Road 1800 in Stephens County on December 25, 2025.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Phelps was seated on a loveseat when gunfire was heard nearby. She assumed that someone might have received a gun as a Christmas present, until moments later, she reportedly said “ouch” and collapsed. Authorities determined she had been struck by a bullet that entered her right upper arm and traveled into her chest.
According to Law&Crime, cops arrived at around 3:15 p.m., and the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The child she was holding and the other family members were not injured. The accused was identified as 33-year-old Cody Wayne Adams, who was arrested at 7:30 p.m. Adams had received a firearm, and he was allegedly practicing in the direction of the victim’s Oklahoma home.
Christmas target practice turns deadly as stray bullet kills Oklahoma woman sitting on porch https://t.co/sutDNF6MBJ
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 28, 2025
Even though cops had initially received unverified information about a nearby resident who had received a firearm for Christmas, the individual was later verified as Cody Wayne Adams. Investigators learned Adams had recently purchased a Glock 45 and that neighbors reported hearing approximately 20 shots fired at a Red Bull can in his yard that afternoon.
He has been charged with first-degree manslaughter, according to the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office. According to Komo News, Cody Wayne Adams became emotional when he heard about the lady’s death and apologized for it. “I am sorry,” he said.
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He appeared in front of the judge on December 26, and his bond was set at $100,000. The accused is set to appear for a preliminary trial scheduled for February 26, 2026. The incident in Oklahoma highlights concerns that negligence or carelessness is one of the biggest reasons for human destruction.
According to the most recent finalized data from the CDC (2023), 814 people died from gun-related causes in Oklahoma. Out of that, 221 deaths were homicides, 573 were suicides, and 20 fell into other categories. In 2022, at least 88 domestic violence–related homicides occurred in Oklahoma, and 61% involved a firearm.
Data also reveal that on average, at least one person is killed due to gun violence in the state every 11 hours. Oklahoma had the second-highest gun suicide rate among American Indian and Alaska Native populations. Firearms were the leading cause of death for children and teens ages 1–17 in 2023.
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Gun violence costs Oklahoma more than $8.5 billion each year, which breaks down to approximately $2,117 per resident. It’s high time the ruling government in the state enforces stricter laws and comes up with severe punishments for those who illegally carry guns or indulge in such heinous and life-threatening crimes in the state.
