BARELY 72 hours to end year 2015 and enter the New Year, a mother in St. Cloud Florida mistakenly took her 27-year-old daughter for an intruder and shot her dead.

GatewayMail learnt that the now distraught mother was asleep when her daughter entered the

house and when she suddenly woke up she thought an intruder had entered to attack her.

It was further gathered that the sad incident was said to have occurred last Tuesday night in the area of the 10th Street in the community.

Apparently not wanting to take chance, she promptly fired one shot at her daughter, who fell and started bleeding profusely before the woman later realised the identity of the “intruder.”

The daughter, whose name and that of her mother, was not released by police was rushed to Osceola Regional Hospital where she later died of the injury sustained from the lone shot.

Her mother, said to be an Osceola County dispatcher, was also admitted in the hospital apparently due to shock and her state of health after discovering the disaster.

The police in the county have begun investigation into the shooting, but it was learnt that either of the mother or daughter was in law enforcement job.

The job was not specified – which arm of the law enforcement authorities, and the refusal to disclose is in line with the Florida law in such circumstance.

Preliminary investigation by the country police revealed that the shooting was accidental in line with the explanation offered by the mother, but police would still continue further inquiry in case of any untoward motive by the mother.

“At this time, the incident appears to be an accidental shooting,” police explained in a release, but it was gathered that after their investigation the findings would be forwarded to the state Attorney office for study and further action, either to press for charges or not.