Texas Man Injured By Ricocheting Bullet While Shooting At Armadillo

According to the motorist, as reported by USA Today, he was on state Highway 77 at 3 a.m. on Thursday when he attempted to shoot at an armadillo that he saw.

An east Texas man is recovering after being shot in the head with a bullet from his own gun.

Cass County Sheriff Larry Rowe said the man, who was not identified, went outside his home in Marietta, southwest of Texarkana, at around 3am on Thursday morning.

“This is not the normal, everyday affair in Cass County”, Rowe said.

The incident was classified by sheriff’s deputies as an “accidental shooting”.

The animal’s hard shell deflected at least one of three bullets, which then struck the man’s jaw, he said.

“This is the country, and we have a lot of armadillos”, he said.

With their leathery skin, it is not surprising that, as Wikipedia notes, the word armadillo means “little armoured one” in Spanish. However, some armadillos are also known to protect themselves by digging or fleeing into thorny patches.

In April, a Georgia man accidentally shot his mother-in-law after taking aim at an armadillo.

This is just the latest case of armadillo ricochet. (Watch video above). In this instance, when the bullet bounced off the armadillo, it went through a fence and into the trailer where the woman was hit, but just slightly injured.