Stray bullet during Savannah Police involved shooting kills female bystander in home

A stray bullet from a shootout between a Savannah police officer and a suspect entered a nearby home, striking and killing a woman inside Friday, according to a Georgia Bureau of Investigation press release.

The woman was identified as Cynthia Fields, 60, of Savannah, in a news report by WSAV. The report says she was a mother of five children.

She died at the scene from her injuries, the GBI release states.

A Savannah Police officer came in contact with a person on the 1600 block of Stratford Street they suspected could have been involved in an earlier shooting, the release says. The earlier shooting occurred on New Castle Street.

Shots were exchanged between the officer and the suspect — Chantz Cooper, 20, of Savannah. Cooper received non-life threatening injures and was transported to an area hospital.

It is uncertain if the bullet that killed Fields came from the gun of the officer or Cooper at this time, according to the GBI release.

An autopsy will be performed at the GBI Crime Lab in Savannah.

An independent investigation of the incident will be completed by GBI. Once complete, it will be turned over to the Chatham County District Attorney’s Office for review.

No officers were injured in the incident.