Man charged with fetal homicide, murder in death of pregnant woman

A Kentucky community is mourning after a pregnant woman and her preborn child were killed in a shooting on April 6 that began with something as ordinary as a car horn. The suspected shooter is charged with both murder and first-degree fetal homicide.

Key Takeaways:

• A shooting in Kentucky has left a pregnant woman and her preborn baby dead.

• The suspected shooter has been charged with murder and first-degree fetal homicide.

• The shooting followed a "domestic incident" and the victim honking her car horn.

The Details:

Twenty-two-year-old Ava Woodcock was sitting in her vehicle in a parking lot in Glasgow, Kentucky, when she honked her horn following what authorities described as a “domestic incident.” Moments later, a man allegedly opened fire on her car.

Police say 24-year-old Brandon Lee Bond crossed the street and began shooting into the vehicle. Woodcock's car continued moving before crashing.

She was transported to a hospital in Louisville, where she died the following day; her preborn child also died. Woodcock is survived by a one-year-old daughter.

Bond fled the scene of the shooting but was later found in a nearby wooded area and taken into custody. Authorities reported that he had been drinking and was initially "uncooperative" after his arrest.

He now faces multiple charges, including murder, first-degree fetal homicide, and evading police. The charges were formally executed by Detective Brian Starnes on April 7 as authorities continue investigating what led up to the shooting.

Under Kentucky law, causing the death of a preborn child is considered homicide unless it is carried out by the mother or a doctor.

The Bottom Line:

Authorities described the shooting as “senseless,” and the details bear that out. There was no prolonged confrontation or extended escalation, only a sudden act of violence that claimed both a young woman and the child she was carrying.

“Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones affected by this terrible crime,” the Chief of Police of the Glasgow Police Department said. 

In the aftermath, a fundraising page has been organized to assist with funeral expenses for Woodcock and her unborn child.