Woman Shot Dead by Hunter Who Mistook Her for a Deer

A New York woman was fatally shot this week by a hunter who believed she was a deer.

Rosemary Billquist, 43, was walking her dogs in a field in the town of Sherman on Wednesday at about 5:30 p.m. when she was suddenly shot, the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office said.

When deputies arrived to the scene, 34-year-old Thomas B. Jadlowski told them he was the one who had pulled the trigger.

He said he thought Billquist was a deer, and fired his pistol from about 200 yards away. When he heard a scream, he ran in the direction of the sound and discovered Billquist. 

Jadlowski called 911 and tried to save her by applying pressure to the bullet wound until first responders arrived. Billquist was later pronounced dead at UPMC Hamot in Erie, Pa.

“I will miss you and love you forever and I know you dancing in heaven with your momma and all of our friends and family that we have lost,” her anguished husband, Jamie Billquist, posted to Facebook on Thursday.

No charges have been filed in the shooting, but the investigation is continuing. The sheriff’s office determined that the shot was fired after sunset, which is forbidden by local law.

The Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office will determine whether to bring a criminal case against Jadlowski.

Related stories: