Bullet Intended for Pesky Armadillo Ends Ip Injuring Shooter's Mother-in-law

From: The Washington Post

This is the story about the improbable journey of a bullet, a doomed armadillo and a very lucky mother-in-law.

All Larry McElroy wanted to do was get rid of the armadillo, which was no doubt doing what armadillos do best: digging as if its life depended on it (it does) and tearing up a yard in southwest Georgia.

So McElroy pulled out a 9mm pistol in rural Lee County and took aim.

Before we go any further, it's important to note that this is, apparently, a perfectly legitimate response to the situation.

According to James Morgan of the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, shooting is one of the recommended ways to kill an armadillo.

"At first I ask if they live in the city or county, because shooting is an effective way of getting rid of them," Morgan told NBC affiliate WALB. "However, you have to be safe when you do that."

Okay, back to the story, because what happened next is … well, puzzling.

McElroy's bullet hit the armadillo but kept going, ricocheting off the animal's hard, leathery shell. It hit a fence, went through the back door of his mother-in-law's mobile home, pierced her recliner and hit her in the back, according to WALB. The bullet ended up about 100 yards from where McElroy pulled the trigger.

The good news: His mother-in-law, 74-year-old Carol Johnson, is all right!

"She was walking around on her own power and talking," Lee County Sheriff's Office investigator Bill Smith told the station. "It didn't appear to be too severe."

Johnson, Smith said, was taken to a local hospital.

The armadillo, however, didn't fare so well. Although the bullet didn't pierce the animal's shell, it ultimately killed it.

"Just the circumstances, just all the way around, the whole situation was unusual," Smith noted.

Next time, McElroy might want to try using a trap.

Armadillos, by the way, have been blamed for spreading leprosy to humans across the South, including three recent cases in Florida.