URGENT UPDATE: A tragic incident on Christmas Day has left a family mourning the loss of their beloved matriarch. Sandra Phelps, a 74-year-old great-grandmother who bravely fought cancer five times, was fatally shot by a stray bullet during her neighbor’s target practice in Comanche, Oklahoma. The horrifying event occurred just before 3:15 PM on December 25, 2025.
Witnesses reported hearing five to seven gunshots coming from the north of Phelps’ home prior to the fatal shot. Phelps was out on her porch, holding a child, when she was struck. Just moments before, she had commented on a nearby neighbor possibly receiving a “new gun for Christmas,” according to police affidavits.
Authorities have identified the shooter as Cody Wayne Adams, 33, who was using a Glock .45-caliber handgun he purchased as a Christmas gift for himself. Adams admitted to firing approximately twenty rounds during target practice aimed at a Red Bull can on his property. Tragically, one of those bullets struck Phelps, entering her upper right arm and traveling into her chest cavity.
Adams was arrested later that evening and charged with first-degree manslaughter. He appeared in court and was released on a $100,000 bond with conditions to avoid contact with Phelps’ family. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for February.
Deputies investigating the scene discovered that Adams’ property lacked a suitable backstop for shooting, leading to the tragic accident. Investigators recovered spent shell casings and a broken ceramic tile, which may have altered the bullet’s trajectory. Adams expressed remorse upon learning of Phelps’ death, reportedly becoming “visibly upset and began to cry,” stating he was “sorry.”
Phelps’ family is devastated by the loss of a woman described as the “most amazing person” by her youngest daughter, Sharon Marie Brooke, 50. “She gave life everything she had. Anyone who was lucky enough to meet her loved her,” Brooke told reporters. Phelps was affectionately known as “Nanny” to her grandchildren, who range in age from 11 to 39, and to her great-grandchildren, spanning from just seven months to 21 years old.
Brooke shared that her mother loved spending time with family and embodied beauty, grace, and love. “If you were her grandkids’ age, she was Nanny. If you were our age, she was Mom. She was Mom to everyone,” she added poignantly.
This tragic shooting raises urgent questions about gun safety and responsibility, particularly in residential areas. As the community mourns, many are calling for stricter shooting regulations to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story as the legal proceedings unfold and the family navigates this heartbreaking loss.
