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A quiet afternoon in a Georgia deer stand reportedly turned into something much more dangerous when a woman pulled into a hunter’s driveway and allegedly opened fire toward the woods.
What initially sounded like a bizarre hunting accident now appears to have been connected to an ongoing family dispute.
According to original reporting from Doug Evans and FOX 5 Atlanta, the incident happened Oct. 23 on private property in Coweta County.
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Driveway Alert Leads to Gunfire
The man was bowhunting from a deer stand when his security system alerted him that someone had entered his driveway.
Using the live camera feed on his phone, he reportedly saw two vehicles arrive at his home. Two people then walked up to the house and began banging on the door.
The hunter told investigators that he saw 23-year-old Haleigh Spradlin get out of one of the vehicles and fire several shots toward the woods where his stand was located.
FOX 5 reported that six shots were fired. A separate report from WSB-TV placed the number at six or seven.
The hunter ducked inside the stand and waited for the gunfire to stop. Fortunately, he was not hit.
Deputies Point to Family Dispute
Deputies reportedly recovered shell casings from the driveway and inspected a vehicle with a flat tire that may have been connected to the incident.
Investigators soon learned that the hunter and Spradlin were not strangers. The man reportedly identified her as his stepdaughter’s girlfriend and told deputies he did not approve of their relationship.
He also claimed Spradlin had contacted him earlier that day and posted threatening messages on social media, including a warning that his “day is coming.”
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Those allegations helped shift the investigation away from a possible hunting mishap and toward a personal dispute that allegedly followed the hunter onto his own property.
Deputies later located two vehicles matching the hunter’s description at Spradlin’s residence. Another person was detained, but FOX 5 reported that Spradlin was the only individual charged in connection with the alleged gunfire.
Reckless Conduct and Drug Charges
The Coweta County Sheriff’s Office charged Spradlin with reckless conduct and possession of a Schedule III, IV or V controlled substance.
She was booked into the Coweta County Jail on Oct. 23. Authorities have not publicly identified the firearm allegedly used or specified what controlled substance deputies recovered.
The charges remain allegations, and Spradlin is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
For hunters, the story is a reminder that not every dangerous situation in the woods involves another hunter mistaking movement for game. This man was sitting in a known deer stand on his own property when a dispute allegedly followed him into the field.
Firing blindly toward woods is always reckless. Doing it when someone is known to be sitting in that direction could have ended much worse.
Have you ever dealt with trespassers or an unexpected confrontation while hunting private property?
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is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
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